Roosevelt Saves His Political Career
In 1895 Saloon owners and prostitutes had established a profitable payoff system with NYC police officials. Thousands of city saloons functioned as political clubs that perpetuated the corruption.
Newly elected Mayor William Lafayette Strong's solution was to replace the four-member board that oversaw the police with an energetic reformer like Theodore Roosevelt as president of the commission.
In 1884 Roosevelt chaired a special New York Assembly committee charged with investigating NYC corruption. Roosevelt presented a bill that would strip the city’s Board of Aldermen from their power to confirm mayoral appointments. The “Roosevelt Bill” sought to break the power of Tammany Hall and reduce waste and corruption. While the committee’s investigation provided the press with plenty of examples of corruption and incompetence, in the end the assembly did little to diminish Tammany’s power. Roosevelt’s attack didn’t go unnoticed by Governor Grover Cleveland who elected to keep Roosevelt, a holdover from the Harrison administration, as a member of the Civil Service commission. Roosevelt’s 1884 work in the assembly led to the Aldermanic Bill that was eventually signed into law by Governor Cleveland.
Roosevelt accepted Strong’s offer determined to clean up the police department and shut down saloons that operated in defiance of local liquor laws.
On the morning of Saturday April 6th, 1895, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the NYC Police Commission. Roosevelt faced an uphill battle. At one time or another nearly two thirds of the political leaders of Tammany Hall had been in the liquor business. Saloonkeepers worked hand in glove with politicians.
Most New Yorkers worked a six-day week and Sunday was the only day they could gather in saloons to socialize and wash down the morning sermon by throwing back a few. Those who objected were called “Cranks” and should be run out of town on a rail.
By early June 1895 Roosevelt and Jacob Riis, a police reporter for the NY Sun, were out walking the streets of Manhattan spying on the police.
The Times carried a June 8, 1895, story with the headline, "Police Caught Napping." The paper reported Roosevelt found police asleep at their posts, or socializing when they should have been on the beat.
Officers were ordered to report to headquarters where they received a reprimand directly from Roosevelt.
T.R. decided to go after the legendary detective Thomas Byrnes. Byrnes popularized the terms “Rogues Gallery" and “3rd Degree.”
Byrnes served as the head of the city’s Detective Department from 1880 until 1895. He’s been credited with inventing America's modern detective bureau. He had come to epitomize the NYC Police Department.
Jacob Riis knew Byrnes well and said he was "a great actor" and that made him a great detective. Riis said he was a veritable giant in his time
However, to Roosevelt Byrnes had suspiciously amassed a fortune of $300,000. T.R. was convinced Byrne had built that fortune with the help of Wall Street money men like Jay Gould, yet he was still able to keep his job.
Roosevelt forced Byrnes to resign but never gave any public reason for Byrnes dismissal.
In New York City, Roosevelt’s goose had been cooked. Even members of his own commission wanted to sue him for the way he was acting.
Roosevelt’s support in New York was sinking rapidly and nationally he was under water.
T.R. had backed the wrong horse in the upcoming 1896 presidential election. He supported Thomas Brackett Reed the 32nd Speaker of the House over William McKinley.
Roosevelt saw Reed as the safe bet. He considered Reed the party’s best debater and despite his high-pitched voice, Reed could deliver a powerful speech. His social circle included Henry Cabot lodge, Roosevelt, John Hay and Mark Twain. He governed to the majority.
On the inside of the Republican Party Roosevelt and Lodge were considered the party’s two “Hot Heads.” Together they helped Reed defeat McKinley for Speaker of the House. Something McKinley didn’t forget.
However, to the surprise of most, by the end of spring it was clear McKinley had out foxed everyone. He had taken the south and won both the New Hampshire and Illinois primaries considered at that time to be the Republican’s political “Gettysburg.”
Platt said, “McKinley took the south before we knew it was up for grabs.”
Roosevelt was finished. He had no support in New York, and he had lost his Washington meal ticket.
Up until 1895 Roosevelt had become assemblyman due to his family’s position and wealth. He ran an amateur campaign, but to the well healed in the 21st Assembly District Roosevelt seemed the perfect honest candidate in an imperfect corrupt political system.
Roosevelt became a Civil Service Commissioner under Benjamin Harrison on the strength of Henry Cabot Lodge’s recommendation.
By the fall of 1895 Roosevelt was alone without a future. He needed a job.
Void of any influential power base Roosevelt does something brilliant, desperate and remarkable.
In July 1895 McKinley’s “Fund Raiser” Mark Hannah visited New York to introduce McKinley’s Campaign Platform to the New York City bosses.
During the visit Hannah told the press he had no plans to meet Thomas Platt. Roosevelt convinced Hannah that was a mistake and urged him to send an invitation to Platt suggesting they meet privately. The two met in Platt’s office in the Metropolitan Building.
Platt was angry for being snubbed and disagreed with McKinley on the issues of tariffs. He preferred a fight over gold and silver. When Hannah agreed to alter the platform, Platt left the meeting and told the press he was backing McKinley.
In town during the visit were McKinley’s close friends Bellamy and Maria Longworth Nichols Storer.
During Roosevelt’s days in Washington, he had met and made friends with Bellamy who would later become Archie’s godfather. When president T.R. appointed Bellamy Ambassador to Austria-Hungary in 1902.
Maria Longworth Nichols Storer was the aunt of Nicholas Longworth who married Alice.
In early August 1895 Roosevelt invites Bellamy and Maria to Sagamore Hill.
