n Cities.
The representatives of one of the great railways brought to him a bill
to permit the extension of its terminal facilities in one of the big
cities of the State, and asked him to take charge of it. Roosevelt
looked into the proposed bill and found that it was a measure that ought
to be passed quite as much in the public interest as is the interest of
the railroad. He agreed to stand sponsor for the bill, provided he were
assured that no money would be used to push it. The assurance was given.
When the bill came before his committee for consideration, Roosevelt
found that he could not get it reported out either favorably or
unfavorably. So he decided to force matters. In accordance with
his life-long practice, he went into the decisive committee meeting
perfectly sure what he was going to do, and otherwise fully prepared.

There was a broken chair in the room, and when he took his seat a leg of
that chair was unobtrusively ready to his hand. He moved that the bill
be reported favorably.

The gang, without debate, voted "No." He moved that it be reported
unfavorably. Again the gang voted "No." Then he put the bill in his
pocket and announced that he proposed to report it anyhow. There was
almost a riot. He was warned that his conduct would be exposed on the
floor of the Assembly. He replied that in that case he would explain
publicly in the Assembly the reasons which made him believe that the
rest of the committee were trying, from motives of blackmail, to prevent
any report of the bill. The bill was reported without further protest,
and the threatened riot did not come off, partly, said Roosevelt,
"because of the opportune production of the chair-leg." But the young
fighter found that he was no farther along: the bill slumbered soundly
on the calendar, and nothing that he could do availed to secure
consideration of it. At last the representative of the railroad
suggested that some older and more experienced leader might be able to
get the bill passed where he had failed. Roosevelt could do nothing but
assent. The bill was put in charge of an "old Parliamentary hand,"
and after a decent lapse of time, went through without opposition. The
complete change of heart on the part of the black horsemen under the
new leadership was vastly significant. Nothing could be proved; but much
could be surmised.

Another incident of Roosevelt's legislative career reveals the bull-dog
tenacity of the man. Evidence had been proc