theodore roosevelt-第5章

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tion　to　desire　to　take　up　politics　seemed　to　his　friends　almost　comic。　Politics　were　low　and　corrupt；　politics　were　not　for　〃gentlemen〃；　they　were　the　business　and　pastime　of　liquor…dealers；　and　of　the　degenerates　and　loafers　who　frequented　the　saloons；　of　horse…car　conductors；　and　of　many　others　whose　ties　with　〃respectability〃　were　slight。

To　join　the　organization；　Roosevelt　had　to　be　elected　to　the　Twenty…first　District　Republican　Club；　for　the　politicians　of　those　days　kept　their　organization　close；　not　to　say　exclusive；　and　in　this　way　they　secured　the　docility　of　their　members。　The　Twenty　first　District　Club　met　in　Morton　Hall；　a　dingy；　barnlike　room　situated　over　a　saloon；　and　furnished　severely　with　wooden　benches；　many　spittoons；　and　a　speaker's　table　decorated　with　a　large　pitcher　for　ice…water。　The　regular　meetings　came　once　a　month　and　Roosevelt　attended　them　faithfully；　because　he　never　did　things　by　halves；　and　having　made　up　his　mind　to　learn　the　mechanism　of　politics；　he　would　not　neglect　any　detail。

Despite　the　shyness　which　ill　health　caused　him　in　his　youth；　he　was　really　a　good　〃mixer；〃　and；　growing　to　feel　more　sure　of　himself；　he　met　men　on　equal　terms。　More　than　that；　he　had　the　art　of　inspiring　confidence　in　persons　of　divers　sorts　and；　as　he　was　really　interested　in　knowing　their　thoughts　and　desires；　it　never　took　him　long　to　strike　up　friendly　relations　with　them。

Jake　Hess；　the　Republican　〃Boss〃　of　the　Twenty…first　District；　evidently　eyed　Roosevelt　with　some　suspicion；　for　the　newcomer　belonged　to　a　class　which　Jake　did　not　desire　to　see　largely　represented　in　the　business　of　〃practical　politics；〃　and　so　he　treated　Roosevelt　with　a　〃rather　distant　affability。〃　The　young　man；　however；　got　on　well　enough　with　the　heelersthe　immediate　trusty　followers　of　the　Bossand　with　the　ordinary　members。　They　probably　marveled　to　see　him　so　unlike　what　they　believed　a　youth　of　the　〃kid…glove〃　and　〃silkstocking〃　set　would　be；　and　they　accepted　him　as　a　〃good　fellow。〃

Of　all　Roosevelt's　comrades　during　this　first　year　of　initiation；　a　young　Irishman　named　Joe　Murray　was　nearest　to　him；　an　honest　fellow；　fearless　and　stanch；　who　remained　his　loyal　friend　for　forty　years。　Murray　began　as　a　Democrat　of　the　Tammany　Hall　tribe；　but　having　been　left　in　the　lurch　by　his　Boss　at　an　election；　he　determined　to　punish　the　Boss；　and　this　he　did　at　the　first　opportunity　by　throwing　his　influence　on　the　side　of　the　Republican　candidate。　The　Republicans　won；　although　the　district　was　overwhelmingly　Democratic；　and　Murray　joined　the　Republican　Party。　He　worked　in　the　district　where　Jake　Hess　ruled。　Like　other　even　greater　men；　Jake　became　arrogant　and　treated　the　gang　under　him　with　condescension。　Murray　resented　this　and　resolved　that　he　would　humble　the　Boss　by　supporting　Roosevelt　as　a　candidate　for　the　Assembly。　Hess　protested；　but　could　not　prevent　the　nomination　and　during　the　campaign　he　seems　to　have　supported　the　candidate　whom　he　had　not　chosen。

Roosevelt　sent　the　following　laconic　appeal　to　some　of　the　voters　of　his　district：

New　York；　November　1；　1881。

DEAR　SIR：

Having　been　nominated　as　a　candidate　for　member　of　Assembly　for　this　District；　I　would　esteem　it　a　compliment　if　you　honor　me　with　your　vote　and　personal　influence　on　Election　day。

Very　respectfully

THEODORE　ROOSEVELT

Certainly；　nothing　could　be　simpler　than　this　card；　which　contains　no　puff　of　either　the　party　or　the　candidate；　or　no　promise。　It　drew　a　cordial　response。

Twenty…first　Assembly　District。

40th　to　86th　Sts。；　Lexington　to　7th　Aves。

We　cordially　recommend　the　voters　of　the　Twenty…first　Assembly　District　to　cast　their　ballots　for

