Theodore
Roosevelt was born in New York City in
1858. He studied at Harvard University
and Columbia University Law School (1880-81). The following year he
was elected to the New York State legislature (1882-84) where he developed
a reputation as an honest politician opposed to corrupt, party-machine
politics.
In 1895 Roosevelt was appointed president of New York City Board of
Police Commissioners. In 1897 Roosevelt became Assistant Secretary
of the Navy and with Leonard Wood organized
the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry unit that took part in the Spanish-American
War. During the war Roosevelt served in Cuba as a colonel.
In 1899 elected governor of New York (1899-1900). Elected the Republican
Vice-President in 1901 he succeeded to the presidency on the assassination
of William McKinley on 14th September,
1901. Roosevelt was re-elected in 1904 on a program of reform. Using
information supplied by investigative journalists, Roosevelt attempted
to deal with political and economic corruption. This including bringing
successful suits against 44 major corporations. However, in 1906 he
indicated that the campaign was coming to an end when he described
investigative journalists as muckrakers.
Roosevelt decided not to stand for re-election in 1908, and instead
decided to support his former secretary of war, William
H. Taft, as president. Roosevelt grew more radical out of power
and was disappointed with Taft's record. In 1912 Roosevelt stood as
the Progressive Party candidate against
Taft. His proposed program included women's
suffrage, direct election of senators, anti-trust legislation
and the prohibition of child labour. Roosevelt won 4,126,020 votes,
but as he split the traditional Republican
vote, he enabled Woodrow Wilson, the
Democratic candidate, to be elected.
Roosevelt supported USA involvement in the First
World War and in 1917 was bitterly upset when Woodrow
Wilson rejected his offer to lead a volunteer division to France
was rejected. After the war Roosevelt was involved in the campaign
against President Wilson's proposal for a League
of Nations. Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep on 6th January,
1919.
Uncle Sam: "He's good enough for me."
Homer Davenport, New York Evening Mail (1904)
(1) President
Theodore Roosevelt, speech at the
House of Representatives (1906)
In
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress you may recall the description
of the Man with the Muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward
with the muck-rake in his hands; who would neither look up nor regard
the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth
on the floor.
I
hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the
platform, or in a book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity
makes such attack, provided always that he in turn remembers that
the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful.
(2)
Ray Stannard Baker, commented on Theodore
Roosevelt
and the muckraking movement (1910)
In
the beginning I thought, and still think, he did great good in giving
support and encouragement to this movement. But I did not believe
then, and have never believed since, that these ills can be settled
by partisan political methods. They are moral and economic questions.
Latterly I believe Roosevelt did a dis-service to the country in seizing
upon a movement that ought to have been built up slowly and solidly
from the bottom with much solid thought and experimentation, and hitching
it to the cart of his own political ambitions. He thus short-circuited
a fine and vigorous current of aroused public opinion into a futile
partisan movement.
(3)
Charles Edward Russell, interviewed
by C. C. Regier (1932)
The
greatest single definite force against muckraking was President Roosevelt,
who called these writers muckrakers. A tag like that running through
the papers was an easy phrase of repeated attack upon what was in
general a good journalistic movement.
(4)
Robert
La Follette, Autobiography (1911)
While Theodore Roosevelt was President, his public utterances through
state papers, addresses, and the press were highly coloured with rhetorical
radicalism. One trait was always pronounced. His most savage assault
upon special interests was invariably offset with an equally drastic
attack upon those who were seeking to reform abuses. These were indiscriminately
classed as demagogues and dangerous persons. In this way he sought
to win approval, both from the radicals and the conservatives.
(5)
Samuel
Gompers, Seventy Years
of Life and Labour (1925)
Theodore Roosevelt disregarded red tape. He brought to the problems
of the White House a realism that had never previously pervaded the
executive offices. It was because he was vitally interested in realities
that he captured the imagination of the American people and became
their great Evangelist in a demand that the government should serve
the people. He was always a forceful figure and interested in the
human aspects of all questions. He could concentrate both physical
and mental energy to a startling degree. A person with such qualities
must necessarily be egotistical. He compelled attention by his strenuous
activity, his passionate espousal of causes, and his enthusiasm for
a constructive measure. He had a great influence upon those with whom
he came in contact.
(6)
George Norris, Fighting Liberal (1945)
I was impressed by the scrupulous honesty and high motives in the
attainment of public good that characterized Theodore Roosevelt. He
was a man of action, quick to weary and become disgusted with delays
and interferences; and it was this impetuosity, it seemed to me, and
this irritation with the technicalities of law that sometimes prevented
him from carrying out great national developments.
Yet he built the Panama
Canal after other governments and a great corporation had spent a
vast amount of money and had failed in their efforts. He threw his
heart into the construction of this waterway, whose long useful service
has caused the struggle for it to be forgotten; hut during its progress
the means by which the Panama Canal was accomplished in some respects
seem doubtful to me. I followed him step by step in that fight. Doubts
assailed me at the time, and I have since reached the conclusion that
our government's decision to establish the new republic of Panama,
which in reality prevented Colombia from defending her own territory
with her army, was open to argument. The United States through appropriations
has indirectly made amends so that relationships with Colombia fortunately
are on the most friendly basis.
My devotion to Theodore
Roosevelt was such that in 1912, when he ran as the Bull Moose candidate
for President on the Progressive ticket, I supported him, although
at the time I was a member of the Republican party, and the legal
Republican nominee for the Senate in the same campaign.
(7) Theodore Roosevelt, America
at War (1918)
All Americans of other race origin must act toward the countries from
which their ancestors severally sprang as Washington and his associates
in their day acted. Otherwise
they are traitors to America. This applies especially today to all
Americans of German blood who directly or indirectly in any manner
support Germany as against the United States and the allies of the
United States; it applies no less specifically to all American citizens
of Irish blood who are led
into following the same course, not by their
love of Germany but by their hatred of
England. One motive is as inexcusable as the
other; and in each case the action is treasonable
to the United States.
The professional pacifists
have, during the last three years, proved themselves the evil enemies
of their country. They now advocate an inconclusive peace. In so doing
they have shown themselves to be the spiritual heirs of the Tories
who in the name of peace opposed Washington, and of the "Copperheads"
who in the name of peace opposed
Lincoln. We regard these men and women as traitors to the republic;
we regard them as traitors to the great cause of justice and humanity.
This war is a war for the vital interests of America. When we fight
for America abroad we save our children from fighting for America
at home beside their own ruined hearthstones.
We believe that the large
majority of Americans are proudly ready to fight to the last for the
overthrow of the brutal German militarism which threatens America
no less than every other civilized nation. We believe that it would
be an act of baseness and infamy, an act of unworthy cowardice, and
a betrayal of this country and of mankind to accept any peace except
the peace of overwhelming victory, a peace based on the complete overthrow
of the Prussianized Germany of the Hohenzollerns.
(8)
Lincoln
Steffens, Autobiography (1931)
The gift of the gods to Theodore Roosevelt was joy, joy in life. He
took joy in everything he did, in hunting, camping, and ranching,
in politics, in reforming the police or the civil service, in organizing
and commanding the Rough Riders.
A tragedy in his life was President Wilson's refusal to give him and
General Wood commands in France, and I think that he enjoyed his hate
of wilson; he expressed it so well; he indulged it so completely.
yes, I think that he took joy in his utterly uncurbed loathing for
the Great War president.
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