The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-01-08
WE SUCCEEDED IN
PLEASING CLARENCE WOODS

Editor Star: Your editorial on the
late Theodore Roosevelt | consider
the measure Of your capacity to write
history without the bias of personal
feelings or partisan considerations.
Zour impartial story Of his career
furnished me with q fine example of
the wonderful versatility Of the edi-
Tor Of newspaper such as yours, 10
every department of which, at one
time or another of every day you
must give Of your time and thought
II the distraction of your mind from
the fuA consideration of the great
current events Of the times. Thus
y0u proved your ability to produce,
amid the turmoil and confusion of a
printing Office, a tribute worthy of
front rank among the studied efforts
OF clustered editors and authors
With = fairness and accuracy worthy
ct highest praise, without fiattery on
the one side or detraction from his
just dues on the other, your editorial
may be said to be true textbook of
the career of Theodore Roosevelt.
Others adorn their tributes to this
> A@ctL -AlfANt lNtAl " III NOtuS lhLeUuEu
more TO reflect glory upon their
authors than upon the deceased Your
picture Of him divides ones admira-
rion between the dead statesman and
the fairminded editor who pictured
him sears and ALL" setting down
naught in malice. but being, if pos
sible, "to his faults a little blind, and
to his virtues very kind"
Sir, | envy the pen which you so
ably and courageously WELD, not only
in this instance but always in behalf
of truth and against hypocrisy and
sham The Roosevelt instance merely
afforded you wider scope for the ex-
ercise of the faculties with which you
are richly endowed-to write as be-
cometh a true leader, so that your
followers may never have cause to
say you led them deliberately into
error.
l cannot quite think of Roosevelt
without fearing he was unjust to
President Wilson, or jealous of the
supremacy of our president among
the statesmen and rulers of the earth.
Still, | yield fullest homage to the
exalted patriotism and courage of the
dead statesman, and believe no truer
American than he ever lived. But
verify believe the greater wisdom of
Wilson saved Roosevelt from COM
hitting suicide when he would have
rushed with an army of volunteers
into the jaws of death but for the re-
fusal Of Wilson to permit such a rash
act at tie outset of our war with Ger
many. Imagine the catastrophe had
Roosevelt been allowed to lead 20O,-
600 green but brave Americans
against the German legions armed
with liquid fire, poison gases, deadly
machine guns and bombing planes.
Today Roosevelt and his gallant fol-
lowers, but for Wilson's refusal,
would be lying beneath the peoples
on Flanders fields, and alas, too, vic
tory would only have been deferred
Ey the fruitless sacrifice. Who chal-
lenges that statement?
But, Mr.. Editor, my purpose was
not to criticise nor commend Roose-
welt, but to express my pride and ad-
miration for a "silent worker of the
right" who is able to poise so evenly
the scales of justice and truth that
friend nor foe can truly charge you
misstated or moderated a single fact.
Let me say that a hundred years
hence posterity shall gather at the
graves of both Wilson and Roosevelt
to pay their tributes to those two
mighty dead though every turf be-
meath their feet shall be great
mans sepulcire. Fraternally,
Clarence E. Woods,
U. S. Inspector of Explosives,
Former Tditor Eustis Lake Region.