to speak to him. In that way he could have done nothing for the
good of the State; he could have spent his term in fighting Platt,
made a great show of independence and reform, but, in point of
fact, advanced the cause of good government not an inch. All of
his proposals would have been blocked by Platt's men in the
Legislature.

Instead, he acted in accord with the facts as they were; not as if
they were the way he would have liked them to be. If Platt could
not rule he could ruin. So the Governor treated him politely, and
only disagreed with him when the Boss proposed something actually
bad. For instance, there was a most important officer, the
Superintendent of Public Works, to be appointed. Senator Platt
informed Governor Roosevelt that a certain man had been chosen; he
showed him the telegram with the man's acceptance. Roosevelt said,
quietly, something like this:

"I think not, Senator. The Governor appoints that officer, and I
am the Governor."

Platt was very angry; Roosevelt refused to get angry, but stuck to
his decision, and made his own choice. Things like this happened
again and again, during the two years while Roosevelt was Governor
of New York.

Every honorable man in American politics has to fight against this
evil of the Boss. Officeholders, Presidents and Governors, come
and go, but the Bosses hold their power for a long time. So long
as they exist it is not wise for us to talk too much about Kings
and their tyranny. For a Boss is very like a King. Platt and