theodore roosevelt-第34章

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　Other　Presidents　had　been　indolent　and　let　affairs　drift；　he　cleared　his　desk　every　day。　Other　Presidents　felt　that　they　had　done　their　duty　if　they　merely　dispatched　the　important　business　which　came　to　them；　Roosevelt　was　always　initiating；　either　new　legislation　or　new　methods　in　matters　which　did　not　concern　the　Government。　One　autumn；　when　there　was　unusual　excitement；　with　recriminations　in　disputes　in　the　college　football　world；　I　was　surprised　to　receive　a　large　four…page　typewritten　letter；　giving　his　views　as　to　what　ought　to　be　done。

He　reorganized　the　service　in　the　White　House；　and　not　only　that；　he　had　the　Executive　Mansion　itself　remodeled　somewhat　according　to　the　original　plans　so　as　to　furnish　adequate　space　for　the　crowds　who　thronged　the　official　receptions；　and；　at　the　other　end　of　the　building；　proper　quarters　for　the　stenographers；　typewriters；　and　telegraphers　required　to　file　and　dispatch　his　correspondence。　Promptness　was　his　watchword；　and　in　cases　where　it　was　expected；　I　never　knew　twenty…four　hours　to　elapse　before　he　dictated　his　reply　to　a　letter。

The　orderliness　which　he　introduced　into　the　White　House　should　also　be　recorded。　When　I　first　went　there　in　1882　with　a　party　of　Philadelphia　junketers　who　had　an　appointment　to　shake　hands　with　President　Arthur；　as　a　preliminary　to　securing　a　fat　appropriation　to　the　River　and　Harbor　Bill　of　that　year；　the　White　House　was　treated　by　the　public　very　much　as　a　common　resort。　The　country　owned　it：　therefore；　why　shouldn't　any　American　make　himself　at　home　in　it？　I　remember　that　on　one　of　the　staircases；　Dr。　Mary　Walker　（recently　dead）；　dressed　in　what　she　was　pleased　to　regard　as　a　masculine　costume；　was　haranguing　a　group　of　five　or　six　strangers；　and　here　and　there　in　the　corridors　we　met　other　random　visitors。　Mr。　Roosevelt　established　a　strict　but　simple　regimen。　No　one　got　past　the　Civil　War　veteran　who　acted　as　doorkeeper　without　proper　credentials；　and　it　was　impossible　to　reach　the　President　himself　without　first　encountering　his　Secretary；　Mr。　Loeb。

To　the　President　some　persons　were；　of　course；　privileged。　If　an　old　pal　from　the　West；　or　a　Rough　Rider　came；　the　President　did　not　look　at　the　clock；　or　speed　him　away。　The　story　goes　that　one　morning　Senator　Cullom　came　on　a　matter　of　business　and　indeed　rather　in　a　hurry。　On　asking　who　was　〃in　there；〃　and　being　told　that　a　Rough　Rider　had　been　with　the　President　for　a　half…hour；　the　Senator　said；　〃Then　there's　no　hope　for　me；〃　took　his　hat；　and　departed。

Although；　as　I　have　said；　Roosevelt　might　be　as　intimate　and　cordial　as　possible　with　any　visitor；　he　never　forgot　the　dignity　which　belonged　to　his　office。　Nor　did　he　forget　that　as　President　he　was　socially　as　well　as　officially　the　first　person　in　the　Republic。　In　speaking　of　these　social　affairs；　I　must　not　pass　over　without　mention　the　unfailing　help　which　his　two　sisters　gave　him　at　all　times。　The　elder；　the　wife　of　Admiral　William　S。　Cowles；　lived　in　Washington　when　Roosevelt　was　Civil　Service　Commissioner；　and　her　house　was　always　in　readiness　for　his　use。

His　younger　sister；　Mrs。　Douglas　Robinson；　lived　in　New　York　City；　and　first　at　No。　422　Madison　Avenue　and　later　at　No。　9　East　Sixty…third　Street；　she　dispensed　hospitality　for　him　and　his　friends。　Nothing　could　have　been　more　convenient。　If　he　were　at　Oyster　Bay；　it　was　often　impossible　to　make　an　appointment　to　meet　there　persons　whom　he　wished　to　see；　but　he　had　merely　to　telephone　to　Mrs。　Robinson；　the　appointment　was　made；　and　the　interview　was　held。　It　was　at　her　house　that　many　of　the　breakfasts　with　Senator　Plattthose　meetings　which　caused　so　much　alarm　and　suspicion　among　over…righteous　reformerstook　place　while　Roosevelt　was　Governor。　Mr。　Odell　nearly　always　accompanied　the　Senator；　as　if　he　felt　afraid　to　trust　the　astute　Boss　with　the　very　persuasive　young　Governor。　Having　Mrs。　Robinson's　house　as　a　shelter；　Theodore　could　screen　himself　from　the　newspaper　men。　There　he　could　hold　private　consultations　which；　if　they　had　been　referred　to　in　the　papers；　would　have　caused　wild　guesses；　surmises；　and　embarrassing　remarks。　His　sisters　always　rejoiced　that；　with　his　wonderful　generosity　of　nature；　he　took　them　often　into　his　political　confidence；　and　listened　with　unfeigned　respect　to　their　point　of　view　on　subjects　on　which　they　might　even　have　a　slight　difference　of　opinion。

