Free press., 1901-10-12
l26tb PRESIDENT of The u S. !

cabin, and for several years mingled
the life Of ranchman with that Of
literary worker. From Lis front door
he could shoot deer, and the mountains
around him were full of big game.
Amid such surroundings he wrote
some of his most popular books. He
became daring horseman and rival
of the cowboys in feats of skill and
strength. In 1886 Mr.. Roosevelt was
the Republican candidate for Mayor
against Abram S. Hewitt, United
Democracy, and Henry George, United
Labor Mr.. Hewitt was elected by
about twenty-five thousand plurality.
In 1889 Roosevelt was appointed by
President Harrison a member of the
United States Civil Service Commis-
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 CommiSSioner in Metz
York.
Roosevelt continued in that Office un-
til May l, 1895, when he resigned to
accept the Office of Police Commis-
sioner from Mayor Strong. He found
the administration of affairs In 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 WIN
our homeless poor. Two score years De
fore, the surgeons of the police depaTC-
ment had pointed out that herding them
nj
stations in fostering heaps, and turnlns
them out hungry at daybreak to Deg Ihei!
way from door to door, was indecent diio
inhuman. Since then grand Jur1es, acau
emies OF medicine, committees on PM
anthropic citizens, had attacked the Ioui
disgrace, but to no purpose. Pesthehce
ravaged the prison lodgings, but stu tney
stayed. I know what that hght mean,
for ! was one of a committee that waseu
it year after year, and suffered oeIedI
every time, until Theodore Roosevelt
came and destroyed the nuisance IN
night. I remember the caricatures OF
tramps shivering in the cold with Whlcn
the yellow newspapers pursued him at
the time, labelling him the poor man
foe" And remember being just a little
uneasy lest they wound him, and perhaps
make him think he had been hasty. But
not he. 1t 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 IL
out and, having thought 1t out, suited ac-
ton 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 AdOice 10 Or9anfzed Labor.
Mr.. Riis says he never saw Roose-
velt to better advantage than when he
once confronted the labor men at their
meeting-place, Clarendon Hall:
The police were all the time having
trouble with strikers and their ''pickets."
Roosevelt saw that 1t was because netth-
er 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 it over with them
At his request I went with him to the
meeting. 1t developed almost immedt-
ately that the labor men had taken a
wrong measure of the man. They met him
as a politician playing for points, and
hinted at trouble unless their demands
were met. Mr.. Roosevelt broke them on
short:
'fGentlemenr' he said-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, ease, before we go fur
ther, that the worst injury anyone of you
can do to the cause of labor is to counsel
violence. It will also be worse for him
self. Understand distinctly that order
will be kept. The police viii keep it. Now
we can proceed
was never so proud and pleased as
when they applauded him to the echo. He