The morning times., 1895-07-07

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have rolled by
the public tongue
has wagged about him pretty steadily.
He was but twenty-five when he began his
political career by winning representation
from city district in the lower house OF the
New York Legislature as a Republican, and
his performance of an aSsemblyman's duties
was characterized by vigor, dash, and a
disregard for precedent that fairly took
away the breath alike of friend and foe.
To both his course in ceTtainmattersS seemed
little short of indiscretion, and while to both
ii seemed likely that when the warm blood
OF the youth should be bit cooled he would
settle down TO what they considered more
rational conduct, his friends feared and
his foes hoped that political disaster would
befall him long before that time arrived.
In way, both friends and foes have been
disappointed Theodore Roosevelt's pub
lie life has not yet been brought to a close.
On the contrary, ii seems possible that II has
really but just begun. But his vigor, his
dash and his disregard of precedents are
all as pronounced as ever. and as president
of the Board of Police Commissioners OF the
cityof New York he has already donea num-
ber of things that appear decidedly indis
Greet TO the typical politician. And, as lie
has been in the office but a few weeks as
yet. il seems highly probable that hiseXploits
To date have been mere preliminarieSt tolater
performances OF a far more startling nature.
ROOSEVELT AT HIS DESK.
called upon Mr. Roosevelt yesterday
at his office in the white building on
Mulberry street where once the name of
Byrnes was even more potent than that
of commissioner, but where now Roose-
welt is the one to ConJure by. When /
went into the outer office the smasher
nf ~
spcctor Of patrolmen's beats was out,
and / was confronted by the first OF
the innovations to be introduced by that
lively official, in the person of his plump,
background young woman secretary
There were several ahead of me, but none
of the type that sometimes used to be seen
waiting in that loom for the president
of the board, and only one such came in
while | waited He was a big-jawed
specimen, with shaven skull and a voice
like the tone of the longest pipe in a
huge organ. When he was told that the
commissioner was out for the moment
this man growled, in the deepest bass,
that he was in a hurry ard hoped he
wouldn't have to wait more than
year" The girl smiled, but failed TO
take the hint by presenting his card ahead
OF the Others.
Mr.. Roosevelt said he would be in at
2:3o sharp she said sweetly, land he
generally keeps his word. / think he
VIII be here in about three minutes. -
Then the man sat down and began to
stare hard at the minute hand of the
office clock. which was at 2:27.
just before the long hand swung round
to 2:31 the president OF the board came
in, or rather shot through the outer office
| like a dull brown streak, Incidentally
! firing question at the pretty secretary
| as he passed. Then she gathered up the
] par rd n them in
| the proper order, and followed the Off
! cial to bis own private office. 1t there
! fore fell out that although a very we'll
| known and wealthy business man, a
| local politician and a correctly gOwned
society woman were among those wait
! ing, besides one or two who had exhibited
! letters of introduction to the girl, the
! first to be called was d colored brother
who had no apparent pull, had been
! obliged to send in a badly written card,
! and had no advantage whatever save
! that of first arrival. If the others were
annoyed by this evidence Of true de-
! mocracy in the routine of Mr.. ROOSEVELT S
office, all but one of them forgot it di-
| rectly. for the expression upon the face of
| the gentleman with the heavy voice was
| so comical that a slight trace of amuse
ment was to be seen even upon the face
| OF the upto-date society woman
When / entered the presence I saw
before me very much the same man in
| appearance that l had known when he
was but a year or two past his majority,
and was proud to be an Assemblyman.
! About the eyes, i'll the brow, and at the
angles of the mouth there are wrinkles
not visible twelve or thirteen years ago,
but the eyes which look through big pebble
| glasses are unchanged, the accent is the
same, and so are the white, even teeth,
| and. as of yore, the handshake is quick,
| and fnlI NJ rCV " hipb almost
seems TO overflow at touch His words
| and manners give the same impression
now that they did then, as if he were
saying ASK me all the questions you
wish: take all the times that is neces-
sary, but, for heavens sake, my dear sir,
don't be any longer about it than you
need, for. don't you see, I'm very busy
man, with lots of work to do right now y
ROOSEVELT LIKES HIS PRESENT JOB.
In the course of our conversation l asked
him how he liked the job of being a police
commissioner, as compared with his duties
as a member of the National Civil Service
Board
Il like the work immensely he re.
piled. in fact, l like it better than
anything else have ever had to do with
For here | am privileged to help perform
the actual work of governing, and hold il
to be the duty of every man to take some
part in this work. Everyone can do this
too. for everyone can cast the ballot
''Why did / go into politics and liter
atUre when / was a young man, instead
of into business? Because l thought /
should like public life. and because
thought | should like to write And |
have found that 1 made no mistake, for
have enjoyed life SO far very well, very
well, indeed, sir"
Tell me something as to your plans
regarding the ultimate organization of the
police force of New York Do yoU believe
that it will ever be possible, with the laws
as they now stand upon the statute books
regarding liquor selling and the socia
evil to maintain force of police that shall
be composed entirely of incorruptible men
in short, that bribery and extortion can bt
entirely done away with?''
MY dear Sir" he said, II should no
like to answer that question without
great deal of thought; without mucf
longer and more careful study of the
situation and the force that / have
thus far been able to give. The pres
ent board is new, and we have hardl
had time as yet TO fit ourselves to places
There is a lot OF hard work ahead of us
a lot of study Perhaps our most i'm
portant duty, indeed, VIII be to stud,
the situation patiently and thoroughly
To reply TO your question at this tim
won Id be imposs ible. At any time
should like to consider it long and sc
riously, and even then | could answe
it with perfect satisfaction to mysel
only in the form of a carefully prepare
essay"
According to his friends, too, he alway
likes to gather food for thinking by actua
experience, and it was 10 get this actuf
experience that he went out the othe
night upon a tour of inspection along tn
patrolmen's beats. He was favored the