Hutchinson gazette., 1901-10-10
g26h PRESIDENT tofte IT, ]


United States Civil Service Commits
sion, His ability and rugged honesty
in the administration Of the affairs of
that Office greatly helped to strengthen
his hold on popular regard.
Police CommiFEioncr in Metz
York.
Roosevelt continued In that Office un-
Ill May 1, 1895, when he resigned to
accept the office of Police Commits
Bioner from Mayor Strong. He found
the administration Of affairs in a de-
moralized condition, but he soon
brought order out Of chaos Says James
A. Riis, who is an intimate friend Of
President Roosevelt:
We had been trying for forty years to
achieve system OF dealing decently with
our homeless poor, Two score years be-
fore, the surgeons OF the police depart
ment had pointed out that hording them
In the cellars or over the prisons Of police
stations In fostering heaps, and turning
them out hungry at daybreak to beg their
way lIull hOul W hb'ii hho ihNNNNhN hii'
inhuman. Since then grand Jurles acad-
emies OF medicine, committees on phil
anthroplc citizens, had attacked the foul
disgrace, but to no purpose. Pestilcnce
ravaged the prison lodgings, but stu they
stayed, / know what that fight meant,
for was one OF committee that waged
II year after year, and suffered defeat
every time, until Theodore Roosevelt
came and destroyed the nuisance In a
night. remember the carlcatures OF
tramps shivering in the cold with which
the yellow newspapers pursued him at
the time, labelling him the poor man
foe" And remember being just little
uneasy lest they wound him, and perhaps
make him think he had been hasty. But
not he. II was only those who did not
know him who charged him with being
hasty. He thought a thing out quickly
yes, that is his way; but he thought 1t
out, and, having thought 1t out, suited ac-
tlon to his judgment. OF the consequences
he didn't think at all. He made sure he
was right, and then went ahead with per-
feet confidence that things would come
out right.
His AdOicc TO OrSanized Labor.
Mr.. Rlls says he never saw Roose-
welt to better advantage than when he
once confronted the labor men at their
meetlng-place, Clarendon Hall:
The police were all the time having
trouble with strikers and their "plckets,'
Roosevelt saw that It was because neith-
or party understood fully the position OF
the other and, with his usual directness,
sent word to the labor organizations that
he would like to talk II over with them
At his request went with him to the
meeting. II developed almost immedl-
ately that the labor men had taken q
wrong measure Of the man. They met him
as politician playing for points, and
hinted at trouble unless their demands
were met. Mr.. Roosevelt broke them off
short:
"Gentlemen! he sald-with that snap
OF the Jaws that always made people lis
tent asked to meet you, hoping that
We might come to understand one anoth-
er Remember, please, before we go fur
ther, that the worst injury anyone Of you
can do to the cause Of labor is to counsel
violence. II will also be worse for him
self Understand distinctly that order
will be kept. The police will keep 1t. Now
we can proceed"
/ was never so proud and pleased as
when they applauded him to the echo. He
Redeemed with pleasure, for he saw that
the best In them had come out on top
as ho expected It would,
Attracted by "yeIIotO" JNetOS'
papers.
It was Of this incident that handle
was first made by Mr.. Roosevelt's enc
mics in and out Of the police board
and he had many-to attack him:
II happened that there was q music
hall in the building In which the laboi
men met. The yellow newspapers circu
lated the lie that ho went thore on pur
pose to see the show, and the ridiculous
story was repeated until actually thu
liars persuaded themselves that 1t was so
They would not have been able to under
stand the kind OF man they had to d.
with, had they tired Accordingly the!
fell into their own trap. 1t is tradition
OF Mulberry Street that the notorious
Seeley dinner raid was planned by his en-
emlos In the department of which he wa
the head, In the belief that they woulC
catch Mr.. Roosevelt there. The dinners
were supposed to be his set"
Some time after that, Mr.. Riis wa
in Roosevelt's Office when a police Of
fetal Of superior rank came in, and re
quested a private audience with him
They stepped aside and the policeman
spoke in an undertone, urging something
strongly. Mr.. Roosevelt listened. Sud
denly saw him stralghten up as q mai
recoils from something unclean, and dis
miss the other with sharp: mo, sir!
don't fight that way" The policeman
went out crestfallen. Roosevelt took tw
or three turns about the floor. strugglin
evidently with strong disgust He toll