Mr。　Charles　G。　Washburn　tells　the　following　story　to　illustrate　Roosevelt's　faculty　of　getting　to　the　heart　of　every　one　whom　he　knew。　When　he　was　hunting　in　Colorado；　〃he　met　a　cowboy　who　had　been　with　him　with　the　Rough　Riders　in　Cuba。　The　man　came　up　to　speak　to　Roosevelt；　and　said；　'Mr。　President；　I　have　been　in　jail　a　year　for　killing　a　gentleman。'　'How　did　you　do　it？'　asked　the　President；　meaning　to　inquire　as　to　the　circumstances。　'Thirty…eight　on　a　forty…five　frame；'　replied　the　man；　thinking　that　the　only　interest　the　President　had　was　that　of　a　comrade　who　wanted　to　know　with　what　kind　of　a　tool　the　trick　was　done。　Now；　I　will　venture　to　say　that　to　no　other　President；　from　Washington　down　to　and　including　Wilson；　would　the　man…killer　have　made　that　response。〃　*

*　Washburn；　202…03。


I　think　that　all　of　us　will　agree　with　Mr。　Washburn；　who　adds　another　story　of　the　same　purport；　and　told　by　Roosevelt　himself。　Another　old　comrade　wrote　him　from　jail　in　Arizona：　〃Dear　Colonel：　I　am　in　trouble。　I　shot　a　lady　in　the　eye；　but　I　did　not　intend　to　hit　the　lady；　I　was　shooting　at　my　wife。〃　Roosevelt　had　large　charity　for　sinners　of　this　type；　but　he　would　not　tolerate　deceit　or　lying。　Thus；　when　a　Congressman　made　charges　to　him　against　one　of　the　Wild　Western　appointees　whom　he　accused　of　drinking　and　of　gambling；　the　President　remarked　that　he　had　to　take　into　consideration　the　moral　standards　of　the　section；　where　a　man　who　gambled　or　who　drank　was　not　necessarily　an　evil　person。　Then　the　Congressman　pressed　his　charges　and　said　that　the　fellow　had　been　in　prison　for　a　crime　a　good　many　years　before。　This　roused　Roosevelt；　who　said；　〃He　never　told　me　about　that；〃　and　he　immediately　telegraphed　the　accused　for　an　explanation。　The　man　replied　that　the　charge　was　true；　whereupon　the　President　at　once　dismissed　him；　not　for　gambling　or　for　drinking；　but　for　trying　to　hide　the　fact　that　he　had　once　been　in　jail。

In　these　days　of　upheaval；　when　the　most　ancient　institutions　and　laws　are　put　in　question；　and　anarchists　and　Bolshevists；　blind　like　Samson；　wish　to　throw　down　the　very　pillars　on　which　Civilization　rests；　the　Family；　the　fundamental　element　of　civilized　life；　is　also　violently　attacked。　All　the　more　precious；　therefore；　will　Theodore　Roosevelt's　example　be；　as　an　upholder　of　the　Family。　He　showed　how　essential　it　is　for　the　development　of　the　individual　and　as　a　pattern　for　Society。　Only　through　the　Family　can　come　the　deepest　joys　of　life　and　can　the　most　intimate　duties　be　transmuted　into　joys。　As　son；　as　husband；　as　father；　as　brother；　he　fulfilled　the　ideals　of　each　of　those　relations；　and；　so　strong　was　his　family　affection；　that；　while　still　a　comparatively　young　man；　he　drew　to　him　as　a　patriarch　might；　not　only　his　own　children；　but　his　kindred　in　many　degrees。　With　utter　truth　he　wrote；　〃I　have　had　the　happiest　home　life　of　any　man　I　have　ever　known。〃　And　that；　as　we　who　were　his　friends　understood；　was　to　him　the　highest　and　dearest　prize　which　life　could　bestow。



