The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-01-06
|ooSEvElT LIVED
And FoUanT nARD
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ylonoI convention Of 1854 was held IN
Chicago. he was chairman OF the New
York state delegation.
After this experience he dropped
o,N Of politics for two years Going
west, he purchased ranches along the
Little Missouri river. in North Da-
kots. and divided his time between
outdoor sports, particularly hunting,
and literary work Here he laid the
foundation for his series OF books,
The Winning OF the West" which
sas published from 1890 TO 1890, and
Of other volumes OF kindred charac-
ter
Returning TO New York he became
the republican candidate for mayor,
in 1876 lie was defeated Prcsi-
dent Harrison in 1890 appointed him
a member Of tic United States civil
service commission and President
Cleveland continued him In this Of
lice, which he resigned In 1895 20 be-
come New York Cuy's police commits
sioner.
"A thing that attracted me TO this
office" Roosevelt said at the time he
accepted this appointment. was that
II was TO be done in the hufly burly.
for | don't like clois,er lie" Hon
csty was the wa,chword OF this Id
ministration. and the two years OF his
occupancy became memorable through
the reforms he inauRuratcd. attract
ing the nations attention while hold
ing a position which was obscure in
comparison with the events 10 come.
Illicit liquor traffic, gambling, vice
in general-of these evils he purgcd
the city in the face OF corrupt politi-
cal opposition. and the reputation he
established as a reiormcf won him
the personal selection by PreSiden,
Mckinley as assistant secretary oi
the navy, in 1897. A year later the
Spanish American war broke out.
The Roosevelt temperament did
not allow the man 10 retain deputy
cabinet position with war offering
something more exciting, Leonard
Wood. now a major general, WAS then
President Mckinleys physician and
one OF RooSevelts Staunchest friends.
velt's staunchest friends.
His War Record.
The famous Rough Riders were or
ganiled by Wood and Rooscyelt--a
band Of fighting men the mention OF
whose name today suggests imme-
diately the word Roosevelt" They
came out of the west--plainsmen,
miners, rough and ready fighters who
were natural markSmen, and Wood
became their colonel and TEDDY"
as he had become iamiliarly called by
the public, their eutenant-colonel.
In company with the regulars OF the
army they took transports TO Cuba,
landed at Santiago and were soon
engaged in the thick OF battle. Among
the promotions which this hardy regl-
ment's gallantry brought about were
those of Wood 20 brigadier- general
and Roosevelt, 10 coloncl-and this
title Theodore Roosevelt cherished
until the end. Some oi the rough
riders formed the military escort
when he was elected president a few
years later.
When Cuba had been liberated,
Roosevelt returned to New York. A
Gubernatorial campaign was in swing.
with the republican party III need oi
. capable candidate. Roosevelt was
nominated. Van Wyck, his demo
cratic opponent, was defeated. The
reforms Roosevelt had favored as as
senblyman he now Lad the opportu-
nifty to consummatc, together with
others OF more importance, and It
was during this administration that
he is said first TO have earned the
hostility OF corporations. When the
republican national convention was
held in Philadelphia in 1900 his
party in New York state demanded
and attained his nomination for vice
president on the ticket with William
Mckinley. In November that year
this ticket was elected.
Kept Mckinley Cabinet.
The policies Of Mckinley. Roose-
welt endcavored TO carry out after
he succeeded the former upon the
presidents tragic death at the hands
Of an assassin. Roosevelt retained
his predecessors cabinet as his own
and he kept in office the amhaSSa-
dors and ministers whom Mckinley
had appointed As much as two ycars
before the presidential campaign OF
1904, republican organizations in
various states began indorslng him
as their next candidate.
II was thus that 'the man of des-
tiny" idea became associated with
his life. Os,enSihly, Roosevelt, leav-
.ing the governorship of New York to
become vice president, was moving
forward from state politics into ma
kional politics, so his political op-
'ponents protesSed publicly to believe (;
but it was their secret desire to
.:'shelve" the man and eliminate him
from prominence in their own COM
enunity, it was said, that prompted
these political foes to obtain for him
che vice presidential nomination, which
be personally did not desire.
At the height OF his public and po-
1hical career, during the four years
Of the term for which he had been
elected, Roosevelt accomplished
achievements which historians will
rank high in the international and
industrial progress of the country.
They included his influential negotia-
tious which, conducted at Portsmouth,
N. H.. effected peace between Russia
end Japan; maintenance of tht Mon
foe Doctrine at period when Euro
pean powers were interested in the at
fairs of Venezuela; the recognition of
Panama as a republic and his treaty
with Panama by which the inter
oceanic canal through that country