Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914). Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen. 1904.
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the groom and the saloon-keeper there; that politics were low, and that no gentleman bothered with them. ‘Then,’ said I, ‘if that is so, the groom and the saloon-keeper are the governing class and you confess weakness. You have all the chances, the education, the position, and you let them rule you. They must be better men;’ and I went.
“I joined the association, attended the meetings, and did my part in whatever was going. We did n’t always agree, and sometimes they voted me down and sometimes I had my way. They were a jolly enough lot and I had a good time. The grooms were there, some of them, and some of their employers, and we pulled together as men should if we are to make anything out of our country, and by and by we had an election.”
There had been a fight about the dirty streets. The people wanted a free hand given to Mayor Grace, but the machine opposed. The Assemblyman from Roosevelt’s district, the old Twenty-first, was in disgrace on that account. The Republican boss of the district, “Jake” Hess, was at odds with his lieutenants, “Joe” Murray and Major Bullard, and
