THE PRESIDENT'S FIRMNESS

into the air for the benefit of the outside multitude, but shot right at the mark, like: "Follow up So-and-so"; "Do not let up on such-andsuch a line of search"; "The enclosed newspaper paragraph suggests a new lead; get your hands on everybody concerned."

When the prosecution of the thieves and grafters seemed to lag a little more than circumstances justified, and the District Attorney explained that the delay was due to the immense burden of work thrown upon the law-officers of the Government, the President quietly reached out and brought to their aid two of the best lawyers he knew in private life: Charles J. Bonaparte, a sworn foe to spoilsmen everywhere and an unsparing critic of Federal administrations in the past, and Holmes Conrad, a stanch Democrat of the old school, who could have no compunctions of any sort in hunting down Republican rogues. All the "politics" of the situation, as far as Mr. Roosevelt could see, was the politics of capturing rascals and putting them into the penitentiary or the pillory, regardless of who they were or by whom appointed, or what the particular influence that still stood at their backs. If damage were to come to the party, it would come, he believed,

from having rottenness in the postal service, not from digging it out.

Mr. Payne's unfortunate lack of discretion was revealed also in dealing with the Delaware cases, where he involved the President quite needlessly in a snarl with the best people of the country. But that matter must be left for another chapter.

CHAPTER VII

"THE LARGER GOOD" AND "THE BEST HE COULD"

The Cuban reciprocity fight-Buying coalers for the navy-An attorney rebuked—New York liquor law enforcement-The Shidy case-Keeping faith with a scamp.

ON broad lines, Mr. Roosevelt is guided in his action by settled policies; as to the details of working these out, he turns to account whatever happens. He takes men as he finds them, bolts his disappointments, worships no fetishes. "Hitch your wagon to a star," he says, "but always remember your limitations. Strive upward, but realize that your feet must touch the ground. In our Government you can only work successfully in conjunction with your fellows." It would probably be safe to say that he never laid down a general rule which he was not prepared to break the instant he saw it blocking the path to an important accomplishment, or what he calls "the larger good." has a supreme contempt for a mere paper record of consistency, as contrasted with an his

He

torical record of ends actually achieved; and he has no use for the public man who, finding it impossible to do ideally the best thing, has not cheerfully done "the best he could" and thanked God for that.

President Roosevelt, in his first annual message, called upon Congress to enact a law authorizing a substantial reduction of the customs tariff on Cuban products imported into the United States. A President ambitious for a paper record simply would have made the recommendation and then thrown the blame upon Congress for the failure to carry it out. But he sought results, not reasons for the lack of them. When Congress seemed loath to do anything, he stirred it up with a special message. In the first communication he had made a simple proposal based upon the idea of our winning and holding Cuban friendship; in the second, he based his plea on Cuba's own right to tariff concessions in exchange for what she had granted to us. Still there was no response. At the next session the plea was renewed in the annual message. When it became apparent that no new law could be passed, it was suggested to him that a treaty might be negotiated. "Good," said he, "negotiate a treaty." It