theodore roosevelt-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


at　human　nature　will　always　breed　a　great　many　persons　having　a　propensity　to　licentious　or　violent　habits；　that　laws　were　made　to　check　and　punish　these　persons；　and　that　they　might　go　their　pernicious　ways　unmolested　if　the　Police　took　no　notice　of　them。　So　the　Police　established　a　system　of　immunity　which　anybody　could　enjoy　by　paying　the　price。　Notorious　gambling…hells　〃ran　wide　open〃　after　handing　the　required　sum　to　the　high　police　official　who　extorted　it。　Hundreds　of　houses　of　ill…fame　carried　on　their　hideous　traffic　undisturbed；　so　long　as　the　Police　Captain　of　the　district　received　his　weekly　bribe。　Gangs　of　roughs；　toughs；　and　gunmen　pursued　their　piratical　business　without　thinking　of　the　law；　for　they　shared　their　spoils　with　the　supposed　officers　of　the　law。　And　there　were　more　degenerate　miscreants　still；　who　connived　with　the　Police　and　went　unscathed。　As　if　the　vast　sums　collected　from　these　willing　bribers　were　not　enough；　the　Police　added　a　system　of　blackmail　to　be　levied　on　those　who　were　not　deliberately　vicious；　but　who　sought　convenience。　If　you　walked　downtown　you　found　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　certain　stores　almost　barricaded　by　packing…boxes；　whereas　next　door　the　way　might　be　clear。　This　simply　meant　that　the　firm　which　wished　to　use　the　sidewalk　for　its　private　advantage　paid　the　policeman　on　that　beat；　and　he　looked　the　other　way。　As　there　was　an　ordinance　against　almost　every　conceivable　thing；　so　the　Police　had　a　price　for　making　every　ordinance　a　dead　letter。　Was　this　a　cosmic　joke；　a　nightmare　of　cynicism；　a　delusion？　No；　New　York　was　classed　in　the　reference　books　as　a　Christian　city；　and　this　was　its　Christianity。

Roosevelt　knew　the　seamless　bond　which　connected　the　crime　and　vice　of　the　city　with　corrupt　politics。　The　party　Bosses；　Republicans　and　Democrats　alike；　were　the　final　profiters　from　police　blackmail　and　bribery。　As　he　held　his　mandate　from　a　Reform　Administration；　he　might　expect　to　be　aided　by　it　on　the　political　side；　at　least；　he　did　not　fear　that　the　heads　of　the　other　departments　would　secretly　work　to　block　his　purification　of　the　Police。　A　swift　examination　showed　him　that　the　New　York　Police　Department　actually　protected　the　criminals　and　promoted　every　kind　of　iniquity　which　it　existed　to　put　down。　It　was　as　if　in　a　hospital　which　should　cure　the　sick；　the　doctors；　instead　of　curing　disease；　should　make　the　sick　worse　and　should　make　the　well　sick。　How　was　Roosevelt；　equally　valiant　and　honest；　to　conquer　this　Hydra？　He　took　the　straight　way　dictated　by　common　sense。　First　of　all；　he　gained　the　confidence　and　respect　of　his　men。　He　said　afterwards；　that　even　at　its　worst；　when　he　went　into　office；　the　majority　of　the　Police　wanted　to　do　right；　that　their　instincts　were　loyal；　and　this　meant　much；　because　they　were　tempted　on　all　sides　by　vicious　wrongdoers；　they　had　constantly　before　them　the　example　of　superiors　who　took　bribes　and　they　received　neither　recognition　nor　praise　for　their　own　worthy　deeds。

The　Force　came　very　soon　to　understand　that　under　Roosevelt　every　man　would　get　a　〃square　deal。〃　〃Pulls〃　had　no　efficacy。　The　Chief　Commissioner　personally　kept　track　of　as　many　men　as　he　could。　When　he　saw　in　the　papers　one　morning　that　Patrolman　X　had　saved　a　woman　from　drowning；　he　looked　him　up；　found　that　the　man　had　been　twenty…two　years　in　the　service；　had　saved　twenty　five　lives；　and　had　never　been　noticed；　much　less　thanked；　by　the　Commission。　More　than　this；　he　had　to　buy　his　own　uniform；　and　as　this　was　often　rendered　unfit　for　further　use　when　he　rescued　persons　from　drowning；　or　from　a　burning　house；　his　heroism　cost　him　much　in　dollars　and　cents。　By　Roosevelt's　orders　the　Department　henceforth　paid　for　new　uniforms　in　such　cases；　and　it　awarded　medals。　By　recognizing　the　good；　and　by　weeding　out　as　fast　as　possible　the　bad　members　of　the　Force；　Roosevelt　thus　organized　the　best　body　of　Police　which　New　York　City　had　ever　seen。　There　were；　of　course；　some　black　sheep　among　them　whom　he　could　not　reach；　but　he　changed　the　fashion；　so　that　it　was　no　longer　a　point　of　excellence　to　be　a　black　sheep。

Roosevelt　rigorously　enforced　the　laws；　without　regard　to　his　personal　opinion。　It　happened　that　at　that　time　the　good　people　of　New　York　insisted　that　liquor　saloons　should　do　no　business　on　Sundays。　This　prohibition　had　long　been　on　the　statute　book；　but　it　had　been　generally　evaded　because　the　saloon　keepers　had　paid　the　Bosses；　who　controlled　the　Police　Department；　to　let　them　keep　openusually　by　a　side　dooron　Sundays。　Indeed；　the　statute　was　evidently　passed　by　the　Bosses　in　order　to　widen　their　opportunity　for　blackmail；　but　in　this　they　overreached　themselves。　For　the　liquor…sellers　at　last　revolted；　and　they　held　conferences　with　the　BossesDavid　B。　Hill　was　then　the　Democratic　State　Boss　and　Richard　Croker　the　Tammany　Boss　…　and　they　published　in　the　Wine　and　Spirit　Gazette；　their　organ；　this　statement：　〃An　agreement　was　made　between　the　leaders　of　Tammany　Hall　and　the　liquor…dealers；　according　to　which　the　monthly　blackmail　paid　to　the　force　should　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　whi