Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-23
Declined the Office Twice.

These overtures were declined, but Mayor
Strong was not at all disconnected by them.
He redoubled his efforts to secure a re-
consideration and brought the powerful in
fluence of the leading New York business
men, who were old and valued friends of
Mr.. Roosevelt, to bear upon that gentle
man. Two or three weeks ago Mr. Roose-
welt again declined the proffered commits
sionership. 1t is believed that he did so
because he thought that in a board of four
commissioners there might be some who
would not heartily enter into the spirit of
reform which inspired his own bosom, and
that he might be trammeled in this way
in carrying out the great work of purifying
and reorSanizing the New York police
force, for which purpose Mayor Strong had
distinctly stated that his services We're
desired. Besides this. Mr.. Roosevelt was
averSe to leaving the civil service COM
mission and dropping out of the fight for
the betterment of the national public serv-
ice, in which he had been so valiant and
successful leader. He recognized, too.
that he was now a national man, and that
a return to state or municipal affairs might
limit his extended and rapidly growing
field of usefulness. His loyalty to his New
York friends, however, and his knowledge
that the work before him as police COM
missioner would give full play to all that
wonderful vitality and militant courage
and fearlessness which have characterized
his past work, allowed him to more favor
ably regard the proposition from Mayor
Strong, when it was coupled with the as
surance that his colleagues upon the New
York police commission would be gentle
men whose characters and stability of
purpose would be none the less exalted
than his own.
He Decides to Accept.
A few days ago. therefore, when Mr..
Roosevelt was completely satisfied upon the
questions he had been contending with, he
decided to accede to Mayor Strongs de-
civ Of ojc-
sioners of the city of New York. Consid-
cradle correspondence, in the meantime, has
passed between the mayor and himself and
several prominent citizens of New York
had visited him in this city and discussed
with him at length the probable course to
be pursued hereafter in the direction of the
police department of the city. AT the civil
service commission none of the other COM
missioners or the secretaries and clerks
were INCLINED to be at all communicative
upon the subject, but 1T was plainly to be
seen that they were seriously affected in a
personal as well as in official sense at
the coming retirement OF Mr.. Roosevelt.
During the days which have elapsed since
his possible acceptance of the police COM
missionership has been known Mr. Roose-
welt has been pleaded with by his col
leagues by cabinet officers, and other close
friends of the administration, as well as
the leaders of the civil service reform
movement to decline to accept the office
and continue in the position where he has
been of such great value to the govern
ment. But all efforts of this character
have proven unavailng.
His Course as Commissioners.
Mr.. Roosevelts course as police commits
soner of New York may be easily outlined
when the circumst tances under which he
accepted the Office are taken into consid-
GRAFTON. His long record as pure and
fearless reformer, whose dazzling courage
attracted the honest while it inspired the
excoriation of the spokesman, assures the
future course by one of his intimate
friends.
Roosevelt is republican. as every one
knows said the gentleman, but as police
commissioner of New Y ork in the direction
of the affairs Of that most important de-
partment of the city government, he will
know neither the republican nor the demo-
cratic party; neither Tammany nor anti
Tammany; neither Grace nor FairchiId or
this, that or the other wings of the va
rous state and city political organizations
'.Strict honesty, attention to duty and an
observance of the rules ard regula tions of
the department will govern the tenure of
office of every man in it. high and low as
long Roosevelt is police commissioner
You may rest assured of this fact ANY
employe of the police department who at
tempts any cTookedness or who is dereIict
in duty to the extent of d hairbreadth will
go sailing out, no matter what influence he
may command, while Mr.. Roosevelt is in
Office. OEe of tie New York papers this
morning stated that Henry Campbell, an