FDR's inspiration to enter politics was the success of
his cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, who became president when Franklin
was still in school. While was a law clerk after graduation from
Columbia, FDR boasted to his coworkers that he had already planned
his path to the presidency, a path that greatly resembled his relative's. Indeed,
politics came calling even before Roosevelt had a chance to act
on his own. John Mack, the Democratic District Attorney in New York,
came to the office to get some papers signed and offered Roosevelt
the chance to run for the Assembly Seat that would be left vacant
when a current Assembly member ran for State Senator. FDR was so
elated by the opportunity that when the Assembly member decided
to stay in his position, he ran for the State Senate seat himself.
Roosevelt was a staunch Democrat, like his father, although he had
voted for Uncle Ted in his last election. He rented a Maxwell touring
car and campaigned all around the state with Richard Connell, an
inspired speaker and perennial Democratic candidate for the congressional
seat held by Republican Hamilton Fish. They stopped and spoke to
every man they saw in their drive through the rural areas of this
district of New York.
Roosevelt defeated the incumbent 15,708 to 14,658, running ahead
of him in the rural areas where he had campaigned so enthusiastically.
FDR had won, but his win was a part of a Democratic landslide all
over the state. Even Dick Connell, who had campaigned unsuccessfully
for many years, won the seat that he had pursued for so long. Roosevelt's
first victory was as much a reflection of his good luck as his
hard work: the Republican Party, having split into two because
of Teddy Roosevelt's clash with Taft's policies in office, did not
put up a good fight in New York. This brand of sheer luck was to
follow FDR throughout his political career, helping him to always
be in the right place at the right time.
In office, FDR was immediately singled out from the other
new politicians because of the power of the Roosevelt name and
wealth. He bought a house within walking distance of the capital,
suitable for entertaining as well as for accommodating his whole
family–something most young legislators could not afford. FDR made headlines
almost immediately upon entering office by fighting the Tammany
Hall bosses who had control over the politics of New York. He went
against their choice for U.S. Senator, William Sheehan. FDR was
elected chairperson of the insurgents, who refused to vote in the
caucus for Senator, on the principle that their votes would be
smothered in the caucus.
FDR received national attention for his role in the fight,
especially from Woodrow Wilson, who was fighting a similar battle
as governor of New Jersey. Teddy Roosevelt and the New
York Times also took kindly to FDR's role in the affair.
The insurgents nonetheless faced a great deal of resistance in their
fight against Tammany Hall, and it was expensive for Congress to
be in session without accomplishing anything. All former patronage
was now denied them. Charges were made that they were anti-Irish
and anti-Catholic. Poorer legislators were threatened with called
loans and foreclosures. Eventually, Tammany Hall's Boss Murphy
outwitted the insurgents. He submitted the name of the former Supreme
Court Justice James O'Gorman, who was a leader in Tammany Hall,
for the Senatorial seat, thus replacing the old candidate with someone who
was more an enemy to Progressive Democrats than the original candidate.
Despite the obvious win for the Tammany Hall bosses, the affair
was still remembered by his associates and by the public as an
episode in which FDR "twisted the tail of the Tammany tiger," a testimony
to his political savvy.