Bellamy and Marie were more than just good friends of McKinley they had helped him out of a financial jam. McKinley had signed notes for a friend and when they were called in the Panic of 1893 the Storer’s helped bail him out avoiding what could have become a severe financial hardship.
Bellamy and Marie accepted T.R.’s invitation and Roosevelt sees an opening.
Roosevelt believed Marie was the smarter of the two and decides to take the Store’s down to the beach where he asks Marie to join him for a short row around Cold Spring Harbor.
Marie wrote that Roosevelt rowed like he spoke, “spasmodically and absentmindedly.”
She said Theodore poured his heart out saying, “I should like to be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy,” but he knew McKinley would never give him the appointment.
He tells Marie “You and Bellamy are the only ones who can get that for me.”
Roosevelt needed their help and hoped the time he spent with Marie in the rowboat would save his political career and turn his life around.
To make sure he didn’t forget, a couple of days after their visit TR writes Bellamy and Marie restating his interest in becoming Assistant Secretary.
1896 begins with Roosevelt heading west on a hunting trip to North Dakota. On the way he stops in Chicago to visit the National Republican Headquarters.
He introduced himself as Theodore Roosevelt from New York and tells everyone he thinks we’re OK in New York after he brought Platt and Hannah together back in July.
He then tells them he’s available to help in any way he can.
They don’t take him up on his offer.
While in Chicago he is impressed by 30-year-old Charles G. Dawes who is McKinley’s Campaign Manager. Dawes will later become Coolidge’s Vice President, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925. He also wrote the music to the hit song “It’s All in the Game.” He and Bob Dylan are the only songwriters to be awarded a Nobel Prize. Dylan received his in 2016 for his musical writing style.
Dawes is doing something new. He is producing McKinley campaign literature and sending it off to the states by the truckload. TR goes to the railroad station and watches them load a box car full of pamphlets on McKinley.
Roosevelt writes Bamie how impressed he was by what he saw.
On his way back he revisits McKinley’s headquarters and is now suddenly given a small assignment. He’s asked to address a traveling salesman’s organization in NYC on September 11, 1896. Roosevelt talks about the currency issue of “Cash and Credit.”
Roosevelt doesn’t sound like the Wall Street crowd, or the way McKinley comes off sounding like a college professor.
Instead Roosevelt says things like a farmer with a gold dollar can buy a full loaf of bread. He can only buy a half loaf with a silver dollar. Roosevelt points to the crowd and says the working man needs to be paid in a currency that allows him to feed his family.
Roosevelt once said if it wasn’t for his time in the Bad Lands, he’d never have become president. What Roosevelt learns in the hard life of the west is the language of America. It wasn’t the language of the Ivy Leaguer; it was the language of the people that spoke to the spirit and heart of the country.
The things Roosevelt was saying are now appearing in McKinley’s speeches.
Two weeks after Roosevelt’s September 11th speech Lodge writes and invites Roosevelt on a speaking tour of western NY. Lodge insists he won’t let T.R. off the hook claiming he has responsibilities in New York as Police Commissioner.
Lodge and Roosevelt spent 5 days delivering speeches in Utica, Buffalo and Jamestown. The press only reported what Roosevelt is saying and practically ignoring the well-crafted words of the senior Lodge.
Roosevelt gets the headlines hitting Bryan with a sledgehammer. He calls Bryan a demigod who’ll destroy the republic. Bryan is wicked, Bryan is silly, and Bryan is an anarchist.
He accuses Bryan of class warfare and representing the power of the mob. He tells crowds if Bryan wins it would be worse than if the Confederacy had won the Civil War.
At the end of the 5-day tour T.R. and Lodge are invited to Canton to meet with McKinley.
John Hay writes that Roosevelt and Lodge are being summoned to Canton to place their heads under the axe. They are there to commit hari-kari in front of McKinley pledging their loyalty.
McKinley actually invited Hayes to watch the spectacle, but he declined.
However, Bellamy and Marie Storer are there at the meeting.
On October 6th only a few days after Canton Roosevelt is asked to give a very important speech on the 15th in Chicago.
His speech is delivered in front 18,000 and entitled the “The Menace and The Demigod.” It’s a mean-spirited speech where he compares Bryan to an unintelligent schoolgirl who would destroy the county.
He then shadows Bryan through Illinois and Michigan before returning home to NY.
Election night McKinley wins with over 50% of the popular vote. That’s the first time that had happened in 5 presidential elections.
After McKinley wins T.R. once again writes Bellamy Storer asking for his help in being considered for Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
Marie Storer writes back McKinley wasn’t keen on the idea. McKinley considered Roosevelt too head strong, too insubordinate. It was something Platt had told and warned McKinley.
Talking to Marie Storer McKinley referred to Roosevelt as “their man” indicating she and Bellamy had been pushing for TR to join the McKinley administration.
By early March 1897 Roosevelt didn’t see any movement. He was totally convinced he wouldn’t be appointed, but by the end of the month he was told he’d get his wish.
In early April 1897 Roosevelt is named Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
If it wasn’t for his Sagamore Hill conversation with Marie Storer T.R. would never have been able to become Assistant Secretary of the Navy, command the Rough Riders and be elected governor, Vice President and President.
While mostly overlooked. It is singularly the most important event that took place a Sagamore Hill. Roosevelt changed his fortune sitting in a rowboat. in Cold Spring Harbor. In an afternoon he convinced and motivated a political ally to talk to McKinley in a way he could not.
If it wasn’t for Roosevelt's conversation with Marie Storer in 1895, today Sagamore Hill may be a golf course.