theodore roosevelt-第37节

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In　spite　of　the　first　rebuff；　therefore；　he　persuaded　the　miners　and　the　operators　to　agree　to　the　appointment　of　an　arbitration　commission；　and　this　suggested　a　settlement　which　both　contestants　accepted。　It　ended　the　great　coal　strike　of　1902；　but　it　left　behind　it　much　indignation　among　the　American　people；　who　realized　for　the　first　time　that　one　of　the　three　or　four　great　industries　essential　to　the　welfare　and　even　to　the　life　itself　of　the　Nation；　was　in　the　hands　of　men　who　preferred　their　selfish　interests　to　those　of　the　Nation。　It　taught　several　other　lessons　also；　it　taught；　for　instance；　that　great　combinations　of　Labor　may　be　as　dangerous　as　those　of　Capital；　and　as　heedless　of　everything　except　their　own　selfish　control。　It　taught　that　the　people　of　the　States　and　of　the　Nation　could　not　go　on　forever　without　taking　steps　to　put　an　end　to　the　already　dangerous　hostility　between　Capital　and　Labor；　and　that　that　end　must　be　the　establishment　of　justice　for　all。　An　apologist　of　the　〃coal　barons〃　might　have　pleaded　that　they　held　out　not　merely　for　their　private　gain　on　that　occasion；　but　in　order　to　defeat　the　growing　menace　of　Labor。　Their　stubbornness　might　turn　back　the　rising　flood　of　socialism。

Respecters　of　legal　precedent；　on　the　other　hand；　criticised　the　President。　They　acknowledged　his　good　intentions；　but　they　pointed　out　that　his　extra…legal　interference　set　an　ominously　bad　example。　And　some　of　them　would　have　preferred　to　go　cold　all　winter；　and　even　to　have　had　the　quarrel　sink　into　civil　war；　rather　than　to　have　had　the　constitutional　ideals　of　the　Nation　distorted　or　obscured　by　the　President's　good…natured　endeavor。　Roosevelt　himself；　however；　never　held　this　opinion。　In　1915；　he　wrote　to　Mr。　Washburn：　〃I　think　the　settlement　of　the　coal　strike　was　much　the　most　important　thing　I　did　about　Labor；　from　every　standpoint。〃

I　find　an　intimate　letter　of　his　which　dates　from　the　time　of　the　conflict　itself　and　gives　frankly　his　motives　and　apology；　if　we　should　call　it　that。　He　admits　that　his　action　was　not　strictly　legal；　but　he　asks　that；　if　the　President　of　the　United　States　may　not　intervene　to　prevent　a　widespread　calamity；　what　is　his　authority　worth？　If　it　had　been　a　national　strike　of　iron…workers　or　miners；　he　would　have　held　himself　aloof；　but　the　coal　strike　affected　a　product　necessary　to　the　life　and　health　of　the　people。　It　was　easy　enough　for　well…to…do　gentlemen　to　say　that　they　had　rather　go　cold　and　see　the　fight　carried。　through　until　the　strikers　submitted；　than　to　have　legal　precedence　ignored；　for　these　gentlemen　had　money　enough　to　buy　fuel　at　even　an　exorbitant　price；　and　they　would　be　warm　anyway；　while　the　great　mass　of　the　population　froze。　I　may　add　that　it　seems　more　legal　than　sensible　that　any　official　chosen　to　preserve　the　public　welfare　and　health　should　not　be　allowed　to　interpose　against　persons　who　would　destroy　both；　and　may　stir　only　after　the　destroyers　have　caused　the　catastrophe　they　aimed　at。

Roosevelt's　action　in　the　great　coal　strike　not　only　averted　the　danger；　but　it　also　gave　Labor　means　of　judging　him　fairly。　Every　demagogue；　from　the　days　of　Cleon　down；　has　talked　glibly　in　behalf　of　the　downtrodden　or　unjustly　treated　working…men；　and　we　might　suppose　that　the　demagogue　has　acquired　enlargement　of　the　heart；　owing　to　his　overpowering　sympathy　with　Labor。　But　the　questions　we　have　to　ask　about　demagogues　are　two：　Is　he　sincere？　Is　he　wise？

Sincerity　alone　has　been　rather　too　much　exalted　as　an　excuse　for　the　follies　and　crimes　of　fanatics　and　zealots；　blatherskites　and　cranks。　Some　of　our　〃lunatic　fringe〃　of　reformers　have　been　heard　to　palliate　the　Huns'　atrocities　in　Belgium；　by　the　plea：　〃Ah；　but　they　were　so　perfectly　sincere！〃　Sincerity　alone；　therefore；　is　not　enough；　it　must　be　wise　or　it　may　be　diabolical。　Now　Roosevelt　was　both　sincere　and　wise。　He　left　no　doubt　in　the　strikers'　minds　that　he　sympathized　with　their　sufferings　and　grievances　and　with　their　attempts　to　better　their　condition；　so　far　as　this　could　be　achieved　without　violence；　and　without　leaving　a　permanent　state　of　war　between　Labor　and　Capital。　In　a　word；　he　did　not　aim　at　merely　patching　up　a　temporary　peace；　but　at　finding；　and　when　found；　applying；　a　remedy　to　the　deep…rooted　causes　of　the　quarrel。

In　his　first　message　to　Congress；　the　new　President　said：　〃The　most　vital　problem　with　which　this　country；　and；　for　that　matter；　the　whole　civilized　world；　has　to　deal；　is　the　problem　which　has　for　one　side　the　betterment　of　social　conditions；　moral　and　physical；　in　large　cities；　and　for　another　side　the　effort　to　deal　with　that　tangle　of　far…reaching　questions　which　we　group　together　when　we　speak　of　'labor。'〃

