The Washington times., 1904-11-27
GAVE PRESIDENT
POLITICAL START
William Laary Was "0rig-
inal Roosevelt Man"
FIRST CANDIDACY IN 1881
How Selection Of Mr.. Roosevelt for
Assembly Candidate Was Due
to Mr. Leary.

! The original Roosevelt man" is VIII
liam Leary, Republican deputy leader of
! the Sixth assembly district. New York.
/ President Roosevelt himself placed the
stamp of genuineness upon Mr.. LeaTy.
/ and all other original Roosevelt men"
must abandon their claims.
While others were laying claim to the
honor Of launching Mr.. Roosevelt in his
| political career. Mr.. Leary said nothing,
and We're 1t not for visit he paid the
! President recently his connection with
/ the latter's political fortunes would have
! continued to be known only to the few
who were actors in the little drama OF
1881 which had such an important bear
( ing upon after years.
/, While the President was talking with
! Mr.. Leary, George w. Morgan superin-
/ tendent of elections. and others at the
/ White House, M. Roosevelt asked if
/ the other visitors knew how Mr.. Leary
/ had helped him into politics. MIR Leary
smiled and remained silent. while the
/ others looked Ia surprise at the Presi-
dent. The latter, laying his hand afTec-
tlonateiy on Mt. Learys shoulder said:
Yes. here is the man who was re-
/ sponsible for my first nomination for Of
4 flee IL was in 1881. I wanted TO go 70
the assembly and Mr. Leary took charge
Of my campaign. In the convention We
had fifteen delegates and the opposition
/ had ten. I was nominated with sixteen
votes. Mr.. Leary having somehow got
another delegate. How he got him do
not know"
] Mr.. RoOsevelt's First Candidacy.
/ Mr. Leary. in speaking of Mr.. Roose-
/ velts first candidacy. said:
Il remember the campaign very well.
Z I was then living at 906 Sixth Avenue,
and was captain Of the Twelfth cleo
I tion district Of the Twenty-hrst assem-
/ bly, district. Mr.. Roosevelt. then a
/ young man just past his majority, lived
In the adjoining election district, the
! Sixteenth. at 6 West Fif.y-seventh
/ Street
The assJrict was created in 1873. and
/ the first member OF assembly elected
( from IT, was Edward Mitchell. later
/ United States district attorney under
! President Harrison. and now trustee
/ OF Columbia University. In 1850 William
/ ]. Trimble. now dead. was elected on
/ the Republican ticket to succeed Mr.
/ Mitchell. When the campaign OF 1881
/ came around there were some Of US who
| opposed Mr.. Trimble's denomination. he
was favored by the district organization.
however. then headed by Jacob Hess.
Conducted a Still Hunt.
II think it was Mr.. Mitchell who first
suggested the name OF Theodore Roose-
welt. went to him, as former assem-
blyman and a man IN whose Office had
/ been employed. to talk over the matter
-
( He asked me for a list OF the enrolled
/ Republicans insthe district, and when
produced one he ran his eye down the
| list until he came 20 the name OF
/ Roosevelt. There. ne said, is the man
| 10 nominate
''Thereupon we began the campaign
/ for the nomination Of Mr. Roosevelt It
! was necessarily a still hunt. as we had
( the Hess organization against US. and
/ We proceeded very cautiously. The eau
[ Gus OF district captains 10 select names
for delegates 10 the various conventions
for Congress. the senate. the assembly.
and the board OF aldermen was held in
the ONCE OF Charles II. Knox. now the
| chairman OF the Tammany law com
| mittee. but then an enrolled Republi-
/ can.
There were seven present. a major
ity OF them Hess men. In conformity
with a prearranged plan those OF US
4 who wanted Roosevelt nominated re-
Trained from suggesting any names for
delegates until those for the assembly
convention were called for. Then we
offered the names Of men who we knew
would vote for Roosevelt. The Hess
men. not dreaming that there would be
/ any opposition 10 Trlmble and wishing
10 give US our way because we had Kent
! out OF the other conventions, kindly
I agreed to every name we suggested. and
the thing was done.
Happened on a Friday.
And now I have TO knock the Friday
l superstition, for the assembly conven-
| ton which launched Theodore Roosevelt
/ into public life was held on Friday. Oc-
[ tOber %, 1881. IL met in Morton Hall
I now the site OF the Savoy Hotel. AZ s
/ East Fifty-ninth Street. The chairman
was Garrett L. Schuyler. and there were
/ twenty-five delegates. one from each
election district. Even after the con-
vention met the Hess delegates thought
! Trimble would be renominated without
| opposition. His name was put before
the convention by Francis &. Reed, Of
80 East Sixty-hfth Street
/ when Mr.. Reed sat down /. with
| fear and trembling, took the floor 10
make my maiden speech. 1 remember
/ that / answered Mr.. Reeds speech foI
! Trimble by pointing out wherein his
/ record was not satisfactory to US. and
/ then launched into a eulogy OF my can
/ didate. Theodore Roosevelt. After the
| seconding speeches, the vote was taken
and Mr.. Roosevelt was nominated on
/ the first ballot. 16 10 9. He got one
more vote than we counted on. Some OF
| my friends were kind enough 10 say that
I my speech made that one vote. but ]
I believe the man who east II was looking
| into the future and saw that IL wouldn't
| do to turn down Theodore Roosevelt
Mr.. HOOseyelt'g election followed IN
due course. Ills Democratic opponent
was w W Strew, and the vote was
/ I. $50 for Roosevelt. and 1883 for Strew,
a majority OF 1901 for Mr.. Roosevelt
| The rest of Mr.. ROOseveit's career Is
well written history. He served three
| terms in the assembly and made a name
I for himself by his indefatlgable atten-
/ ton 10 duty and his independence OF
I thought and action"
At the time Mr.. Roosevelt entered the
assembly he wore his first and only
/ beard, which took the shape Of mutt
/ ton chop whiskers. His portrait with
I the beard was taken in Albany during
q