The Days of a Man 1912 



as to Roosevelt, entirely wholesome. But in accepting 

 its Presidential nomination he apparently violated 

 his own canon to work always "inside the party." In 

 view of previous experiences, however, it was natural 

 for him to suppose that the party would rally about 

 him with colors flying. He failed to estimate the 

 power of the soulless machine with its secret control 

 of the springs of publicity and therefore of popularity. 

 The steam The " steam-roller " methods of the Chicago Conven- 

 er t j on o f j^jg took him unawares. He had no ambition 

 to lead again a forlorn hope, and at the end he threw 

 down his supporters, urging them with sublime 

 cynicism to accept as leader the one member of the 

 United States Senate to whom they were most con- 

 sistently opposed. He now resumed and henceforth 

 retained his chastened place as a "regular." 

 A political The popular tradition of his magical power stood 

 handicap j n ^ way Q f j^ p ract j ca i succe ss as a politician 



among politicians, notwithstanding his personal popu- 

 larity and the general excellence of his administra- 

 tion. 



That in most regards his career as President was 

 salutary and successful cannot be denied. From the 

 New York group out of which he emerged and to 

 which toward the end of his career he returned, he 

 long received unrelenting criticism. But the people 

 at large felt in him a continuous faith well justified. 

 In my judgment, however, his administration was 

 marred by two incidents, 1 both undertaken appar- 

 ently on the spur of the moment, and both readily 

 condoned by the American public. These were the 



1 "I determined on the move [of the Fleet] without consulting the Cabinet, 

 precisely as I took Panama without consulting the Cabinet. A Council of War 

 never fights." 



C422 3 



