Topic 53 
“WELL MEANING FOOLS"

IF they ever get Mr.  Wilson out here, I hope they'll bar that trick.  It's pretty, but it affords the best cover for evil minded persons I have ever seen.  A man with a bomb could not ask a better opportunity."
Colonel Roosevelt was referring to a feature of his reception in Springfield, Ohio, that, pretty as any picture, he did not exactly like.  It was a shower of peonies aimed at the stage as he made his appearance.

Near Springfield is a famous peony nursery.  From it bulbs are shipped all over the world.  For the blooms of its forty thousand plants there is a rather limited market, so once a year there is "peony day" when the flowers are sold about the streets for the benefit of the Red Cross or some other charity.  On the occasion of the Colonel's visit there was a "war chest" drive on, so the blooms were given away, and some one conceived the idea of giving him "a shower" when he reached the auditorium.

This building was filled to capacity when he arrived.  Each of the three thousand or more who had jammed their way in had at least one peony blossom; most of them had several.  As he appeared emerging from the wings, the audience arose and began hurling the great, luscious blooms at the stage.  For a few minutes the air was full of them, the hall looking for all the world as though an army had taken to hurling snowballs.  While it lasted, Colonel Roosevelt held his place in the entrance.  From my seat I could see his jaw set, and his head half shake.  It was clear he did not exactly approve of the demonstration.

"Wasn't that flower thing in the hall a fool affair?" he asked that evening.

I agreed that it was, adding that it was very pretty and that those responsible meant well.

"Exactly," said he.  "They meant well.  But I have found that one of the real dangers of life are people who mean well.  You never can tell what they will do.  You can tell, or at least be on guard against those who do not mean well.  Some of the greatest embarrassments of my life have been caused by people with the best of intentions that’did not know it was loaded.'

"I am not afraid of the crook who means evil.  I can usually take care of him or guard against him.  But the well meaning fool — no man can guard against him or his embarrassments."