58 GOVERNOR AND VICE-PRESIDENT 



He took a personal part in his own campaign. It is not the 

 Roosevelt way to be silent and wait while events are in the air. Out- 

 spoken advocacy of everything in which he is interested is his way, 

 and he took the stump in his own cause, speaking in many parts of the 

 State. That these speeches were characterized by fire, force and direct- 

 ness we need not say. They had also that common sense and practi- 

 cal application to the situation which are among his characteristics. 



As in his legislative career, corrupt politics were handled by him 

 with indignant sarcasm, while the wrongs the people heaped upon 

 themselves by not asserting their right to be well and honestly gov- 

 erned strongly engaged his attention. 



The stand he took in the campaign was not the most pleasant one 

 to the professional politicians. They felt that as Governor this man 

 would make the feathers of corrupt methods fly. They had reason 

 for their feeling, for when seated in the Governor's chair it quickly 

 became clear that the reign of jobbery for the time was at an end, so 

 far as it came under executive control. 



Hasty in action as he had often shown himself, his impetuous 

 disposition was now held in by a wise caution and deliberation. In 

 selecting the heads of the important State departments he moved with 

 especial care, and when announced the appointments were everywhere 

 greeted as wise and appropriate. Francis Hendricks, put at the head 

 of the Insurance Department, made this department an honor to the 

 State, and the same may be said of the work of Colonel John N. 

 Partridge, appointed Superintendent of Public Works. Roosevelt was 

 not now charging with a yell of martial defiance up San" Juan Hill. 

 He was cautiously providing for the best interests of a State. 



For a just criticism of what he did in the Governor's chair we 

 quote from Dr. Albert Shaw, the clear-headed editor of the "Review 

 of Reviews." He thus characterized the Roosevelt administration: 



"He found the state administration thoroughly poHtical; he left 

 it business-like and efficient. He kept thrice over every promise that 

 he made to the people in his canvass. Mr. Roosevelt so elevated and 

 improved the whole tone of the state administration and so effectually 

 educated his party and public opinion generally, that future governors 

 ^vill find easy what was before almost impossible." 



