Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/130

98 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS whose pockets he began materially to interfere, and his enforcement of the excise law was for a while unfavorably looked upon by many of his friends. But he was of President Grant s opinion, that if you desire the repealing of a bad law you had bet ter enforce it; and enforce the excise law he did. But his new ways, which so disgusted the politi cians, delighted the policemen, who soon recognized in him their best friend. His midnight visits to all sorts of streets and haunts in a sort of incognito, in order that he might be able to see with his own eyes how his orders w T ere being carried out, came to be liked more than they were feared; while his instant recognition and rewarding of any bravery shown by a policeman while in the course of duty still more endeared him to the force. It is recorded that until Roosevelt s time if any policeman hap pened to ruin his clothes through the process of making an arrest the price of a new suit came out of his own pocket. Roosevelt remedied this in justice, and a new suit was furnished at the public expense. On April 6, 1897, he was again called to Wash ington, this time to serve as assistant secretary of the navy. In this office he spent just one year and one month. To his immense energy and intelligent knowledge of what was required to make a navy efficient in time of war are largely due the suc cesses which attended our captains in 1898. In that