第45章

endeavoredtomakeitcleartohimthatIwasnottryingtowresttheorganizationfromhim；andIalwaysgavehimindetailthereasonswhyIfeltIhadtotakethepositionIintendedtoadopt。ItwasonlyafterIhadexhaustedalltheresourcesofmypatiencethatIwouldfinally，ifhestillprovedobstinate，tellhimthatIintendedtomakethefightanyhow。AsIhavesaid，theSenatorwasanoldandfeeblemaninphysique，anditwaspossibleforhimtogoaboutverylittle。UntilFridayeveninghewouldbekeptathisdutiesatWashington，whileIwasinAlbany。IfIwishedtoseehimitgenerallyhadtobeathishotelinNewYorkonSaturday，andusuallyIwouldgotheretobreakfastwithhim。TheonethingIwouldnotpermitwasanythinginthenatureofasecretorclandestinemeeting。Ialwaysinsistedongoingopenly。Solemnreformersofthetom-foolvariety，who，accordingtotheircustom，paidattentiontothenameandnotthething，weremuchexercisedovermy“breakfastingwithPlatt。”WheneverIbreakfastedwithhimtheybecamesurethatthefactcarriedwithitsomesinistersignificance。Theworthycreaturesnevertookthetroubletofollowthesequenceoffactsandeventsforthemselves。IftheyhaddonesotheywouldhaveseenthatanyseriesofbreakfastswithPlattalwaysmeantthatIwasgoingtodosomethinghedidnotlike，andthatIwastrying，courteouslyandfrankly，toreconcilehimtoit。Myobjectwastomakeitaseasyaspossibleforhimtocomewithme。Aslongastherewasnoclashbetweenustherewasnoobjectinmyseeinghim；itwasonlywhentheclashcameorwasimminentthatIhadtoseehim。Aseriesofbreakfastswasalwaysthepreludetosomeactivewarfare。[*]IneveryinstanceIsubstantiallycarriedmypoint，althoughinsomecasesnotinexactlythewayinwhichIhadoriginallyhoped。

[*]ToillustratemymeaningIquotefromaletterofminetoSenatorPlattofDecember13，1899。HehadbeentryingtogetmetopromoteacertainJudgeXovertheheadofanotherJudgeY。I

wrote：“ThereisastrongfeelingamongthejudgesandtheleadingmembersofthebarthatJudgeYoughtnottohaveJudgeXjumpedoverhishead，andIdonotseemywaycleartodoingit。IaminclinedtothinkthatthesolutionImentionedtoyouisthesolutionIshallhavetoadopt。RememberthebreakfastatDouglasRobinson’sat8：30。”

Therewerevariousmeasurestowhichhegaveagrudgingandquerulousassentwithoutanybreakbeingthreatened。IsecuredthereenactmentoftheCivilServiceLaw，whichundermypredecessorhadveryfoolishlybeenrepealed。Isecuredamassoflaborlegislation，includingtheenactmentoflawstoincreasethenumberoffactoryinspectors，tocreateaTenementHouseCommission(whosefindingsresultedinfurtherandexcellentlegislationtoimprovehousingconditions)，toregulateandimprovesweatshoplabor，tomaketheeight-hourandprevailingrateofwageslaweffective，tosecurethegenuineenforcementoftheactrelatingtothehoursofrailwayworkers，tocompelrailwaystoequipfreighttrainswithair-brakes，toregulatetheworkinghoursofwomenandprotectbothwomenandchildrenfromdangerousmachinery，toenforcegoodscaffoldingprovisionsforworkmenonbuildings，toprovideseatsfortheuseofwaitressesinhotelsandrestaurants，toreducethehoursoflaborfordrug-storeclerks，toprovidefortheregistrationoflaborersformunicipalemployment。Itriedhardbutfailedtosecureanemployers’

liabilitylawandthestatecontrolofemploymentoffices。Therewashardfightingoversomeofthesebills，and，whatwasmuchmoreserious，therewasefforttogetroundthelawbytrickeryandbysecuringitsinefficientenforcement。IwascontinuallyhelpedbymenwithwhomIhadgottenintouchwhileinthePoliceDepartment；mensuchasJamesBronsonReynolds，throughwhomIfirstbecameinterestedinsettlementworkontheEastSide。OnceortwiceIwentsuddenlydowntoNewYorkCitywithoutwarninganyoneandtraversedthetenement-housequarters，visitingvarioussweat-shopspickedatrandom。JakeRiisaccompaniedme；andasaresultofourinspectionwegotnotonlyanimprovementinthelawbutastillmoremarkedimprovementinitsadministration。ThankschieflytotheactivityandgoodsenseofDr。JohnH。Pryor，ofBuffalo，andbytheuseofeverypoundofpressurewhichasGovernorIcouldbringtobearinlegitimatefashion——includingaspecialemergencymessage——wesucceededingettingthroughabillprovidingforthefirstStatehospitalforincipienttuberculosis。Wegotvaluablelawsforthefarmer；lawspreventingtheadulterationoffoodproducts(whichlawswereequallyvaluabletotheconsumer)，andlawshelpingthedairyman。

InadditiontolaborlegislationIwasabletodoagooddealforforestpreservationandtheprotectionofourwildlife。AllthatlaterIstroveforintheNationinconnectionwithConservationwasforeshadowedbywhatIstrovetoobtainforNewYorkSt