Theodore　Roosevelt

for　member　of　Assembly

and　take　much　pleasure　in　testifying　to　our　appreciation　of　his　high　character　and　standing　in　the　community。　He　is　conspicuous　for　his　honesty　and　integrity；　and　eminently　qualified　to　represent　the　District　in　the　Assembly。

New　York　November　1；　1881

F。　A。　P。　Barnard；　William　T。　Black；　Willard　Bullard；　Joseph　H。　Choate；　William　A。　Darling；　Henry　E。　Davies；　Theodore　W。　Dwight；　Jacob　Hess；　Morris　K。　Jesup；　Edward　Mitchell；　William　F。　Morgan；　Chas。　S。　Robinson；　Elihu　Root；　Jackson　S。　Shultz；　Elliott　F。　Shepard；　Gustavus　Tuckerman；　S。　H。　Wales；　W。　H。　Webb。

This　list　bears　the　names　of　at　least　two　men　who　will　be　long　remembered。　There　are　also　several　others　which　were　doubtless　of　more　political　value　to　the　aspirant　to　office　in　1881。

Just　after　the　election　Roosevelt　wrote　to　his　classmate；　Charles　G。　Washburn：

'Too　true；　too　true；　I　have　become　a　〃political　hack。〃　Finding　it　would　not　interfere　much　with　my　law；　I　accepted　the　nomination　to　the　Assembly　and　was　elected　by　1500　majority；　leading　the　ticket　by　600　votes。　But　don't　think　I　am　going　to　go　into　politics　after　this　year；　for　I　am　not。'

Roosevelt's　allusion　to　the　law　requires　the　statement　that　in　the　autumn　of　1880　he　had　begun　to　read　law　in　the　office　of　his　uncle；　Robert　Roosevelt；　not　that　he　had　a　strong　leaning　to　the　legal　profession；　but　that　he　believed　that　every　one；　no　matter　how　well　off　he　might　be；　ought　to　be　able　to　support　himself　by　some　occupation　or　profession。　Also；　he　could　not　endure　being　idle；　and　he　knew　that　the　slight　political　work　on　which　he　embarked　when　he　joined　the　Twenty…first　District　Republican　Club　would　take　but　little　of　his　time。　During　that　first　year　out　of　college　he　established　himself　as　a　citizen；　not　merely　politically；　but　socially。　On　his　birthday　in　1880　he　married　Miss　Lee　and　they　set　up　their　home　at　6　West　Fifty…seventh　Street；　he　joined　social　and　literary　clubs　and　extended　his　athletic　interests　beyond　wrestling　and　boxing　to　hunting；　rifle　practice；　and　polo。

His　law　studies　seem　to　have　absorbed　him　less　than　anything　else　that　he　undertook　during　all　his　life。　He　could　not　fail　to　be　interested　in　them；　but　he　never　plunged　into　them　with　all　his　might　and　main　as　if　he　intended　to　make　them　his　chief　concern。　For　a　while　he　had　a　desk　in　the　office　of　the　publishers；　G。　P。　Putnam's　Sons：　but　Major　George　Putnam　recalls　that　he　did　little　except　suggest　wonderful　projects；　which　〃had　to　be　sat　down　upon。〃　Already　a　love　of　writing　infected　him。　Even　before　he　left　Harvard　he　had　begun　〃A　History　of　the　Naval　War　of　1812；〃　and　this　he　worked　on　eagerly。　The　Putnams　published　it　in　1882。

One　incident　of　Roosevelt's　canvass　must　not　be　overlooked。　The　Red　Indians　of　old　used　to　make　their　captives　run　the　gauntlet　between　two　lines　of　warriors：　political　bosses　in　New　York　in　1880　made　their　nominee　run　the　gauntlet　of　all　the　saloonkeepers　in　their　district。　Accordingly；　Jake　Hess　and　Joe　Murray　proceeded　to　introduce　Roosevelt　to　the　rum…sellers　of　Sixth　Avenue。　The　first　they　visited　received　Theodore　with　injudicious　condescension　almost　as　if　he　were　a　suppliant。　He　said　he　hoped　that　the　young　candidate；　if　elected；　would　treat　the　liquor　men　fairly；　to　which　the　〃suppliant〃　replied　that　he　intended　to　treat　all　interests　fairly。　The　suggestion　that　liquor　licenses　were　too　high　brought　the　retort　that　they　were　not　high　enough。　Thereupon；　the　wary　Hess　and　the　discreet　Joe　Murray　found　an　excuse　for　hurrying　Roosevelt　out　of　the　saloon；　and　they　told　him　that　he　had　better　look　after　his　friends　on　Fifth　Avenue　and　that　they　would　look　after　the　saloon…keepers　on　Sixth　Avenue。　That　any　decent　candidate　should　have　to　pass　in　review　before　the　saloon…keepers　and　receive　their　approval；　is　so　monstrous　as　to　be　grotesque。　That　a　possible　President　of　the　United　States　should　be　the　victim　needs　no　comment。　It　was　thoroughly　characteristic　of　Roosevelt　that　he　balked　at　the　first　trial。

