inley's successor, in which position he made such a splendid
record that no one thought of opposing him for the nomination for
President in 1904.

As President, Colonel Roosevelt was not popular with Senators
generally. Personally, I got along with him very well. In all
the years that he was President, I do not think he ever declined
to grant any favor that I asked of him, with one exception. In
that case, while he declined to give a very distinguished gentleman
in Illinois a position, for which I thought him admirably qualified,
and for which I was urging him, he later tendered him another
office, which my friend declined to accept. His methods of
transacting business were far more expeditious than those of any
of his predecessors. President McKinley, in every case, insisted
on Senators placing in writing their recommendations for Federal
offices; I do not think he ever made an appointment without such
written endorsements; but Colonel Roosevelt never bothered much
about written endorsements. He would either do or not do what you
asked, and would decide the question promptly.

He took a deep interest in the passage of the necessary amendments
to the Interstate Commerce Act, and as I have said elsewhere, had
it not been for Colonel Roosevelt, the Hepburn Bill would not have
been passed. He thought that I could be of very great service in
securing the passage of the amendments which both he and I deemed
necessary to the Interstate Commerce Act, by remaining chairman of
the Senate's Committee on Interstate Commerce, and when the time
came for me to decide whether I should remain chairman of that
committee, or accept the chairmanship of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, he took occasion personally to urge me to remain at the
head of the Interstate Commerce Committee. But at the time the
personnel of the committee was such that I had despaired of securing
favorable action in the committee on an amended Interstate Commerce
Act, and I retired to accept the chairmanship of the Committee on
Foreign Relations.

Colonel Roosevelt has proven over and over again, in every position
he has occupied, from Police Commissioner of New York to the
Presidency itself, that he is a marvellous man, a man of great
resources, great intellect, great energy and courage, and a man of
the highest degree of integrity. He will go down in the history
of this country as the most remarkable man of his day.

The Hon. John Hay, at the urg