theodore roosevelt-第45节

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Mrs。　Roosevelt　was　spared　the　disgust　and　indignity　of　a　vulgar　publicity；　which　had　thrown　its　lurid　light　on　more　than　one　〃First　Lady　of　the　Land〃　in　previous　administrations；　and　even　on　the　innocent　Baby　McKee；　President　Harrison's　grand…child。

We　cannot　too　often　bear　in　mind　that　Theodore　Roosevelt　never　forgot　the　Oneness　of　Society。　If　he　aimed　at　correcting　an　industrial　or　financial　abuse　by　special　laws。　he　knew　that　this　work　could　be　partial　only。　It　might　promote　the　health　of　the　entire　body；　but　it　was　not　equivalent　to　sanifying　that　entire　body。　There　was　no　general　remedy。　A　plaster　applied　to　a　skin　cut　does　not　cure　an　internal　disease。　But　he　watched　the　unexpected　effects　of　laws　and　saw　how　that　influence　spread　from　one　field　to　another。

Roosevelt　traced　closely　the　course　of　Law　and　Custom　to　their　ultimate　objects；　the　family　and　the　individual。　In　discussing　the　matter　with　Mr。　Rhodes　he　cordially　agreed　with　what　the　historian　said　about　our　American　rich　men。　He　insisted　that　the　same　thing　held　true　of　our　politicians；　even　the　worst：　that　the　average　Roman　rich　man；　like　the　average　Roman　public　man；　of　the　end　of　the　Republic　and　of　the　beginning　of　the　Empire；　makes　the　corresponding　man　of　our　own　time　look　like　a　self…denying；　conscientious　Puritan。　He　did　not　think　very　highly　of　the　American　multi…millionaire；　nor　of　his　wife；　sons；　and　daughters　when　compared　with　some　other　types　of　our　citizens；　even　in　ability　the　plutocrat　did　not　seem　to　Roosevelt　to　show　up　very　strongly　save　in　his　own　narrowly　limited　field；　and　he　and　his　womanhood；　and　those　of　less　fortune　who　modeled　their　lives　upon　his　and　upon　the　lives　of　his　wife　and　children；　struck　Roosevelt　as　taking　very　little　advantage　of　their　opportunities。　But　to　denounce　them　with　hysterical　exaggeration　as　resembling　the　unspeakable　tyrants　and　debauchees　of　classic　times；　was　simple　nonsense。　Roosevelt　hoped　he　had　been　of　some　assistance　in　moving　our　people　along　the　line　Mr。　Rhodes　mentioned；　that　is；　along　the　line　of　a　sane；　moderate　purpose　to　supervise　the　business　use　of　wealth　and　to　curb　its　excesses；　while　keeping　as　far　aloof　from　the　policy　of　the　visionary　and　demagogue　as　from　the　policy　of　the　wealthy　corruptionist。



CHAPTER　XIX。　CHOOSING　HIS　SUCCESSOR

Critics　frequently　remark　that　Roosevelt　was　the　most　masterful　politician　of　his　time；　and　what　we　have　already　seen　of　his　career　should　justify　this　assertion。　We　need；　however；　to　define　what　we　mean　by　〃politician。〃　Boss　Platt；　of　New　York；　was　a　politician；　but　far　removed　from　Roosevelt。　Platt　and　all　similar　dishonest　manipulators　of　votersand　the　dishonesty　took　many　formsheld　their　power；　not　by　principles；　but　by　exerting　an　unprincipled　influence　over　the　masses　who　supported　them。　Roosevelt；　on　the　other　hand；　was　a　great　politician　because　he　saw　earlier　than　most　men　certain　fundamental　principles　which　he　resolved　to　carry　through　whether　the　Bosses　or　their　supporters　liked　it　or　not。　In　a　word　he　believed　in　principles　rather　than　in　men。　He　was　a　statesman；　and　like　the　statesman　he　understood　that　half　a　loaf　is　often　better　than　no　bread　and　that；　though　he　must　often　compromise　and　conciliate；　he　must　surrender　nothing　essential。

As　a　result；　his　career　as　Assemblyman；　as　Civil　Service　Commissioner；　as　Police　Commissioner　of　New　York　City；　as　Governor　of　New　York　State；　and　as　President；　seems　a　continuous　rising　scale　of　success。　We　see　the　achievement　which　swallows　up　the　baffling　difficulties　and　the　stubborn　opposition。　These　we　must　always　remember　if　we　would　measure　the　extent　of　the　victory。　It　was　Roosevelt's　persistence　and　his　refusal　to　be　baffled　or　turned　aside　which　really　made　him　seem　to　triumph　in　all　his　work。

