uld be discontinued in return for political support。〃 Croker and his pals； taking it as a matter of course that the public knew their methods； neither denied this incriminating statement nor thought it worth noticing。 For a while all the saloons enjoyed equal immunity in selling drinks on Sunday。 Then came Roosevelt and ordered his men to close every saloon。 Many of the bar…keepers laughed incredulously at the patrol man who gave the order； many others flew into a rage。 The public denounced this attempt to strangle its liberties and reviled the Police Chief as the would be enforcer of obsolescent blue laws。 But they could not frighten Roosevelt： the saloons were closed。 Nevertheless； even he could not prevail against the overwhelming desire for drink。 Crowds of virtuous citizens preferred。 an honest police force； but they preferred their beer or their whiskey still more； and joined with the criminal classes； the disreputables； and all the others who regarded any law as outrageous which interfered with their personal habits。 Accordingly； since they could not budge Roosevelt； they changed the law。 A compliant local judge discovered that it was lawful to take what drink you chose with a meal； and the result was that； as Roosevelt describes it； a man by eating one pretzel might drink seventeen beers。
Roosevelt himself visited all parts of the city and chiefly those where Vice grew flagrant at night。 The journalists； who knew of his tours of inspection and were always on the alert for the picturesque； likened him to the great Caliph who in similar fashion investigated Baghdad； and they nicknamed him Haroun al Roosevelt。 He had for his companion Jacob Riis； a remarkable Dane who migrated to this country in youth； got the position of reporter on one of the New York dailies； frequented the courts； studied the condition of the abject poor in the tenement…houses； and the haunts where Vice breeds like scum on stagnant pools； and wrote a book； 〃How the Other Half Lives；〃 which startled the consciences of the well…to…do and the virtuous。 Riis showed Roosevelt everything。 Police headquarters were in Mulberry Street； and yet within a stone's throw iniquity flourished。 He guided him through the Tenderloin District； and the wharves； and so they made the rounds of the vast city。 More than once Roosevelt surprised a shirking patrolman on his beat； but his purpose they all knew was to see justice done； and to keep the officers of the Force up to the highest standard of duty。
One other anecdote concerning his experience as Police Commissioner I repeat； because it shows by what happy touches of humor he sometimes dispersed menacing clouds。 A German Jew…baiter； Rector Ahlwardt； came over from Berlin to preach a crusade against the Jews。 Great trepidation spread through the Jewish colony and they asked Roosevelt to forbid Ahlwardt from holding public meetings against them。 This； he saw； would make a martyr of the German persecutor and probably harm the Jews more than it would help them。 So Roosevelt bethought him of a device which worked perfectly。 He summoned forty of the best Jewish policemen on the Force and ordered them to preserve order in the hall and prevent Ahlwardt from being interrupted or abused。 The meeting passed off without disturbance； Ahlwardt stormed in vain against the Jews； the audience and the public saw the humor of the affair and Jew…baiting gained no foothold in New York City。 Although Roosevelt thoroughly enjoyed his work as Police Commissioner； he felt rightly that it did not afford him the freest scope to exercise his powers。 Much as he valued executive work； the putting into practice and carrying out of laws； he felt more and more strongly the desire to make them； and his instinct told him that he was fitted for this higher task。 When； therefore； the newly elected Republican President； William McKinley； offered him the apparently modest position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy； he accepted it。
There was general grieving in New York Cityexcept among the criminals and Tammanyat the news of his resignation。 All sorts of persons expressed regrets that were really sincere； and their gratitude for the good which he had done for them all。 Some of them protested that he ought not to abandon the duty which he had discharged so valiantly。 One of these was Edwin L。 Godkin； editor of The Nation and the New York Evening Post； a critic who seldom spoke politely of anything except ideals which had not been attained； or commended persons who were not dead and so beyond reach of praise。
Since Roosevelt himself has quoted this passage from Godkin's letter to him； I think it ought to be reprinted here： 〃I have a concern； as the Quakers say； to put on record my earnest belief that in New York you are doing the greatest work of which any American today is capable； and exhibiting to the young men of the country the spectacle of a very important office administered by a man of high character in the most efficient way amid a thousand difficulties。 As a lesson in politics I cannot think of anything more instructive。〃