He　says　in　his　〃Autobiography〃　that　he　was　not　conscious　of　going　into　politics　to　benefit　other　people；　but　to　secure　for　himself　a　privilege　to　which　every　one　was　entitled。　That　privilege　was　self…government。　When　his　〃kid…glove〃　friends　laughed　at　him　for　deliberately　choosing　to　leap　into　the　political　mire；　he　told　them　that　the　governing　class　ought　to　govern；　and　that　not　they　themselves　but　the　bosses　and　〃heelers〃　were　the　real　governors　of　New　York　City。　Not　the　altruistic　desire　to　reform；　but　the　perfectly　practical　resolve　to　enjoy　the　political　rights　to　which　he　had　a　claim　was　his　leading　motive。　It　is　important　to　understand　this　because　it　will　explain　much　of　his　action　as　a　statesman。　Roosevelt　is　the　greatest　idealist　in　American　public　life　since　Lincoln；　but　his　idealism；　like　Lincoln's；　always　had　a　firm；　intelligent；　practical　footing。　Roosevelt　himself　thus　describes　his　work　during　his　first　year　in　the　New　York　Assembly：

I　paid　attention　chiefly　while　in　the　Legislature　to　laws　for　the　reformation　of　Primaries　and　of　the　Civil　Service　and　endeavored　to　have　a　certain　Judge　Westbrook　impeached；　on　the　ground　of　corrupt　collusion　with　Jay　Gould　and　the　prostitution　of　his　high　judicial　office　to　serve　the　purpose　of　wealthy　and　unscrupulous　stock　gamblers；　but　was　voted　down。

This　brief　statement　gives　no　idea　of　either　the　magnitude　or　quality　of　his　work　in　which；　like　young　David；　he　went　forth　to　smite　Goliath；　the　Giant　Corruption；；　entrenched　for　years　in　the　Albany　State　House。　I　do　not　believe　that　in　at　tacking　the　monster；　Roosevelt　thought　that　he　was　displaying　unusual　courage；　much　less　that　he　was　winning　the　crown　of　a　moral　hero。　He　simply　saw　a　mass　of　abuse　and　wickedness　which　every　decent　person　ought　to　repudiate。　Most　decent　persons　saw　it；　too；　but　convention；　or　self…interest；　party　affiliation；　or　unromantic；　every…day　cowardice；　made　them　hold　their　tongues。　Being　assigned　to　committees　which　had　some　of　the　most　important　concerns　of　New　York　City　in　charge；　Roosevelt　had　the　advantage　given　by　his　initiation　into　political　methods　as　practiced　in　the　Twenty…first　District　of　knowing　a　little　more　than　his　colleagues　knew　about　the　local　issues。　Three　months　of　the　session　elapsed　before　he　stood　up　in　the　Chamber　and　attacked　point…blank；one　formidable　champion　of　corruption。　Listen　to　an　anonymous　writer　in　the　Saturday　Evening　Post：

It　was　on　April　6；　1882；　that　Roosevelt　took　the　floor　in　the　Assembly　and　demanded　that　Judge　Westbrook；　of　New　bury；　be　impeached。　And　for　sheer　moral　courage　that　act　is　probably　supreme　in　Roosevelt's　life　thus　far。　He　must　have　expected　failure。　Even　his　youth　and　idealism　and　ignorance　of　public　affairs　could　not　blind　him　to　the　apparently　inevitable　consequences。　Yet　he　drew　his　sword　and　rushed　apparently　to　destructionalone；　and　at　the　very　outset　of　his　career；　and　in　disregard　of　the　pleadings　of　his　closest　friends　and　the　plain　dictates　of　political　wisdom。　That　speechthe　deciding　act　in　Roosevelt's　careeris　not　remarkable　for　eloquence。　But　it　is　remarkable　for　fear　less　candor。　He　called　thieves　thieves；　regardless　of　their　millions；　he　slashed　savagely　at　the　judge　and　the　Attorney　General；　he　told　the　plain　unvarnished　truth　as　his　indignant　eyes　saw　it。*

*　Riis；　54…55。


Astonishment　verging　on　consternation　filled　the　Assemblymen；　who；　through　long　experience；　were　convinced　that　Truth　was　too　precious　to　be　exhibited　in　public。　Worldly　wisdom　came　to　the　aid　of　the　veteran　Republican　leader　who　wish