theodore roosevelt-第38节

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*　Autobiography；　531。


But　Moyer　and　Haywood；　as　I　have　said；　escaped　punishment；　and　before　long　Haywood　reappeared　as　leader　of　the　Industrial　Workers　of　the　World；　an　anarchistic　body　with　a　comically　inappropriate　name　for　its　members　objected　to　nothing　so　much　as　to　industry　and　work。　The　I。W。W。；　as　they　have　been　known　for　short；　have　consistently　preached　violence　and　〃action；〃　by　which　they　might　take　for　themselves　the　savings　and　wealth　of　others　as　a　means　to　enable　them　to　do　no　work。　And　some　of　the　recent　strikes　which　have　brought　the　greatest　misery　upon　the　laborers　whom　they　misled；　have　been　directed　by　I。　W。　W。　leaders。

〃I　treated　anarchists　and　bomb…throwing　and　dynamiting　gentry　precisely　as　I　treated　other　criminals；〃　Roosevelt　writes：　〃Murder　is　murder。　It　is　not　rendered　one　whit　better　by　the　allegation　that　it　is　committed　on　behalf　of　a　cause。〃　*　I　need　hardly　state　that　the　President　was　as　consistently　vigilant　to　prevent　labor　unions　from　persecuting　non…union　men　as　he　was　in　upholding　the　just　rights　of　the　union。

*　Autobiography；　532。


Consider　what　this　record　of　his　with　Capital　and　Labor　really　means。　The　social　conditions　in　the　United　States；　owing　to　the　immense　expansion　in　the　production　of　wealthan　expansion　which　included　the　invention　of　innumerable　machines　and　the　application；　largely　made　possible　by　immigration；　of　millions　of　laborershad　changed　rapidly；　and　had　brought　pressingly　to　the　front　novel　and　gigantic　industrial　and　financial　problems。　In　the　solution　of　these　problems　Justice　and　Equality　must　not　only　be　regarded；　but　must　play　the　determining　part。　Now；　Justice　and　Equality　were　beautiful　abstractions　which　could　be　praised　by　every　demagogue　without　laying　upon　him　any　obligation　except　that　of　dulcet　lip　service。　Every　American；　young　or　old；　had　heard　them　lauded　so　unlimitedly　that　he　did　not　trouble　himself　to　inquire　whether　they　were　facts　or　not；　they　were　words；　sonorous　and　pleasing　words；　which　made　his　heart　throb；　and　himself　feel　a　worthier　creature。　And　then　came　along　a　young　zealot；　mighty　in　physical　vigor　and　moral　energy；　who　believed　that　Justice　and　Equality　were　not　mere　abstractions；　were　not　mere　words　for　politicians　and　parsons　to　thrill　their　audiences　by；　but　were　realities；　duties；　which　every　man　in　a　Democracy　was　bound　to　revere　and　to　make　prevail。　And　he　urged　them　with　such　power　of　persuasion；　such　tirelessness；　such　titanic　zeal；　that　he　not　only　converted　the　masses　of　the　people　to　believe　in　them；　too；　but　he　also　made　the　legislators　of　the　country　understand　that　they　must　embody　these　principles　in　the　national　statute　book。　He　did　not　originate；　as　I　have　said；　all　or　most　of　the　reforms；　but　he　gave　ear　to　those　who　first　suggested　them；　and　his　enthusiasm　and　support　were　essential　to　their　adoption。　In　order　to　measure　the　magnitude　of　Roosevelt's　contribution　in　marking　deeply　the　main　principles　which　should　govern　the　New　Age；　we　need　only　remember　how　little　his　predecessor；　President　McKinley；　a　good　man　with　the　best　intentions；　either　realized　that　the　New　Age　was　at　hand；　or　thought　it　necessary　even　to　outline　the　principles　which　should　guide　it；　and　how　little　his　successor；　President　Taft；　a　most　amiable　man；　understood　that　the　New　Age；　with　the　Rooseveltian　reforms；　had　come　to　stay；　and　could　not　be　swept　back　by　actively　opposing　it　or　by　allowing　the　Rooseveltian　ideals　to　lapse。



CHAPTER　XVII。　ROOSEVELT　AT　HOME

Although　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　personally　known　to　more　people　of　the　United　States　than　any　other　President　has　been；　and　his　manners　and　quick　responsive　cordiality　made　multitudes　feel；　after　a　brief　sight　of　him；　or　after　shaking　his　hand；　that　they　were　old　acquaintances；　he　maintained　during　his　life　a　dignified　reticence　regarding　his　home　and　family。　But　now　that　he　is　dead　and　the　world　craves　eagerly；　but　not　irreverently；　to　know　as　much　as　it　can　about　his　many　sides；　I　feel　that　it　is　not　improper　to　say　something　about　that　intimate　side　which　was　in　some　respects　the　most　characteristic　of　all。

Early　in　the　eighties　he　bought　a　country　place　at　Oyster　Bay；　Long　Island；　and　on　the　top　of　a　hill　he　built　a　spacious　house。　There　was　a　legend　that　in　old　times　Indian　Chiefs　used　to　gather　there　to　hold　their　powwows；　at　any　rate；　the　name；　the　Sagamores'　Hill；　survived　them；　and　this　shortened　to　Sagamore　Hill　he　gave　to　his　home。　That　part　of　Long　Island　on　the　north　coast　overlooking　the　Sound　is　very　attractive；　it　is　a　country　of　hills　and　hollows；　with　groves　of　tall　trees；　and　open　fields　for　farming；　and　lawns　near　the　house。　You　look　down　on　Oyster　Bay　which　seems　to　be　a　small　lake　shut　in　by　the　curving　shore　at　the　farther　end。　From　the　house　you　see　the　Sound　and　the　hills　of　Connecticut　along　the　horizon。

