The committee stands
adjourned." And with that he stalked majestically out of the room,
leaving the committee and the delegation to gaze sheepishly into
each other's faces. [Footnote: "American Ideals," p. 96.]
There was in the Assembly a man whom Mr. Roosevelt calls "Brogan."
He looked like a serious elderly frog. I never heard him speak
more than once. It was before the Legislature was organized, or
had adopted any rules; and each day the only business was for the
clerk to call the roll. One day Brogan suddenly rose, and the
following dialogue occurred:
Brogan. Misther Clu-r-r-k!
The Clerk. The gentleman from New York.
Brogan. I rise to a point of ordher under the rules!
The Clerk. There are no rules.
Brogan. Thin I object to them.
The Clerk. There are no rules to object to.
Brogan. Oh! (nonplussed; but immediately recovering himself.) Thin
I move that they be amended until there ar-r-re! [Footnote:
"Autobiography," p 99.]
Roosevelt was three times elected to the Assembly. He took an
interest in laws to reform the Primaries and the Civil Service,
and he demanded that a certain corrupt judge be removed. This
astonished the Assembly, for the judge had powerful and rich
friends. His own party advised the twenty-three years old
Assemblyman to sit down and shut his mouth. The judge might be
corrupt, as it was charged, but it was "wiser" to keep still about
it.
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