Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-30
THEODORE ROOSEVELT MOST
INTERESTING LETTER WRITER
His Scholarly Appreciation Of Authors and Painters Is
Shown in the 10000 Personal Missves Written
During Busy Public Career

NEW YORK. May 22.-prcsidcnt
Roosevelts love for books and art
and his scholarly appreciation OF tho
whom he sent many OF tho i5o. 900
letters. which he wrote during his
puDiic career are shown IN the ninth
instalment by his biographcr, Joseph
Scrihner's Magazine.
Amusing and Interesting missives.
as well as those more sehate and
ten by Colonel Roosevelt to Brand-r
Matthews. Joei y. Spingarn. Booth
Tl!arkington. Owen Wis,er. T.. Marcus
sustus Saint Gaudcns, James Ford
Rhodes. Lord Morley. NJ .iusscrand.
Frcdcrick Scott oliver. arthur J. BAL
Tour. Henry Bordeau;t Charles
Scribncr and Robert bridges.
criticism of Thomas Paine.
critic OF Roosevelt had written
to Mr.. Wister protesting against the
!rt ioneh .rac,erizhtion OF
atheist" declaring IL was AN unpar-
d0nable vilihcatiOn of "one OF the
greatest men OF his time" Mr.. WIS
ter forwarded the letter to Mr. RoOSe-
welt. 10 which the latter responded:
ucrsOnal)
september 81. 1901.
This is delightful ought not to
have used the. exact word atheist"
II" admitted the existence OF An IN =
known Cod. but denied there was
God OF the Christians. Az II
whether he WAS dirty or not. It IL n
mere matter OF private Judgment, /
was recording IN the sentence the
IN bed without getting out for any
purpose. and that as Il CONSEQUENCE
4 swine In a sty "as physically clean
By comparison"
Faithfully yours.
THEODORE: ROOSEVELT.
Mr. Owen Wistcr.
32S Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia. Pa.
The Colonel in another letter. acor-
ing rather sensational novel deal
ne, With II. West and published in
h"oi, snld he had grown TO have ~
cnaT'ntnn and half fanatic. and who
ruins hIs own cause by ovcrstate-
m.nt Explaiining his opposition 20
IN oOs Of the princess kropotkln. nc
SAID People who call themselves
INA IN Ghls,s. no matter how they dual
.Iy tn" word by calling themselves
.reformers.' by jus, so much add 10
IN" strength OF the worst ANA mos,
VICIOUS clements OF our civilization.
".i,rred tho s"nth Was All Wrong
nave always been grateful ia
You and Saint Gaudens for just cx.
lSt!nE.' he wrote 10 Frederick Mac.
Monies IN 1900. FOR 1t liz big asse,
on the nations crcdl, side iha, /,
should hay" produced YOU both" r,
lanes Ford Rhodes statement ,ha,
IN no. quarrel IL the right an on
on" side. and TIA. wrong all on the
oth"r. he took exception In these
words: II fully believe in and ap-
precia'" not only The ralor OF tho
south. but It's lofty devotion to the
rirht az IL saw the right: and yet
think that on every ground-that l..
on tn" question OF the Union. on the
question az slavery. on the Qucstion
or state rights-it war wrong with n
folly that amounted 10 madness. and
w!'h a p"rvcrsity that amounted 20
wickcdness."
one OF the most interesting OF the
letters was one written hy tho Col
on"l IN 1908. before the panic o. the
year before had subsidized When the
panic began in New York vigorous
cnoris u ~ said, were made 10 have
Roosevelt. then President. call on
his suit against tn. Standard oil
Company and an Investigation OF tho
Hartman railway lines, which he hat
ordered. In spite Of the strcnuou.
controversy concerning these ant
other questions OF public policy. IN,
Colonel found time TO write "A long
and learned letter to Mr. Balfour. re.