Thevariousclashesbetweenmyselfandthemachine，mytriumphinthem，andthefactthatthepeopleweregettingmoreandmoreinterestedandaroused，broughtonacurioussituationintheRepublicanNationalConventionatPhiladelphiainJune，1900。SenatorPlattandtheNewYorkmachineleadershadbecomeveryanxioustogetmeoutoftheGovernorship，chieflybecauseofthehostilityofthebigcorporationmentowardsme；buttheyhadalsobecomeconvincedthattherewassuchpopularfeelingonmybehalfthatitwouldbedifficulttorefusemearenominationifIdemandedit。TheyaccordinglydecidedtopushmeforVice-President，takingadvantageofthefactthattherewasatthattimeagooddealoffeelingformeinthecountryatlarge。[SeeAppendixBtothischapter。]Imyselfdidnotappreciatethattherewasanysuchfeeling，andasIgreatlydislikedtheofficeofVice-PresidentandwasmuchinterestedintheGovernorship，IannouncedthatIwouldnotaccepttheVice-Presidency。
IwasoneofthedelegatestoPhiladelphia。OnreachingthereIfoundthatthesituationwascomplicated。SenatorHannaappearedonthesurfacetohavecontroloftheConvention。HewasanxiousthatI
shouldnotbenominatedasVice-President。SenatorPlattwasanxiousthatIshouldbenominatedasVice-President，inordertogetmeoutoftheNewYorkGovernorship。Eachtookapositionoppositetothatoftheother，buteachatthattimecordiallysympathizedwiththeother’sfeelingsaboutme——itwasthemanifestationsandnotthefeelingsthatdiffered。MysupportersinNewYorkStatedidnotwishmenominatedforVice-PresidentbecausetheywishedmetocontinueasGovernor；butineveryotherStateallthepeoplewhoadmiredmewereboundthatIshouldbenominatedasVice-President。ThesepeoplewerealmostalldesirousofseeingMr。McKinleyrenominatedasPresident，buttheybecameangryatSenatorHanna’soppositiontomeasVice-
President。HeinhisturnsuddenlybecameawarethatifhepersistedhemightfindthatintheirangerthesemenwouldopposeMr。
McKinley’srenomination，andalthoughtheycouldnothavepreventedthenomination，suchoppositionwouldhavebeenaseriousblowinthecampaignwhichwastofollow。SenatorHanna，therefore，begantowaver。
MeanwhileameetingoftheNewYorkdelegationwascalled。MostofthedelegateswereunderthecontrolofSenatorPlatt。TheSenatornotifiedmethatifIrefusedtoacceptthenominationforVice-
PresidentIwouldbebeatenforthenominationforGovernor。I
answeredthatIwouldacceptthechallenge，thatwewouldhaveastraight-outfightontheproposition，andthatIwouldbeginitatoncebytellingtheassembleddelegatesofthethreat，andgivingfairwarningthatIintendedtofightfortheGovernorshipnomination，and，moreover，thatIintendedtogetit。ThisbroughtSenatorPlatttoterms。TheefforttoinstructtheNewYorkdelegationformewasabandoned，andLieutenant-GovernorWoodruffwaspresentedfornominationinmyplace。
Isupposedthatthisclosedtheincident，andthatnofurthereffortwouldbemadetonominatemefortheVice-Presidency。Onthecontrary，theeffectwasdirectlythereverse。TheupsetoftheNewYorkmachineincreasedthefeelingofthedelegatesfromotherStatesthatitwasnecessarytodraftmeforthenomination。BynextdaySenatorHannahimselfconcludedthatthiswasanecessity，andacquiescedinthemovement。AsNewYorkwasalreadycommittedagainstme，andasIwasnotwillingthatthereshouldbeanychanceofsupposingthattheNewYorkershadnominatedmetogetridofme，theresultwasthatIwasnominatedandsecondedfromoutsideStates。Noothercandidatewasplacedinthefield。
BythistimetheLegislaturehadadjourned，andmostofmyworkasGovernorofNewYorkwasover。Oneunexpectedbitofbusinessarose，however。ItwastheyearofthePresidentialcampaign。Tammany，whichhadbeenlukewarmaboutBryanin1896，cordiallysupportedhimin1900；andwhenTammanyheartilysupportsacandidateitiswellfortheopposingcandidatetokeepasharplookoutforelectionfrauds。