After　the　death　of　his　first　wife　in　January；　1884；　Roosevelt　went　West　to　the　Bad　Lands　of　North　Dakota　where　he　lived　two　years　at　Medora；　on　a　ranch　which　he　owned；　and　there　he　endured　the　hardships　and　excitements　of　ranch　life　at　that　time；　acting　as　cow…puncher；　ranchman；　deputy　sheriff；　or　hunting　big　and　little　game；　or　writing　books　and　articles。　In　the　autumn　of　1886；　however；　having　been　urged　to　run　as　candidate　for　Mayor　of　New　York　City；　he　came　East　again。　He　made　a　vigorous　campaign；　but　having　two　opponents　against　him　he　was　beaten。　Then　he　took　a　trip　to　Europe　where　he　married　Miss　Edith　Kermit　Carow；　whom　he　had　known　in　New　York　since　childhood；　and　on　their　return　to　this　country；　they　settled　at　Sagamore　Hill。　Two　years　later；　when　President　Harrison　appointed　Roosevelt　a　Civil　Service　Commissioner；　they　moved　to　Washington。　There　they　lived　in　a　rather　small　house　at　1720　Jefferson　Place〃modest；〃　one　might　call　it；　in　comparison　with　the　modern　palaces　which　had　begun　to　spring　up　in　the　National　Capital；　but　people　go　to　a　house　for　the　sake　of　its　occupants　and　not　for　its　size　and　upholstery。

So　for　almost　six　years　pretty　nearly　everybody　worth　knowing　crossed　the　Roosevelts'　threshold；　and　they　themselves　quickly　took　their　place　in　Washington　society。　Roosevelt's　humor；　his　charm；　his　intensity；　his　approachableness；　attracted　even　those　who　rejected　his　politics　and　his　party。　Bright　sayings　cannot　be　stifled；　and　his　added　to　the　gayety　of　more　than　one　group。　He　was　too　discreet　to　give　utterance　to　them　all；　but　his　private　letters　at　that　time；　and　always；　glistened　with　his　remarks　on　public　characters。　He　said；　for　instance；　of　Senator　X；　whom　he　knew　in　Washington：　He　〃looks　like　Judas；　but　unlike　that　gentleman；　he　has　no　capacity　for　remorse。〃

When　the　Roosevelts　returned　to　New　York；　where　he　became　Police　Commissioner　in　1895；　they　made　their　home　again　at　Oyster　Bay。　This　was　thirty　miles　by　rail　from　the　city；　near　enough　to　be　easily　accessible；　but　far　enough　away　to　deter　the　visits　of　random；　curious；　undesired　callers。　Later；　when　automobiles　came　in；　Roosevelt　motored　to　and　from　town。　Mrs。　Roosevelt　looked　after　the　place　itself；　she　supervised　the　farming；　and　the　flower　gardens　were　her　especial　care。　The　children　were　now　growing　up；　and　from　the　time　when　they　could　toddle　they　took　their　placea　very　large　placein　the　life　of　the　home。　Roosevelt　described　the　intense　satisfaction　he　had　in　teaching　the　boys　what　his　father　had　taught　him。　As　soon　as　they　were　large　enough；　they　rode　their　horses；　they　sailed　on　the　Cove　and　out　into　the　Sound。　They　played　boys'　games；　and　through　him　they　learned　very　young　to　observe　nature。　In　his　college　days　he　had　intended　to　be　a　naturalist；　and　natural　history　remained　his　strong　est　avocation。　And　so　he　taught　his　children　to　know　the　birds　and　animals；　the　trees；　plants；　and　flowers　of　Oyster　Bay　and　its　neighborhood。　They　had　their　petsKermit；　one　of　the　boys；　carried　a　pet　rat　in　his　pocket。

Three　things　Roosevelt　required　of　them　all；　obedience；　manliness；　and　truthfulness。　And　I　imagine　that　all　these　virtues　were　taught　by　affection　and　example；　rather　than　by　constant　correction。　For　the　family　was　wholly　united；　they　did　everything　together；　the　children　had　no　better　fun　than　to　accompany　their　father　and　mother；　and　there　were　a　dozen　or　more　young　cousins　and　neighbors　who　went　out　with　them　too；　forming　a　large；　delighted　family　for　whom　〃Uncle〃　or　〃Cousin　Theodore　〃　was　leader　and　idol。　And　just　as　formerly；　in　the　long　winter　nights　on　his　ranch　at　Medora；　he　used　to　read　aloud　to　the　cowboys　and　hunters　of　what　was　then　the　Western　Wilderness；　so　at　Sagamore　Hill；　in　the　days　of　their　childhood；　he　read　or　told　stories　to　the　circle　of　boys　and　girls。

In　1901；　Mr。　Roosevelt　became　President；　and　for　seven　years　and　a　half　his　official　residence　was　the　White　House；　where　he　was　obliged　to　spend　most　of　the　year。　But　whenever　he　could　steal　away　for　a　few　days　he　sought　rest　and　recreation　at　Oyster　Bay；　and　there；　during　the　summers；　his　family　lived。　So　far　as　the　changed　conditions　permitted；　he　did　not　allow　his　official　duties　to　interfere　with　his　family　life。　〃One　of　the　most　wearing　things　about　being　President；〃　a　President　once　said　to　me；　〃is　the　incessant　publicity　of　it。　For　four　years　you　have　not　a　moment　to　y