By　his　settlement　of　the　coal　strike；　Roosevelt　showed　the　workers　that　he　would　practice　towards　them　the　justice　which　he　preached；　but　this　did　not　mean　that　he　would　be　unjust　towards　the　capitalists。　They；　too；　should　have　justice；　and　they　had　it。　He　never　intended　to　coddle　laborers　or　to　make　them　feel　that；　having　a　grievance；　as　they　alleged；　they　must　be　specially　favored。　Since　Labor　is；　or　should　be；　common　to　all　men；　Roosevelt　believed　that　every　laborer；　whether　farmer　or　mechanic；　employer　or　employee；　merchant　or　financier；　should　stand　erect　and　look　every　other　man　straight　in　the　eyes；　and　neither　look　up　nor　down；　but　with　level　gaze；　fearless；　uncringing；　uncondescending。　The　laws　he　proposed；　the　adjustments　he　arranged；　had　the　self…respect；　the　dignity；　of　the　individual；　for　their　aim。　He　knew　that　nothing　could　be　more　dangerous　to　the　public；　or　more　harmful　to　the　laboring　class　itself；　than　to　make　of　it　a　privileged　class；　absolved　from　the　obligations；　and　even　from　the　laws；　which　bound　the　rest　of　the　community。　By　this　ideal　he　set　a　great　gulf　between　himself　and　the　demagogues　who　fawned　upon　Labor　and　corrupted　it　by　granting　its　unjust　demands。

He　had　always　present　before　him　a　vision　of　the　sacred　Oneness　of　the　body　politic。　This　made　him　the　greatest　of　modern　Democrats；　and　the　chief　interpreter；　as　it　seems　to　me；　of　the　highest　ideal　of　American　Democracy。　The　ideal　of　Oneness　can　never　be　realized　in　a　State　which　permits　a　single　class　to　enjoy　privileges　of　its　own　at　the　expense　of　all　other　classes；　and　it　makes　no　difference　whether　this　class　belongs　to　the　Proletariat　or　to　the　Plutocracy。　Equality　before　the　law；　and　justice；　are　the　two　eternal　instruments　for　establishing　the　true　Democracy。　And　I　do　not　recall　that　in　any　of　the　measures　which　Roosevelt　supported　these　two　vital　principles　were　violated。　The　following　brief　quotations　from　later　messages　summarize　his　creed：

'In　the　vast　and　complicated　mechanism　of　our　modern　civilized　life；　the　dominant　note　is　the　note　of　industrialism；　and　the　relations　of　capital　and　labor；　and　especially　of　organized　capital　and　organized　labor；　to　each　other；　and　to　the　public　at　large；　come　second　in　importance　only　to　the　intimate　questions　of　family　life。'

The　corporation　has　come　to　stay；　just　as　the　trade　union　has　come　to　stay。　Each　can　do　and　has　done　great　good。　Each　should　be　favored　as　long　as　it　does　good；　but　each　should　be　sharply　checked　where　it　acts　against　law　and　justice。

Any　one　can　profess　a　creed；　Theodore　Roosevelt　lived　his。

Nothing　better　tested　his　impartiality　than　the　strike　of　the　Federation　of　Western　Miners　in　1907。　Many　murders　and　much　violence　were　attributed　to　this　organization　and　they　were　charged　with　assassinating　Governor　Steunenberg　of　Idaho。　Their　leaders；　Moyer　and　Haywood；　were　anarchists　like　themselves；　and　although　they　professed　contempt　for　law；　as　soon　as　they　were　arrested　and　brought　up　for　trial；　they　clutched　at　every　quibble　of　the　law；　as　drowning　men　clutch　at　straws　to　save　them；　and；　be　it　said　to　the　glory　or　shame　of　the　law；　it　furnished　enough　quibbles；　not　only　to　save　them　from　the　gallows；　but　to　let　them　loose　again　on　society　with　the　legal　whitewash　〃not　guilty〃　stamped　upon　them。

Roosevelt　understood　the　great　importance　of　punishing　these　men；　and　he　committed　the　indiscretion　of　classing　them　with　certain　big　capitalists　as　〃undesirable　citizens。〃　Members　of　the　Federation　then　wrote　him　denouncing　his　attempt　to　prejudice　the　courts　against　Moyer　and　Haywood；　and　they　resented　that　their　leaders　should　be　coupled　with　Harriman　and　other　big　capitalists　as　〃undesirable　citizens。〃　This　gave　the　President　the　opportunity　to　reply　that　such　criticism　did　not　come　appropriately　from　the　Federation；　for　they　and　their　supporters　had　got　up　parades；　mass…meetings；　and　petitions　in　favor　of　Moyer　and　Haywood　and　for　the　direct　purpose　of　intimidating　the　court　and　jury。　〃You　want；〃　he　said　in　substance；　〃the　square　deal　for　the　defendants　only。　I　want　the　square　deal　for　every　one〃；　and　he　added；　〃It　is　equally　a　violation　of　the　policy　of　the　square　deal　for　a　capitalist　to　protest　against　denunciation　of　a　capitalist　who　is　guilty　of　wrongdoing　and　for　a　labor　leader　to　pro　test　against　the　denunciation　of　a　labor　leader　who　has　been　guilty　of　wrongdoing。〃　*

*　Autobiography；　531。


But　Moyer　and　Haywood；　as　I　have　said；　escaped　punishment；　and　before　long　Haywood　reappeared　a