Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-25

kho associates OF julius caesar rel
Emperor, or in some cases, possibly
Why do you suppose Lincoln was
called "Abe," or "old Abe" or
sHonsst Abe"? Easy: Because they
A. And why call the first T. R.
there It goes, you see-why call him
anything but that7 You just nat
urslly can't. Those dry, uninterest-
ing persons who write long and
powerfully about men and events
years after they have flickered
across the screen Of life may call
him Mr.. Roosevelt. But those who
knew him-or those who know his
son-not for a minute.
Names-that is nicknames or titles
or handles or salutations or abbrevi-
ations or the various verbal identif-
cation marks by which men are
known-are the reflection Of person.
atty.
So this is the story, not Of Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Jr., son Of "Teddy"
or T. R., but Of T. R. himself-the
new T. R.-who stepped into public
life as his father stepped out, the one
finishing and the other beginning a
career in the public eye. The first
7. R. wrote his name in bold, strong
characters across the page Of history.
What of young T. RI
Any story Of the son Of an illus
trious father is difficult, particularly
any attempt to weigh, disscct, an
alyse his personality and character.
For the two are inseparable. The
son is the son Of his father. During
the fathers life he stands in the
shadow Of his personality. After
ward he is illumined by the after
glow Of the others record. The name
carries prestige.
Many Traits of Father
Are Inherited BY Son
ROOSEVELT" you say. "well,
I. R. was a great character. Don't
how about young Teddy. Ought to
b all right. Got a good start, any
/, way"
4 And when you get right down to
bedrock you find yourself asking:
What is he "in himself"?
Is he a personality himself?
2 Would he be where he Is If it
hadn't been for his fsther7 (Of
course, that can't be answered.)
Are his traits his own or his
fathers?
Is he entirely natural or affected?
Are his mannerisms, his eccen-
sicities, his own; are they natural;
u are they a pose7
And you may search long for tho
answers.
In Washington, whore T. r. Is best
Known, you'll find two schools Of
thousht--a distinctive cleavage Of opin-
'on-on that subject. The one will say:
Hes not the old man. lie tries to
ape him, but can't get away with 1t.
inere's not much to young T. n. II
10 gets anywhere in politics, his name
will take him."
And the others will say, with more
Vehemence:
Young Teddy's all right. I'm for
MN. He's got the goods. Maybe lie
nasnt the old mans originality or mag
net'sm but he'll 30 long way on his
own. He'll 90 up. They can't keep
nun down. Manners? His own! Per-
!ectly natural. Don't think he's af-
'scted at ALL"
And there you are!
1, Looking him over yourself, watching
"' Sa.' itriorin IN public, talking with him,
s"u %". Will be increasingly impressed the
~" Iote you see of him that II the traits
VI VI, the elder I. II. "stick out" In tho
Ss STn, they are for the most part traits
on watch were inherited by birth or un-
Tnsclous imitation; and that II any
a., them represents n veneer, an arti-
a.,aa surfacing, they have become no
uiNa i,aeal us to make them appear gen.
a., SUIT. r: does pose! You cant get
sway from that. Consciously or nm
CONSCIOUSLY, he plainly plays to the
s.srles'' s..sles' To what extent this is a
tsNt tsyaral Inheritance, and to what OK
mn s u 10 the reflex Of a conscious or
isa spprobation, probably he himself
licking beneath the surface for the
&sasais esisAaraelsr, ysa discovsr.