We can afford to leave that to Philadelphia, where common sense
appears to be drowned in it.
I had it out with them at last all together. When I have told of
it let the whole wretched thing depart and be gone for good. It was
after Roosevelt had gone away. That he was not there was no bar to
almost daily attacks on him, under which I chafed, sitting at the
meetings as a reporter. I knew right well they were intended to
provoke me to an explosion that might have given grounds for annoying
me, and I kept my temper until one day, when, the subject of dives
being mentioned, Commissioner Parker drawled, with the reporter
from the soup journal whispering in his ear:--
"Was not--er-r--that the place where--er--r--Mr. Roosevelt went to
see a show with his friend?"
He was careful not to look in my direction, but the reporter did,
and I leaped at the challenge. I waited until the Board had formally
adjourned, then halted it as Mr. Parker was trying to escape. I
do not now remember what I said. It would not make calm reading, I
suspect. It was the truth, anyhow, and came pretty near being the
whole truth.
Pages:
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382