Life, 1907-06-20 · page 9 of 32
Life — June 20, 1907 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes **Theodore Roosevelt's upcoming publication of "Life and Letters of Theodore Roosevelt."** The main article criticizes Roosevelt for being a prolific letter-writer—a president who enjoyed corresponding more than any previous chief executive. The satire's point: Roosevelt's letters allegedly contain "vituperation and recrimination," and publishing them risks embarrassing revelations. The author (Agnes Repplier, bylined at bottom right) suggests Roosevelt used letters to attack political opponents, and that his silence on the publication is conspicuous. The decorative **ex libris** image (top left) and author illustration (bottom right) are period design elements. The overall tone is mocking Roosevelt's combative personality and suggesting his correspondence might reveal unflattering political schemes.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
== | EX LIBRIS | Theodore Roosevelt: Letter-Writer HEN the time comes to publish the “Life and Letters of Theo- dore Roosevelt,” the work is likely to fill many volumes. Never before was there such a letter-writing Presi- dent of the United States; and never, since the days of Madame de Sévigné, has any man or woman taken such heart- felt pleasure in correspendence. It was said of Horace Walpole that if he had been wrecked, like Robinson Crusoe, on a desert island, he would have gone on wri- ting letters just the same, and have wait- ed for a ship to carry them off. So surely would Mr. Roosevelt. With a canoe for a fleet, a goat fora conspirator and Friday for a colored voter, there would have been no lack of suitable material. The sight of a President writing letters of vituperation and recrimination to all sorts of citizens is at least a novel one. To hear him snorting defiance from the White House is exhilarating to all who love a row. There was a time when a dozen burning pages from the nation’s ruler would have been thought an epoch- making event, and when the recipients thereof would have struck the stars with their sublime heads to think they had been deemed worthy of such notice. But now no one is too contemptible to be re- fused a fight. No one has a right to com- plain that he has been snubbed by the President’s silence. In the meantime, Mr. Roosevelt’s trumpeter, Mr. Riis, has been lecturing in girls’ schools about the strenuous life, and bidding his hearers marry men who will help to keep up the fun. This is a work of supererogation. Marriage is the lottery of the gods; its blanks and prizes lie hidden in their hands. But there is no doubt that a robust strenuosity makes its appeal to youth. We can all remember the day when “‘you’re another, and a bigger, and afraid to take it up,” was a respected argument; and when the word “conspiracy” shook us with pleasurable thrills. But we never thought to see the great ones of the earth using the forceful vocabulary of our childhood, or whisper- ing, “Hist, we are betrayed!” into the public ear. When the “Life and Letters” are published (may the day be distant far!), readers can puzzle out for them- selves what all the pother was about, and who was conspiring against what. Agnes Repplier. Be stood pats arn ie Bhenre all but he had flea Big pn mas ding teary ink Scmovrning for its dead. RRuoez Oeea comicbooks.com