Godkin was a great power for good； in spite of the obvious unpopularity which an incessant critic cannot fail to draw down upon himself。 The most pessimistic of us secretly crave a little respite when for half an hour we may forget the circumambient and all…pervading gloom： music； or an entertaining book； or a dear friend lifts the burden from us。 And then comes our uncompromising pessimist and chides us for our softness and for letting ourselves be led astray from our pessimism。 His jeremiads are probably justified； and as the historian looks back he finds that they give the truest statement of the past； for the present must be very bad； indeed； if it does not discover conditions still worse in the past from which it has emerged。 But Godkin living could not escape from two sorts of unsympathetic depreciators： first； the wicked who smarted under his just scourge； and next； the upright； who tired of unremittent censure； although they admitted that it was just。
Roosevelt came； quite naturally； to set the doer above the critic； who； he thought； quickly degenerated into a fault finder and from that into a common scold。 When a man plunges into a river to save somebody from drowning； if you do not plunge in yourself； at least do not jeer at him for his method of swimming。 So Roosevelt； who shrank from no bodily or moral risk himself； held in scorn the 〃timid good；〃 the 〃 acidly cantankerous；〃 the peace…at…any…price people； and the entire tribe of those who； instead of attacking iniquities and abuses； attacked those who are desperately engaged in fighting these； For this reason he probably failed to absorb from Godkin's criticism some of the benefit which it might have brought him。 The pills were bitter； but salutary。 While he was Police Commissioner one of Joseph Choate's epigrams passed current and is still worth recalling。 When some one remarked that New York was a very wicked city； Choate replied； 〃How can you expect it to be otherwise； when Dana makes Vice so attractive in the Sun every morning； and Godkin makes Virtue so odious in the Post every afternoon？〃 Charles A。 Dana； the editor of the Sun； the stanch supporter of Tammany Hall； and the apologist of almost every evil movement for nearly thirty years； was a writer of diabolical cleverness whose newspaper competed with Godkin's among the intellectual readers in search of amusement。 At one time； when Godkin had been particularly caustic； and the Mugwumps at Harvard were unusually critical； Roosevelt attended a committee meeting at the University。 After talking with President Eliot； he went and sat by a professor； and remarked； play fully； 〃Eliot is really a good fellow at heart。 Do you suppose that； if he bit Godkin； it would take？〃 So Roosevelt went back to Washington to be henceforth； as it proved； a national figure whose career was to be forever embedded in the structural growth of the United States。
CHAPTER VII。 THE ROUGH RIDER
When Roosevelt returned to Washington in March； 1897； to take up his duties as a subordinate officer in the National Government； he was thirty…eight years old； a man in the prime of life； with the strength of an ox； but quick in movement； and tough in endurance。 A rapid thinker； his intellect seemed as impervious to fatigue as was his energy。 Along with this physical and intellectual make up went courage of both kinds； passion for justice； and a buoying sense of obligation towards his fellows and the State。 His career thus far had prepared him for the highest service。 Born and brought up amid what our society classifiers； with their sure democratic instincts； loved to call the 〃aristocratic〃 circle in New York； his three years in the Assembly at Albany introduced him to the motley group of Representatives of high and low； bank presidents and farmers； blacklegs and philanthropists； who gathered there to make the laws for New York State。 There he displayed the preference； characteristic of him through life； of choosing his intimates irrespective of their occupation or social label。 Then he went out on the Plains and learned to live with wild men； for whom the artificial distinctions of civilization had no meaning。 He adapted himself to a primeval standard in which courage and a rough sense of honor were the chief virtues。 But this experience did still more for him than prove his personal power of getting along with such lower types of men； for it revealed to him the human extremes of the American Nation。 How vast it was； how varied； how intricate； and； potentially； how sublime！ Lincoln； coming out of the Kentucky back woods； first to Springfield； Illinois； then to Chicago in its youth； and finally to Washington； similarly passed in review the American contrasts of his time。 More specific was Roosevelt's training as a Civil Service Commissioner。 The public had been applauding him as a youthful prodigy； as a fellow of high spirit； of undisputed valor； of brilliant flashes； of versatility； but the worldly…wise； who have been too often fooled； were haunted by the suspicion that perhaps this astonishing young man would turn out to be only a meteor after all。 His six years of routine work on the Civil Service Commission put this anxiety to rest。 That