From this congenial ranch life he was recalled, in 1887, by the news that he was to be nominated for mayor of New York. In this contest be was defeated by Abram S. Hewitt. In May, 1889, President Harrison appointed him one of the three National Civil Service Reform Commissioners, to reside in Washington, District of Columbia, and he served as president of the commission, strongly advocating and vigorously administering and defending the reforms. He continued to hold this position under President Cleveland until May, 1895, when he resigned it to accept the position of police commissioner of New York city. In accepting his resignation President Cleveland thus wrote him: "You are certainly to be congratulated upon the extent and permanency of civil service reform methods which you have so substantially aided in bringing about. The struggle for its firm establishment and recognition is past. Its faithful application and reasonable expansion remain subjects of deep interest to all who really desire the best attainable public service."
He at once entered on his new duties as Police Commissioner of New York city, under the administration of Mayor Strong, and was president of the bi-partisan Police Board, 1895-97. His work in enforcing laws already on the statute book, but which had purposely been ignored by the combination of politicians and saloon-keepers, is a record of the fearless unearthing of a state of things in that city most corrupt and most corrupting. His reply to those who urged him to use greater discretion was, "there was nothing about discretion in my oath of office," and he quoted to them Lincoln's words: "Let reverence of law be taught in schools and colleges, be written in primers and spelling books, be published from pulpits, and proclaimed in legislative houses, and enforced in courts of justice; in short, let it become the political religion of the nation."
His term of office was filled with efforts, in every direction in which he had any power, for the purification of politics. His reform of the police force, the war, which as a member of the Board of Health, he waged upon the proprietors of slum-tenements, his wise conferences with laboring men, all indicated his great desire to benefit the city, while they showed his courage, good judgment, efficiency and goodness of heart.
His appointment by President McKinley as assistant secretary of the navy, in April, 1897, put him in a position in which he was able to do a great work for the country in preparing the navy for
