McKINLEY AND ROOSEVELT -1891-1904 243 



orable, in him, as they are in any man who feels that he 

 has the qualities needed in that high office. He and his 

 friends clearly felt that the transition from the governor- 

 ship of New York to the Presidency four years later would 

 be more natural than that from the Vice-Presidency; but 

 in my letters I insisted that his name would greatly 

 strengthen the national ticket, and that his road to the 

 Presidency seemed to me more easy from the Vice-Presi- 

 dency than from the governorship ; that, although during 

 recent years Vice-Presidents had not been nominated to 

 the higher office, during former years they had been ; and 

 that I could see no reason why he might not bring about 

 a return to the earlier custom. As to myself, at my age, I 

 greatly preferred the duties of ambassador to those of 

 Vice-President. The Republican party was wise enough 

 to take this view, and at the National Convention he was 

 nominated by acclamation. 



Early in August, having taken a leave of absence for 

 sixty days, I arrived in New York, and on landing received 

 an invitation from Mr. Roosevelt to pass the day with him 

 at his house in the country. I found him the same earnest, 

 energetic, straightforward man as of old. Though nomi- 

 nated to the Vice-Presidency against his will, he had 

 thrown himself heartily into the campaign, and the discus- 

 sion at his house turned mainly on the securing of a proper 

 candidate for the governorship of the State of New York. 

 I recommended Charles Andrews, who, although in the 

 fullest vigor of mind and body, had been retired from the 

 chief -justiceship of the State on his arrival at the age of 

 seventy years. This recommendation Mr. Roosevelt re- 

 ceived favorably; but later it was found impossible to 

 carry it out, the Republican organization in the State 

 having decided in favor of Mr. Odell. 



During my entire stay in the United States I was 

 constantly occupied with arrears of personal business 

 which had been too long neglected ; but, at the request of 

 various friends, wrote sundry open letters and articles, 

 which were widely circulated among German-Americans, 



