theodore roosevelt-第44节

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derful　spokesman　of　Federalism；　the　champion　of　a　strong　Government　which　should　be　beneficent　because　it　was　unselfish　and　enlightened；　captivated　and　filled　him。　In　1886；　in　his　Life　of　Benton；　he　wrote：　〃Free　traders　are　apt　to　look　at　the　tariff　from　a　sentimental　standpoint；　but　it　is　in　reality　a　purely　business　matter　and　should　be　decided　solely　on　grounds　of　expediency。　Political　economists　have　pretty　generally　agreed　that　protection　is　vicious　in　theory　and　harmful　in　practice；　but　if　the　majority　of　the　people　in　interest　wish　it；　and　it　affects　only　themselves；　there　is　no　earthly　reason　why　they　should　not　be　allowed　to　try　the　experiment　to　their　heart's　content。〃　*

*　Roosevelt：　Thomas　H。　Benton；　67。　American　Statesmen　Series。


Perhaps　we　ought　to　infer　from　this　extract　that　Roosevelt；　as　an　historical　critic；　strove　to　preserve　an　open　mind；　as　an　ardent　Republican；　however；　he　never　wavered　in　his　support　of　the　tariff。　Even　his　sense　of　humor　permitted　him　to　swallow　with　out　a　smile　the　demagogue's　cant　about　〃infant　industries；〃　or　the　raising　of　the　tariff　after　election　by　the　Republicans　who　had　promised　to　reduce　it。　To　those　of　us　who　for　many　years　regarded　the　tariff　as　the　dividing　line　between　the　parties；　his　stand　was　most　disappointing。　And　when　the　head　of　one　of　the　chief　Trusts　in　America　cynically　blurted　out；　〃The　Tariff　is　the　mother　of　Trusts；〃　we　hoped　that　Roosevelt；　who　had　then　begun　his　stupendous　battle　with　the　Trusts；　would　deal　them　a　staggering　blow　by　shattering　the　tariff。　But；　greatly　to　our　chagrin；　he　did　nothing。

His　enemies　tried　to　explain　his　callousness　to　this　reform　by　hinting　that　he　had　some　personal　interest　at　stake；　or　that　he　was　under　obligations　to　tariff　magnates。　Nothing　could　be　more　absurd　than　these　innuendoes；　from　the　first　of　his　career　to　the　last；　no　man　ever　brought　proof　that　he　had　directly　or　indirectly　secured　Roosevelt's　backing　by　question　able　means。　And　there　were　times　enough　when　passions　ran　so　high　that　any　one　who　could　produce　an　iota　of　such　testimony　would　have　done　so。　The　simple　fact　is；　that　in　looking　over　the　field　of　important　questions　which　Roosevelt　believed　must　be　met　by　new　legislation；　he　looked　on　the　tariff　as　unimportant　in　comparison　with　railroads；　and　conservation；　and　the　measures　for　public　health。　I　think；　also；　that　he　never　studied　the　question　thoroughly；　he　threw　over　Mill's　Individualism　early　in　his　public　career　and　with　it　went　Mill's　political　economy。　As　late　as　December；　1912；　after　the　affronting　Payne　Aldrich　Tariff　Act　had　been　passed　under　his　Republican　successor；　I　reminded　Roosevelt　that　I　had　never　voted　for　him　because　I　did　not　approve　of　his　tariff　policy。　To　which　he　replied；　almost　in　the　words　of　the　Benton　extract　in　1886；　〃My　dear　boy；　the　tariff　is　only　a　question　of　expediency。〃

In　this　field　also　I　fear　that　we　must　score　a　miss　against　him。

Cavour　used　to　say　that　he　did　not　need　to　resort　to　craft；　which　was　supposed　to　be　a　statesman's　favorite　instrument；　he　simply　told　the　truth　and　everybody　was　deceived。　Roosevelt　might　have　said　the　same　thing。　His　critics　were　always　on　the　look　out　for　some　ulterior　motive；　some　trick；　or　cunning　thrust；　in　what　he　did；　consequently　they　misjudged　him；　for　he　usually　did　the　most　direct　thing　in　the　most　direct　way。

The　Brownsville　Affair　proved　this。　On　the　night　of　August　13；　1906；　several　colored　soldiers　stationed　at　Fort　Brown；　Texas；　stole　from　their　quarters　into　the　near…by　town　of　Brownsville　and　shot　up　the　inhabitants；　against　whom　they　had　a　grudge。　As　soon　as　the　news　of　the　outbreak　reached　the　fort；　the　rest　of　the　colored　garrison　was　called　out　to　quell　it；　and　the　guilty　soldiers；　under　cover　of　darkness；　joined　their　companions　and　were　undiscovered。　Next　day　the　commander　began　an　investigation；　but　as　none　of　the　culprits　confessed；　the　President　discharged　nearly　all　of　the　three　companies。　There　upon　his　critics　insinuated　that　Roosevelt　had　indulged　his　race　hatred　of　the　blacks；　a　few　years　before；　many　of　these　same　critics　had　accused　him　of　wishing　to　insult　the　Southern　whites　by　inviting　Booker　Washington　to　lunch。　The　reason　for　his　action　with　the　Brownsville　criminals　was　so　clear　that　it　did　not　need　to　be　stated。　He　intended　that　every　soldier　or　sailor　who　wore　the　uniform　of　the　United　States；　be　he　white；　yellow；　or　black；　should　not　be　allowed　to　sully　that　uniform　and　go　unpunished。　He　felt　the　stain　on　the　service　keenly；　in　spite　of　denunciation　he　trusted　that　the　common　sense　of　the　Nation　would　eventually　uphold　him；　as　it　did。