ThecitygovernmentwasinthehandsofTammany；butIhadpowertoremovetheMayor，theSheriff，andtheDistrictAttorneyformalfeasanceormisfeasanceinoffice。SuchpowerhadnotbeenexercisedbyanypreviousGovernor，asfarasIknew；butitexisted，andifthemisfeasanceormalfeasancewarrantedit，andiftheGovernorpossessedtherequisitedetermination，thepowercouldbe，andoughttobe，exercised。
ByanActoftheLegislature，aStateBureauofElectionshadbeencreatedinNewYorkCity，andaSuperintendentofElectionsappointedbytheGovernor。TheChiefoftheStateBureauofElectionswasJohnMcCullagh，formerlyinthePoliceDepartmentwhenIwasPoliceCommissioner。TheChiefofPoliceforthecitywasWilliamF。Devery，oneoftheTammanyleaders，whorepresentedinthePoliceDepartmentallthatIhadwarredagainstwhileCommissioner。OnNovember4DeverydirectedhissubordinatesinthePoliceDepartmenttodisregardtheorderswhichMcCullaghhadgiventohisdeputies，orderswhichwereessentialifweweretosecureanhonestelectioninthecity。IhadjustreturnedfromaWesterncampaigntrip，andwasatSagamoreHill。
IhadnodirectpoweroverDevery；buttheMayorhad；andIhadpowerovertheMayor。Accordingly，IatoncewrotetotheMayorofNewYork，totheSheriffofNewYork，andtotheDistrictAttorneyofNewYorkCountythefollowingletters：
TotheMayoroftheCityofNewYork。
Sir：MyattentionhasbeencalledtotheofficialorderissuedbyChiefofPoliceDevery，inwhichhedirectshissubordinatestodisregardtheChiefoftheStateElectionBureau，JohnMcCullagh，andhisdeputies。Unlessyouhavealreadytakenstepstosecuretherecallofthisorder，itisnecessaryformetopointoutthatIshallbeobligedtoholdyouresponsibleastheheadofthecitygovernmentfortheactionoftheChiefofPolice，ifitshouldresultinanybreachofthepeaceandintimidationoranycrimewhateveragainsttheelectionlaws。TheStateandcityauthoritiesshouldworktogether。IwillnotfailtocalltosummaryaccounteitherStateorcityauthorityintheeventofeitherbeingguiltyofintimidationorconnivanceatfraudoroffailuretoprotecteverylegalvoterinhisrights。Ithereforeherebynotifyyouthatintheeventofanywrong-doingfollowinguponthefailureimmediatelytorecallChiefDevery’sorder，oruponanyactionorinactiononthepartofChiefDevery，Imustnecessarilycallyoutoaccount。
Yours，etc。，LT。
TotheSheriffoftheCountyofNewYork。
Sir：MyattentionhasbeencalledtotheofficialorderissuedbyChiefofPoliceDeveryinwhichhedirectshissubordinatestodisregardtheChiefoftheStateElectionBureau，JohnMcCullagh，andhisdeputies。
Itisyourdutytoassistintheorderlyenforcementofthelaw，andIshallholdyoustrictlyresponsibleforanybreachofthepublicpeacewithinyourcounty，orforanyfailureonyourparttodoyourfulldutyinconnectionwiththeelectionto-morrow。
TotheDistrictAttorneyoftheCountyofNewYork。
Sir：MyattentionhasbeencalledtotheofficialorderissuedbyChiefofPoliceDevery，inwhichhedirectshissubordinatestodisregardtheChiefoftheStateElectionBureau，JohnMcCullagh，andhisdeputies。
InviewofthisorderIcallyourattentiontothefactthatitisyourdutytoassistintheorderlyenforcementofthelaw，andtheremustbenofailureonyourparttodoyourfulldutyinthematter。
Yourstruly，THEODOREROOSEVELT。
Theselettershadthedesiredeffect。TheMayorpromptlyrequiredChiefDeverytorescindtheobnoxiousorder，whichwasaspromptlydone。TheSheriffalsotookpromptaction。TheDistrictAttorneyrefusedtoheedmyletter，andassumedanattitudeofdefiance，andI
removedhimfromoffice。OnelectiondaytherewasnoclashbetweenthecityandStateauthorities；theelectionwasorderlyandhonest。
APPENDIXA
CONSERVATION
AsforeshadowingthecourseIlater，asPresident，followedinthismatter，IgiveextractsfromoneofmyletterstotheCommission，andfrommysecond(andlast)AnnualMessage。Ispentthefirstmonthsofmytermininvestigationstofindoutjustwhatthesituationwas。
