theodore roosevelt-第23节

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y　as　a　whole　and　of　good　citizenship　generally。　It　is　not　the　business　of　a　Governor　to　〃carry　out　the　wishes　of　the　organization〃　unless　these　wishes　coincide　with　the　good　of　the　Party　and　of　the　State。　If　they　do；　then　he　ought　to　have　them　put　into　effect；　if　they　do　not；　then　as　a　matter　of　course　he　ought　to　disregard　them。　To　pursue　any　other　course　would　be　to　show　servility；　and　a　servile　man　is　always　an　undesirablenot　to　say　a　contemptiblepublic　servant。　A　Governor　should；　of　course；　try　in　good　faith　to　work　with　the　organization；　but　under　no　circumstances　should　he　be　servile　to　it；　or　〃carry　out　its　wishes〃　unless　his　own　best　judgment　is　that　they　ought　to　be　carried　out。　I　am　a　good　organization　man　myself；　as　I　understand　the　word　〃organization；〃　but　it　is　in　the　highest　degree　foolish　to　make　a　fetish　of　the　word　〃organization〃　and　to　treat　any　man　or　any　small　group　of　men　as　embodying　the　organization。　The　organization　should　strive　to　give　effective；　intelligent；　and　honest　leadership　to　and　representation　of　the　Republican　Party；　just　as　the　Republican　Party　strives　to　give　wise　and　upright　government　to　the　State。　When　what　I　have　said　ceases　to　be　true　of　either　organization　or　party；　it　means　that　the　organization　or　party　is　not　performing　its　duty；　and　is　losing　the　reason　for　its　existence。*

*　Washburn；　34…38。


Roosevelt's　independence　as　Governor　of　New　York；　and　the　very　important　reforms　which；　in　spite　of　the　Machine；　he　had　driven　through；　greatly　increased　his　personal　popularity　throughout　the　country。　To　citizens；　East　and　West；　who　knew　nothing　about　the　condition　of　the　factories；　canals；　and　insurance　institutions　in　New　York　State；　the　name　〃Roosevelt〃　stood　for　a　man　as　honest　as　he　was　energetic；　and　as　fearless　as　he　was　true。　Platt　and　the　Machine　naturally　wished　to　get　rid　of　this　marplot；　who　could　not　be　manipulated；　who　held　strange　and　subversive　ideas　as　to　the　extent　to　which　the　Ten　Commandments　and　the　Penal　Code　should　be　allowed　to　encroach　on　politics　and　Big　Business；　and　who　was　hopelessly　〃altruistic〃　in　caring　for　the　poor　and　down　trodden　and　outcast。　Even　Platt　knew　that；　while　it　would　not　be　safe　for　him　to　try　to　dominate　the　popular　hero　against　his　own　preference　and　that　of　the　public；　still　to　shelve　Roosevelt　in　the　office　of　Vice…President　would　bring　peace　to　the　sadly　disturbed　Boss；　and　would　restore　jobs　to　many　of　his　greedy　followers。　So　he　talked　up　the　Vice…Presidency　for　Roosevelt；　and　he　let　the　impression　circulate　that　in　the　autumn　there　would　be　a　new　Governor。

Roosevelt；　however；　repeated　to　many　persons　the　views　he　wrote　to　Platt　in　the　letter　quoted　above；　and　his　friends　and　opponents　both　understood　that　he　wished　to　continue　as　Governor　for　another　two　years；　to　carry　on　the　fight　against　corruption；　and　to　save　himself　from　being　laid　away　in　the　Vice　Presidencythe　receiving…tomb　of　many　ambitious　politicians。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　within　thirty…five　years；　by　the　assassination　of　two　Presidents；　two　Vice…Presidents　had　succeeded　to　the　highest　office　in　the　Nation；　Vice…Presidents　were　popularly　regarded　as　being　mere　phantoms　without　any　real　power　or　influence　as　long　as　their　term　lasted；　and　cut　off　from　all　hopes　in　the　future。　Roosevelt　himself　had　this　notion。　But　the　Presidential　conventions；　with　criminal　disregard　of　the　qualifications　of　a　candidate　to　perform　the　duties　of　President　if　accident　thrust　them　upon　him；　went　on　recklessly　nominating　nonentities　for　Vice…President。

The　following　extract　from　a　confidential　letter　by　John　Hay；　Secretary　of　State；　to　Mr。　Henry　White；　at　the　American　Embassy　in　London；　reveals　the　attitude　towards　Roosevelt　of　the　Administration　itself。　Allowance　must　be　made；　of　course；　for　Hay's　well…known　habit　of　persiflage：

HAY　TO　HENRY　WHITE

Teddy　has　been　here：　have　you　heard　of　it？　It　was　more　fun　than　a　goat。　He　came　down　with　a　sombre　resolution　thrown　on　his　strenuous　brow　to　let　McKinley　and　Hanna　know　once　for　all　that　he　would　not　be　Vice…President；　and　found　to　his　stupefaction　that　nobody　in　Washington；　except　Platt；　had　ever　dreamed　of　such　a　thing。　He　did　not　even　have　a　chance　to　launch　his　nolo　episcopari　at　the　Major。　That　statesman　said　he　did　not　want　him　on　the　ticketthat　he　would　be　far　more　valuable　in　New　York　and　Root　said；　with　his　frank　and　murderous　smile；　〃Of　course　notyou're　not　fit　for　it。〃　And　so　he　went　back　quite　eased　in　his　mind；　but　considerably　bruised　in　his　amour　propre。