A　few　months　later　he　came　to　Cambridge　to　make　his　famous　〃Mollycoddle　Speech；〃　and　in　greeting　him；　three　or　four　of　us　asked　him　jokingly；　〃How　about　Brownsville？〃　〃Brownsville？〃　he　replied；　laughing；　〃Brownsville　will　soon　be　forgotten；　but　'Dear　Maria'　will　stick　to　me　all　my　life。〃　This　referred　to　another　annoyance　which　had　recently　bothered　him。　He　had　always　been　used　to　talk　among　friends　about　public　matters　and　persons　with　amazing　unreserve。　He　took　it　for　granted　that　those　to　whom　he　spoke　would　regard　his　frank　remarks　as　confidential；　being　honorable　himself；　he　assumed　a　similar　sense　of　honor　in　his　listeners。　In　one　instance；　however；　he　was　deceived。　Among　the　guests　at　the　White　House　were　a　gentleman　and　his　wife。　The　latter　was　a　convert　to　Roman　Catholicism；　and　she　had　not　only　all　the　proverbial　zeal　of　a　convert；　but　an　amount　of　indiscretion　which　seems　incredible　in　any　one。　She　often　led　the　conversation　to　Roman　Catholic　subjects；　and　especially　to　the　discussion　of　who　was　likely　to　be　the　next　American　Cardinal。　President　Roosevelt　had　great　respect　for　Archbishop　Ireland；　and　he　said；　frankly；　that　he　should　be　glad　to　see　the　red　hat　go　to　him。　The　lady's　husband　was　appointed　to　a　foreign　Embassy；　and　they　were　both　soon　thrown　into　an　Ultramontane　atmosphere；　where　clerical　intrigues　had　long　furnished　one　of　the　chief　amusements　of　a　vapid　and　corrupt　Court。　The　lady；　who；　of　course；　could　not　have　realized　the　impropriety；　made　known　the　President's　regard　for　Archbishop　Ireland。　She　even　had　letters　to　herself　beginning　〃Dear　Maria；〃　to　prove　the　intimate　terms　on　which　she　and　her　husband　stood　with　Mr。　Roosevelt；　and　to　suggest　how　important　a　personage　she　was　in　his　estimation。　Assured；　as　she　thought；　of　her　influence　in　Washington；　she　seems　also　to　have　aspired　to　equal　influence　in　the　Vatican。　That　would　not　be　the　first　occasion　on　which　Cardinals'　hats　had　been　bestowed　through　the　benign　feminine　intercession。　Reports　from　Rome　were　favorable；　Archbishop　Ireland's　prospects　looked　rosy。

But　the　post　of　Cardinal　is　so　eminent　that　there　are　always　several　candidates　for　each　vacancy。　I　do　not　know　whether　or　not　it　came　about　through　one　of　Archbishop　Ireland's　rivals；　or　through　〃Dear　Maria's〃　own　indiscretion；　but　the　fact　leaked　out　that　President　Roosevelt　was　personally　interested　in　Archbishop　Ireland's　success。　That　settled　the　Archbishop。　The　Hierarchy　would　never　consent　to　be　influenced　by　an　American　President；　who　was　also　a　Protestant。　It　might　take　instructions　from　the　Emperor　of　Austria　or　the　King　of　Spain；　it　had　even　allowed　the　German　Kaiser；　also　a　Protestant；　indirectly　but　effectually　to　block　the　election　of　Cardinal　Rampolla　to　be　Pope　in　1903；　but　the　hint　that　the　Archbishop　of　St。　Paul；　Minnesota；　might　be　made　Cardinal　because　the　American　President　respected　him；　could　not　be　tolerated。　The　President's　letters　beginning　〃Dear　Maria〃　went　gayly　through　the　newspapers　of　the　world；　and　the　man　in　the　street　everywhere　wondered　how　Roosevelt　could　have　been　so　indiscreet　as　to　have　trusted　so　imprudent　a　zealot。　〃Dear　Maria〃　and　her　husband　were　recalled　from　their　Embassy　and　put　out　of　reach　of　committing　further　indiscretions　of　that　sort。　Archbishop　Ireland　never　became　Cardinal。　In　spite　of　the　President's　forebodings；　the　〃Dear　Maria〃　incident　did　not　cling　to　him　all　his　life；　but　sank　into　oblivion；　while　the　world；　busied　with　matters　of　real　importance；　rushed　on　towards　a　great　catastrophe。　Proofs　that　a　man　or　a　woman　can　do　very　foolish　things　are　so　common　that　〃Dear　Maria〃　could　not　win　lasting　fame　by　hers。　I　do　not　think；　however；　that　this　experience　taught　Roosevelt　reticence。　He　did　not　lose　his　faith　that　a　sense　of　honor　was　widespread；　and　would　silence　the　tongues　of　the　persons　whom　he　talked　to　in　confidence。

No　President　ever　spoke　so　openly　to　newspaper　men　as　he　did。　He　told　them　many　a　secret　with　only　the　warning；　〃Mind；　this　is　private；〃　and　none　of　them　betrayed　him。　When　he　entered　the　White　House　he　gathered　all　the　newspaper　men　round　him；　and　said　that　no　mention　was　to　be　made　of　Mrs。　Roosevelt；　or　of　any　detail　of　their　family　life；　while　they　lived　there。　If　this　rule　were　broken；　he　would　refuse　for　the　rest　of　his　term　to　allow　the　representative　of　the　paper　which　published　the　unwarranted　report　to　enter　the　White　House；　or　to　receive　any　of　the　President's　communications。　This　rule　also　was　religiously　observed；　with　the　result　that　Mrs。　Roosevelt　was　spared　the　disgust　and　indignity　of　a　vulgar　publicity；　which　had　thrown　its　luri