Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-07
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED
ppEcg
7, 1919
ROOSEVELT PASSES.

A great man has fallen, stricken by
death in what Should have been the
prime of life. History will accord tc
, Theodore Roosevelt unique position
in the great story OF American life
politics, literature and adventure,
Washington, Lincoln and Wilson
were called to leadership of the people
while greater events We're occurring
than any in which Roosevelt partici-
pated while he was president there
fore they will occupy greater riches in
Americas hall Of fame.
But Roosevelt was one Of the great
est of American presidents and was ny
far the most versatile of them in great
things well done.
When quite young man he set his
face hard against the spoils system
that had cursed this government from
the time Of Andrew jackson, and as
one of the civil service commission
ers under President Benjamin Harri-
son, he fought he spoilsmen to a fin
ish and won completely, for the clas-
sified service.
AS police commissioner of the city
of New York he did more than any
other man to curb the use of the po-
lice for the protection of vice After
that date both Croker and Murphy
reigned, but Murphy's power for evil
has been small and Croker soon found
it wise 20 take up his residence across
the Atlantic,
When the Spanish war
came on Roosevelt was assistant sec
rotary of the navy under John Long.
Secretary Long brought to Roosevelt
an order he had prepared for Commo-
dore Dewey. 1t was a long document,
Astounding with details. The next day
Long was sick and Roosevelt struck
out everything in the message and
sent one ordering Dewey to Capture
or Destroy the Spanish squadron.
Roosevelt then resigned to organize
the Rough Riders, he yielding the
command of the regiment to Leonard
Wood who had displayed great abil-
ity in fighting Indians in the south
west, and contented himself with po-
sition Of lieutenant colonel, but he was
in command when the regiment won
immortal fame at San Juan Hill.
From the governorship of New York
he was nominated and elected vice.
president on the ticket with President
Mckinley. The nomination for the
vice-presidency was forced upon him
by Tom Plat of New York, who
wanted to side-track him effectively
But it was the irony of fate that the
bullet of an anarchist should strike
down Mckinley six months after his
second inauguration, and Theodore
Roosevelt became president Septem-
Der II, 1901 to succeed himself for a
full term.
Building of the Panama canal had
long been contemplated, but the gov
eminent of Colombia stood in the way,
the distractions being largely due,
as is now fully known, to German in
trigue. Roosevelt cut the Gordian
knot by backing a revolution in Pan
anna. lie put Cocktails in charge and
one of the worlds great waterways
was dug uniting the Atlantic and the
Pacific and cutting the western hem
isphere in halves
Fer the manners in which he clos
cd up the Panama canal tangle Roose-
Welt has been much criticized, but eviS
IDENTITY he had the sentiment of the
American people backing him.
Due largely to President Roosevelt's
influence, William II. Taft, his secre-
tary of war was nominated and elect
cd president. Roosevelt soon after
quitting the White House went on n
hunting expedition to Africa, where
his adventures were of the most thrill
ing and constituted material for the
ing sort and constituted material for
the most important and interesting
hook of all the historical works writ
ten by him.
He was great writer, just as he
was an omniverous reader. The whole
world of literature interested him, and
few men in the United States were
more familiar than he with the Greek
and Roman historians and philosoph-
ers. But. while he read Greek and
Roman authors with the interest a.
school boy has in the blood and thumb
er stories of the wild west, Roosevelt,
was also a constant reader Of stories
of adventure Of the lurid sort and Iik-
cd to while away an hour now and