Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-06
Will ".Teddy" Jr. Become
President
BY John T. BOIFEUILLET

BY JOHN /. BOIFEUILLEl
I'm recent highly interesting editorial in
the Columbus Enquirer-Sun on the AS
sstant Secretary of the Navy, this state
the Roosevelt type is beyond question. He is
now in the place that was stepp1ng-stone 10
the presidency for Colonel Roosevelt.
! Will Theodore Roosevelt Jr., follow his
renowned father to the White House? so
far the son has followed close in the political
! footsteps of his sire. The first public office
| held by them was membership in the Ieglsla-
ture of New York The senior became col
onel in the Spanish-American war, and the
Junior attained this rank in the World war.
| The father was assistant secretary OF the
navy and now the son occupies this position,
| by appointment of President Harding.
| Will the parallel in their political lives con-
| tinue to run?
| Ambitious friends are said to be planning
! to place Theodore, Jr., in the next race for
the governorship of New York, from which
office Theodore, Sr., proceeded to the vice
| presidency of the United States, and on to the
chief magistracy.
Young Teddy's~ First Question
The suggested elevation of Theodore, Jr.,
to high public office brings up the question of
"Original and Inherited Talents" The pres
! tige of the name of the senior Roosevelt has
unquestionably been potentially helpful to
the Junior But in this day of materially
and practically man must possess quanhca-
lions of his own to reach and maintain marx
ed success. Events may demonstrate that the
mental powers and general characteristics OF
the Roosevelt sire have descended to the SON
It is said that when Teddy, Jr.,. arrived at
the navy department to begin his duties as
assistant secretary, on being presented to Sec
rotary DENLY, after the usual salutation, his
first inquiry, in the characteristic Roosevelt
tian style, was, eff something breaks loose
who goes?" DENLY replied, "The first man
that gets to- the president" ~
GLORY of the Fathers
If Theodore, Jr., succeeds IN emulatlng ana
continuing in his own career the renoWn OF
his father, he will be the exception to the
rule for if the chronicles of time are exam
| ined it will be found that seldom indeed have
the worlds iIIustrious characters left de-
scendants who have reflected the glory of
their fathers
There have never lived in the history of
the human race four figures more dramatic
than Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Ma
poeon Bonaparte and George Washington, but
| they left no sons who became historic char
acters.
Should Theodore, Jr., become president of
| the United States, he would be, the second In
stance in the annals of this republic of faith or
and son reaching the presidency. The only
case so far is that of John Adams and John
| Quincy Adams. The nearest approach to an
other family possessing a similar distinction
is that of William Henry Harrison and BenJa-
min neutrality-suspicious. and grandson.
Twenty-Five years elapsed between the occu-
1pancy of the White House by the Adamses, and
| there was an interval of nearly a half century
| between that of the two Harrisons. How long
a period will there be between theapresiden-
tial administration of the two Theodores?
Only Few in High Places
! Furthermore, only few sons Of presidents
have attained high political place of any
character I am unable to say whether the
inal talents, was due to notable character
istics, was merely the impulse of sentiment
as tribute to the memories of their fathers.
The readers can judge for themselves.
| Robert T. Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln,
was appointed secretary of war by President
| Garfield, and he was continued in this office
| by President Arthur, who succeeded the as
sassinated Garfield. President Benjamin Har-
rson appointed Lincoln minister to Great
Britain, and he honored the memory of an
other famous Republican president, U. s.
Grant, by appointing his son, Frederick Dent
Grant as minister to Austria. Lincoln and
Grant, each respectively, were stationed at
London and Vienna during the same period
1889-1893 President Roosevelt appointed
James r. Garfield, son of President Garfield,
as secretary of the interior.
An Interesting Investigation
Well-informed writer's who have investi-
gated the subject declare that the world S
greatest men have come from parents who
had no special claim to distinction, and in
many cases the greatest sons were not only
members of large families of brothers and
sisters but they were, as rule, not the eldest
or first born. Mr.. Charles Kassell, of Fort
Worth, Tex, had an interesting article on
this matter in the Popular Science Monthly
some time ago. and a number of entertaining
facts were presented by him.
Mr.. Casselfs article contained no mention
of Theodore, Jr., but it may be interesting
| to note that he was one of five children, three
! sons and two daughters. He was not the first
born of the quintet. This fell to the lot Of his
charming and accomplished daughter,
Alice wife of Congressman Longworth.
! 1t may be a matter of encouragement
! to the assistant secretary of the navy
| in his political ambitions to learn, If he
does not already know It, that ne IS IN
most excellent company for as eminent char
| acters coming from families of five children
were Noah Webster, William Wordsworth
Cardinal Richelieu, John Keats, James Rus
sell Lowell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert
| Fulton, Gustavus Adolphus and Louis Agas-
siz. This class was largely one OF literature
and science, but Theodore, Sr., would have
( found it congenial, for he was not only man
of the sword and the "big stick" but he was
! fond of roaming in the field of letters and
| in Athe realm of discovery.
| ! Famous Men From Large Families
Some of the most famous men in the his
| tory of the world were members of large fam
| lilies of brothers and sisters. Here are few
shining examples:
Horace Walpole historic in English annals
| for political astuteness, was one of nineteen
children; BENJAMIN Franklin, one of seven
teen; John Marshall, the great jurist, one OF
| fifteen; Peter the Great, one of fourteen; Ma
pOleon Bonaparte, one of thirteen; Samuel
Adams patriot and statesman, one of twelve
| Of all the presidents, perhaps that great
| Democrat, that man of destiny, Grover Cleve-
land, had the most prolific ancestry. His
progenitors were not believers in race sui
eide" His own father, Richard, had nine