OnNovember28，1899，IwrotetotheCommissionasfollows：
“……Ihavehadverymanycomplaintsbeforethisastotheinefficiencyofthegamewardensandgameprotectors，thecomplaintsusuallytakingtheformthatthemenhavebeenappointedandareretainedwithoutdueregardtothedutiestobeperformed。Idonotwishamantoberetainedorappointedwhoisnotthoroughlyfittoperformthedutiesofgameprotector。TheAdirondacksareentitledtoapeculiarshareoftheCommission’sattention，bothfromthestandpointofforestry，andfromthelessimportant，butstillveryimportant，standpointofgameandfishprotection。ThemenwhododutyasgameprotectorsintheAdirondacksshould，bypreference，beappointedfromthelocalityitself，andshouldinallcasesbethoroughwoodsmen。Themerefactthatagameprotectorhastohireaguidetopilothimthroughthewoodsisenoughtoshowhisunfitnessfortheposition。Iwantasgameprotectorsmenofcourage，resolution，andhardihood，whocanhandletherifle，ax，andpaddle；whocancampoutinsummerorwinter；whocangoonsnow-shoes，ifnecessary；whocangothroughthewoodsbydayorbynightwithoutregardtotrails。
“Ishouldlikefullinformationaboutallyouremployees，astotheircapacities，astothelabortheyperform，astotheirdistributionfromandwheretheydotheirwork。”
Manyofthemenhithertoappointedowedtheirpositionsprincipallytopoliticalpreference。ThechangesIrecommendedwerepromptlymade，andmuchtothegoodofthepublicservice。InmyAnnualMessage，inJanuary，1900，Isaid：
“Greatprogresshasbeenmadethroughthefishhatcheriesinthepropagationofvaluablefoodandsportingfish。Thelawsfortheprotectionofdeerhaveresultedintheirincrease。Nevertheless，asrailroadstendtoencroachonthewilderness，thetemptationtoillegalhuntingbecomesgreater，andthedangerfromforestfiresincreases。Thereisneedofgreatimprovementbothinourlawsandintheiradministration。Thegamewardenshavebeentoofewinnumber。Moreshouldbeprovided。Nonesavefitmenmustbeappointed；andtheirretentioninofficemustdependpurelyuponthezeal，ability，andefficiencywithwhichtheyperformtheirduties。Thegamewardensintheforestsmustbewoodsmen；andtheyshouldhavenooutsidebusiness。Inshort，thereshouldbeathoroughreorganizationoftheworkoftheCommission。AcarefulstudyoftheresourcesandconditionoftheforestsonStatelandmustbemade。ItiscertainlynottoomuchtoexpectthattheStateforestsshouldbemanagedasefficientlyastheforestsonprivatelandsinthesameneighborhoods。Andthemeasureofdifferenceinefficiencyofmanagementmustbethemeasureofcondemnationorpraiseofthewaythepublicforestshavebeenmanaged。
“ThesubjectofforestpreservationisoftheutmostimportancetotheState。TheAdirondacksandCatskillsshouldbegreatparkskeptinperpetuityforthebenefitandenjoymentofourpeople。
Muchhasbeendoneoflateyearstowardstheirpreservation，butverymuchremainstobedone。Theprovisionsoflawinreferencetosawmillsandwood-pulpmillsaredefectiveandshouldbechangedsoastoprohibitdumpingdye-stuff，sawdust，ortan-bark，inanyamountwhatsoever，intothestreams。Reservoirsshouldbemade，butnotwheretheywilltendtodestroylargesectionsoftheforest，andonlyafteracarefulandscientificstudyofthewaterresourcesoftheregion。Thepeopleoftheforestregionsarethemselvesgrowingmoreandmoretorealizethenecessityofpreservingboththetreesandthegame。Alivedeerinthewoodswillattracttotheneighborhoodtentimesthemoneythatcouldbeobtainedforthedeer’sdeadcarcass。TimbertheftontheStatelandsis，ofcourse，agraveoffenseagainstthewholepublic。
“Hardyoutdoorsports，likehunting，areinthemselvesofnosmallvaluetotheNationalcharacterandshouldbeencouragedineveryway。Menwhogointothewilderness，indeed，menwhotakepartinanyfieldsportswithhorseorrifle，receiveabenefitwhichcanhardlybegivenbyeventhemostvigorousathleticgames。