In　February；　Roosevelt　issued　a　public　notice　that　he　would　not　consent　to　run　for　the　Vice…Presidency；　and　throughout　the　spring；　until　the　meeting　of　the　Republican　Convention　in　Philadelphia；　on　June　21st；　he　clung　to　that　determination。　Platt；　anxious　lest　Roosevelt　should　be　reelected　Governor　against　the　plans　of　the　Machine；　quietlyworked　up　a　〃boom〃　for　Roosevelt's　nomination　as　Vice…President；　and　he　connived　with　Quay　to　steer　the　Pennsylvania　delegation　in　the　same　direction。　The　delegates　met　and　renominated　McKinley　as　a　matter　of　course。　Then；　with　irresistible　pressure；　they　insisted　on　nominating　Roosevelt。　Swept　off　his　feet；　and　convinced　that　the　demand　came　genuinely　from　representatives　from　all　over　the　country；　he　accepted；　and　was　chosen　by　acclamation。　The　Boss…led　delegations　from　New　York　and　Pennsylvania　added　their　votes　to　those　of　the　real　Roosevelt　enthusiasts。

Happy；　pious　Tom　Platt；　relieved　from　the　nightmare　of　having　to　struggle　for　two　years　more　with　a　Reform　Governor　at　Albany！　Some　of　Roosevelt's　critics　construed　his　yielding；　at　the　last　moment；　as　evidence　of　his　being　ruled　by　Platt　after　all。　But　this　insinuation　collapsed　as　soon　as　the　facts　were　known。　As　an　episode　in　the　annals　of　political　sport；　I　should　like　to　have　had　Roosevelt　run　for　Governor　a　second　time；　defy　Platt　and　all　his　imps；　and　be　reelected。

As　I　have　just　quoted　Secretary　Hay's　sarcastic　remarks　on　the　possibility　that　Roosevelt　might　be　the　candidate　for　Vice…President；　I　will　add　this　extract　from　Hay's　note　to　the　successful　candidate　himself；　dated　June　21st：

As　it　is　all　over　but　the　shouting；　I　take　a　moment　of　this　cool　morning　of　the　longest　day　in　the　year　to　offer　you　my　cordial　congratulations　。。。。　You　have　received　the　greatest　compliment　the　country　could　pay　you；　and　although　it　was　not　precisely　what　you　and　your　friends　desire；　I　have　no　doubt　it　is　all　for　the　best。　Nothing　can　keep　you　from　doing　good　work　wherever　you　arenor　from　getting　lots　of　fun　out　of　it。*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　343。


The　Presidential　campaign　which　followed；　shook　the　country　only　a　little　less　than　that　of　1896　had　done。　For　William　J。　Bryan　was　again　the　Democratic　candidate；　honest　moneythe　gold　against　the　silver　standardwas　again　the　issuealthough　the　Spanish　War　had　injected　Imperialism　into　the　Republican　platformand　the　conservative　elements　were　still　anxious。　The　persistence　of　the　Free　Silver　heresy　and　of　Bryan's　hold　on　the　popular　imagination　alarmed　them；　for　it　seemed　to　contradict　the　hope　implied　in　Lincoln's　saying　that　you　can't　fool　all　the　people　all　the　time。　Here　was　a　demagogue；　who　had　been　exposed　and　beaten　four　years　before；　who　raised　his　heador　should　I　say　his　voice？with　increased　effrontery　and　to　an　equally　large　and　enthusiastic　audience。

Roosevelt　took　his　full　share　in　campaigning　for　the　Republican　ticket。　He　spoke　in　the　East　and　in　the　West；　and　for　the　first　time　the　people　of　many　of　the　States　heard　him　speak　and　saw　his　actual　presence。　His　attitude　as　a　speaker；　his　gestures；　the　way　in　which　his　pent…up　thoughts　seemed　almost　to　strangle　him　before　he　could　utter　them；　his　smile　showing　the　white　rows　of　teeth；　his　fist　clenched　as　if　to　strike　an　invisible　adversary；　the　sudden　dropping　of　his　voice；　and　leveling　of　his　forefinger　as　he　became　almost　conversational　in　tone；　and　seemed　to　address　special　individuals　in　the　crowd　before　him；　the　strokes　of　sarcasm；　stern　and　cutting；　and　the　swift　flashes　of　humor　which　set　the　great　multitude　in　a　roar；　became　in　that　summer　and　autumn　familiar　to　millions　of　his　countrymen；　and　the　cartoonists　made　his　features　and　gestures　familiar　to　many　other　millions。　On　his　Western　trip；　Roosevelt　for　a　companion　and　understudy　had　Curtis　Guild；　and　more　than　once　when　Roosevelt　lost　his　voice　completely；　Guild　had　to　speak　for　him。　Up　to　election　day　in　November；　the　Republicans　did　not　feel　confident；　but　when　the　votes　were　counted；　McKinley　had　a　plurality　of　over　830；000；　and　beat　Bryan　by　more　than　a　million。

By　an　absurd　and　bungling　practice；　which　obtains　in　our　political　life；　the　Administration　elected　in　November　does　not　take　office　until　the　following　March；　an　interval　which　permits　the　old　Administration；　often　beaten　and　discredited；　to　continue　in　office　for　four　months　after　the　people　have　turned　it　out。　As　we　have　lately　seen；　such　an　Administration　does　not　experience　a　death…bed　repentance；　but　employs　the　moratorium　to　rivet　upon　the　country　the　evil　policies　which　the　people　have　repudiated。　This　interval　Roosevelt　spent　in　finishing　his　work　as　Governor　of　New　York　State；　and　in　removing　to　Washington。　Then　he　had　a　foreta