CHAPTER　XVIII。　Hits　And　Misses

In　this　sketch　I　do　not　attempt　to　follow　chronological　order；　except　in　so　far　as　this　is　necessary　to　make　clear　the　connection　between　lines　of　policy；　or　to　define　the　structural　growth　of　character。　But　in　Roosevelt's　life；　as　in　the　lives　of　all　of　us；　many　events；　sometimes　important　events；　occurred　and　had　much　notice　at　the　moment　and　then　faded　away　and　left　no　lasting　mark。　Let　us　take　up　a　few　of　these　which　reveal　the　President　from　different　angles。

Since　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　the　Negro　Question　had　brooded　over　the　South。　The　war　emancipated　the　Southern　negroes　and　then　politics　came　to　embitter　the　question。　Partly　to　gain　a　political　advantage；　partly　as　some　visionaries　believed；　to　do　justice；　and　partly　to　punish　the　Southerners；　the　Northern　Republicans　gave　the　Southern　negroes　equal　political　rights　with　the　whites。　They　even　handed　over　the　government　of　some　of　the　States　to　wholly　incompetent　blacks。　In　self…defense　the　whites　terrorized　the　blacks　through　such　secret　organizations　as　the　Ku…Klux　Klan；　and　recovered　their　ascendancy　in　governing。　Later；　by　such　specious　devices　as　the　Grandfathers'　Law；　they　prevented　most　of　the　blacks　from　voting；　and　relieved　themselves　of　the　trouble　of　maintaining　a　system　of　intimidation。　The　real　difficulty　being　social　and　racial；　to　mix　politics　with　it　was　to　envenom　it。

Roosevelt　took　a　man　for　what　he　was　without　regard　to　race；　creed；　or　color。　He　held　that　a　negro　of　good　manners　and　education　ought　to　be　treated　as　a　white　man　would　be　treated。　He　felt　keenly　the　sting　of　ostracism　and　he　believed　that　if　the　Southern　whites　would　think　as　he　did　on　this　matter；　they　might　the　quicker　solve　the　Negro　Question　and　establish　human　if　not　friendly　relations　with　the　blacks。

The　negro　race　at　that　time　had　a　fine　spokesman　in　Booker　T。　Washington；　a　man　who　had　been　born　a　slave；　was　educated　at　the　Hampton　Institute；　served　as　teacher　there；　and　then　founded　the　Tuskegee　Institute　for　teaching　negroes。　He　wisely　saw　that　the　first　thing　to　be　done　was　to　teach　them　trades　and　farming；　by　which　they　could　earn　a　living　and　make　themselves　useful　if　not　indispensable　to　the　communities　in　which　they　settled。　He　did　not　propose　to　start　off　to　lift　his　race　by　letting　them　imagine　that　they　could　blossom　into　black　Shakespeares　and　dusky　Raphaels　in　a　single　generation。　He　himself　was　a　man　of　tact；　prudence；　and　sagacity　with　trained　intelligence　and　a　natural　gift　of　speaking。

To　him　President　Roosevelt　turned　for　some　suggestions　as　to　appointing　colored　persons　to　offices　in　the　South。　It　happened　that　on　the　day　appointed　for　a　meeting　Washington　reached　the　White　House　shortly　before　luncheon　time；　and　that；　as　they　had　not　finished　their　conference；　Roosevelt　asked　him　to　stay　to　luncheon。　Washington　hesitated　politely。　Roosevelt　insisted。　They　lunched；　finished　their　business；　and　Washington　went　away。　When　this　perfectly　insignificant　fact　was　published　in　the　papers　the　next　morning；　the　South　burst　into　a　storm　of　indignation　and　abuse。　Some　of　the　Southern　journals　saw；　in　what　was　a　mere　routine　incident；　a　terrible　portent；　foreboding　that　Roosevelt　planned　to　put　the　negroes　back　to　control　the　Southern　whites。　Others　alleged　the　milder　motive　that　he　was　fishing　for　negro　votes。　The　common　type　of　fire…eaters　saw　in　it　one　of　Roosevelt's　unpleasant　ways　of　having　fun　by　insulting　the　South。　And　Southern　cartoonists　took　an　ignoble；　feeble　retaliation　by　caricaturing　even　Mrs。　Roosevelt。

The　President　did　not　reply　publicly。　As　his　invitation　to　Booker　Washington　was　wholly　unpremeditated；　he　was　surprised　by　the　rage　which　it　caused　among　Southerners。　But　he　was　clear…sighted　enough　to　understand　that；　without　intending　it；　he　had　made　a　mistake；　and　this　he　never　repeated。