The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-08
Some OF RooseveIt's Work.

Some OF Roosevelt's Work.
There is no better known practical
phiianthropIst in the United States than
Jacob A. Riis. His book, How the
Other Half Lives" did more to bring
about legislation for the regulation of
factories. the abolition OF sweat shops
and the reform Of abuses In tenement
houses than any other single influence
which was ever exerted. He is the
great authority upon all questions con-
nected with the work and the manner
OF living of the tenement house poor
of New York. because ne has secured
his information at first hand. living
among those people and on terms OF
intimacy with them His life work, 10
which he is devoted, is the Improvement
Of the conditions OF the tenement house
Inhabitants in New York city.
Like many others. however. Mr.. Riis
has learned by hard experience that the
procuring OF the proper legislation on
these subjects was but the first step;
the long and dihicult work was In the
procuring Of q steady and unrelenting
enforcement OF the laws. in the teeth
Of the powerful Influences which were
brought to bear TO render those laws
nugatory.
Il was while engaged in this work
that Mr.. Riis was brought in contact
with Theodore Roosevelt. now the Re-
publican nominee for vice president,
and in the Review OF Reviews MIR. Riis
describes some OF Rooseveit's work, as
1t came under his personal observation.
Extracts from this article are quoted:
The poor mans foei why the poor man
never had better friend than Theodore
Roosevelt We had gone through a sea-
son OF excitement over our tenement
houses. The awful exhibits of the Glider
committee had crowded remedial laws
through the legislature. laws that per-
nitted the destruction OF tenement house
property on the showing that It was bad
Bad meant murderous
The death records showed that The
worst rear tensments killed one IN Ave Of
the babies born In them. The tenement
house committee called them Infant
slaughter houses" They stood condemn
ed, but still they stood A whole wear
was the law n dead letter. until. % pres
ideut 81 the police board. Roosevelt be-
came also member OF the health board
that was charged with the enforcement.
OF the statute, Then they went and
quickly. A hundred OF them were reized
apd most 81 them destroyed In the Junn
number Of the Review Of Reviews I gave
the result I'm the case Of n single row
the Barracks In Mott street. which Mr
Roosevelt and I personally inspected and
marked for seizure. The death rate came
down from se.s In the thousand Of the
living TO ieS-iess than the general death
rate Of the whole city
That work stopped. too. They arc seix-
Ing ne more rear tenemcnts since Tam
many came back II has been too busy
putting up tho price OF Ice that means
life In these hot summer months 20 the
poor mans babies. whether In from. or
rear tenement ! should have uksi 10
SEQ Theodore Roosevelt run on his rec
ord in our state this fan against The ice
trust ranSptracy--the man who saved the
peor mans babies AGAINST the Villains
who woat8 see them perish with tndlf-
ference 50 teng az q paid them a rrnat
II would have been Instructive Fnlsh.ily'
Just ift ne rccaii TIE i4rt tfip Ne toni
together. because Il wss 40 mnrh Ike
/ the o'd says IN Mulberry street There
had arisen y ceutentIon as - whether
shs factory Inspector ata ~. taty hy he
sweat saups or not, ard froal ere fcsif-
Z na0nv ha was unable 80 aeeide So ~
came down from Albany % see Cor him,
I self II vns a sweitarfne hot dAy whew
+ we rfnae a tour a. she stewing teoeueuts
en- the aawntown fssi Side I douhy N
f any other governor thar ever was wouiA
asteraps ST. I knrw that nene ever di4
F,ut 10 uever phirsed enc % ne twenty
houses we has Married out for exrihra-
1 tsan lfa examined thn evidence IN each
while the tenants wondered who the
{ stranger VAS Who sfok 80 runcn interest
n their aTasFs; and az tha rcsuit ne was
AHA 20 rshfK out 3 eeurse for ~ far
( tsrv tnspaetNr that ought 20 aauhle ana
treble tNs esEeicmty 81 his afs3se ans
{ bring Hntaia rNiief - a hundred thou
sand tenement house wcrkcrs-f II ls
followed when Roosevelt g. ~ longer in
Z Albany That wg11 b. our enA 1T A. -
$40 10 q that he ava not labor in vain,
Roosevelt ana Bryaa are asa OF sub
stantlaYiy the same age. Bryan IS al
WAYS posing As the friend Of the labor
lng man Not one single tangible thing
has he ever done in the whole course
o. his itfe IN the interests 81 the labor
Ing men Of this country save 20 talk
not one act which has served 20 put a