The New President

     Theodore Roosevelt, the youngest man to serve as President, has, nevertheless, had twenty years’ experience in public affairs. But, like the last President from the State of New York, Grover Cleveland, he never served in Congress. He is the fifth President of New York citizenship, and the third of New York birth, Arthur and Cleveland having been born in other States. He is the fifth Vice-President to become President by reason of the death of the Chief Executive, and the third New Yorker thus to enter the White House. He is the third Governor of New York to become President, the other two having been Van Buren and Cleveland. He is the only President born in the city of New York, and his ancestors for several generations made their home here, several of them reaching to places of distinction in the business and political world.
     He has reached the Presidency by the hand of fate. It is well known that he rebelled against being nominated for Vice-President, much preferring to be re-elected Governor. When he was made Vice-President, the Republican machine in New York regarded him as having been put “on the shelf,” and all the political forces here have been at work to groom Governor Odell for the Presidential nomination in 1904. While Roosevelt possessed great popularity throughout the country, it is probable that he would have been unable, as Vice-President, to command the support of the New York delegation in the next National Convention. But the death of McKinley has changed the whole political situation, so far as this State is concerned.
     While it is not likely that he will pursue a policy of revenge, and he has the experience of Arthur in 1882 to show him what is the result of a President interfering in the political policy of this State, nevertheless, he enters the Presidency with no personal pledges to hamper him, and his presence in that powerful office changes completely his position as regards Senator Platt, Governor Odell and the Republican organization. Four years is a long time in the politics of this country. In 1881 Grover Cleveland was merely a citizen of Buffalo, unknown outside of that city. In 1885 he was President of the United States. Four years ago Theodore Roosevelt was Police Commissioner in this city and an applicant for the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy. That he secured that appointment, which entered him upon his later great career, was mostly due to the efforts of Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts, who spoke for him both to President McKinley and Senator Platt. It is making no rash prediction to say that Senator Lodge will be as close to the Roosevelt Administration as Hanna was to the McKinley Administration.