He　never　doubted；　as　I　have　often　said；　the　necessity　of　party　organization　in　our　political　system；　although　he　recognized　the　tendency　to　corruption　in　it；　the　unreasoning　loyalty　which　it　bred　and　its　substitution　of　Party　for　Country　in　its　teaching。　He　had　known　something　of　political　machine　methods　at　Albany。　After　he　became　President；　he　knew　them　through　and　through　as　they　were　practiced　on　national　proportions　at　Washington。　The　Machine　had　hoped　to　shelve　him　by　making　him　Vice　President；　and　in　spite　of　it　he　suddenly　emerged　as　President。　This　confrontation　would　have　been　embarrassing　on　both　sides　if　Roosevelt　had　not　displayed　unexpected　tact。　He　avowed　his　purpose　of　carrying　out　McKinley's　policies　and　he　kept　it　faithfully；　thus　relieving　the　Machine　of　much　anxiety。　By　his　straightforwardness　he　even　won　the　approval　of　Boss　Quay；　the　lifelong　political　bandit　from　Pennsylvania；　who　went　to　him　and　said　in　substance：　'I　believe　that　you　are　square　and　I　will　stand　by　you　until　you　prove　otherwise。'　Roosevelt　made　no　bargain；　but　like　a　sensible　man　he　did　not　forbid　Quay　from　voting　on　his　side。　Personally；　also；　Quay's　lack　of　hypocrisy　attracted　him；　for　Quay　never　pretended　that　he　was　in　politics　to　promote　the　Golden　Rule　and　he　had　skirted　so　close　to　the　Penal　Code　that　he　knew　how　it　looked　and　how　he　could　evade　it。　Senator　Hanna；　the　Ohio　political　Boss；　who　had　made　McKinley　President　by　ways　which　cannot　all　be　documented　except　by　persons　who　have　examined　the　Recording　Angel's　book　（and　research　students　of　that　original　source　never　return）；　was　another　towering　figure　whom　Roosevelt　had　to　get　along　with。　He　found　out　how　to　do　it；　and　to　do　it　so　amicably　that　it　was　reported　that　he　breakfasted　often　with　the　Ohio　Senator　and　that　they　even　ate　griddle…cakes　and　scrapple　together。　The　Senator　evidently　no　more　understood　the　alert　and　fascinating　young　President　than　we　under　stand　what　is　going　on　in　the　brain　of　a　playful　young　tiger；　but　instinct　warned　him　that　this　mysterious　young　creature；　electrified　by　a　thousand　talents；　was　dangerous　and　must　be　held　down。　And　so　with　the　other　members　of　the　Republican　Machine　which　ran　both　Houses　of　Congress　and　expected　to　run　the　undisciplined　President　too。　Roosevelt　studied　them　all　and　discovered　how　to　deal　with　each。

At　the　beginning　of　the　year　1904；　everybody　began　to　discuss　the　next　Presidential　campaign。　Who　should　be　the　Republican　candidate？　The　President；　naturally；　wished　to　be　elected　and　thereby　to　hold　the　office　in　his　own　right　and　not　by　the　chance　of　assassination。　Senator　Hanna　surprised　many　of　the　politicians　by　bagging　a　good　many　delegates　for　himself。　He　probably　did　not　desire　to　be　President；　like　Warwick　he　preferred　the　glory　of　king…maker　to　that　of　king；　but　he　was　a　shrewd　business　man　who　knew　the　value　of　having　goods　which；　although　he　did　not　care　for　them　himself；　he　might　exchange　for　others。　I　doubt　whether　he　deluded　himself　into　supposing　that　the　American　people　would　elect　so　conspicuous　a　representative　of　the　Big　Interests　as　he　was；　to　be　President；　but　he　knew　that　the　fortunes　of　candidates　in　political　conventions　are　uncertain；　and　that　if　he　had　a　considerable　body　of　delegates　to　swing　from　one　man　to　another；　he　might；　if　his　choice　won；　become　the　power　behind　the　new　throne　as　he　had　been　behind　McKinley's。　And　if　we　could　suspect　him　of　humor　he　may　have　enjoyed　fun　to　a　mild　degree　in　keeping　the　irrepressible　Roosevelt　in　a　state　of　suspense。

Senator　Hanna's　death；　however；　in　March；　1904；　removed　the　only　competitor　whom　Roosevelt　could　have　regarded　as　dangerous。　Thenceforth　he　held　the　field；　and　yet；　farseeing　politician　though　he　was；　he　did　not　feel　sure。　The　Convention　at　Chicago　nominated　him；　virtually；　by　acclamation。　In　the　following　months　of　a　rather　slow　campaign　he　had　fits　of　depression；　although　all　signs　pointed　to　his　success。　Talking　with　Hay　as　late　as　October　30；　he　said：　〃It　seems　a　cheap　sort　of　thing　to　say；　and　I　would　not　say　it　to　other　people；　but　laying　aside　my　own　great　personal　interests　and　hopes；　for　of　course　I　desire　intensely　to　succeed；I　have　the　greatest　pride　that　in　this　fight　we　are　not　only　making　it　on　clearly　avowed　principles；　but　we　have　the　principles　and　the　record　to　avow。　How　can　I　help　being　a　little　proud　when　I　contrast　the　men　and　the　considerations　by　which　I　am　attacked；　and　those　by　which　I　am　defended？〃　*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　356；　357。


Just　at　the　end；　the　campaign　was　enlivened　by　the　attack　which　the　Democratic　candidate；　Judge　Alton　B。　Parker；　made　upon　his　opponent。　He　charged　that　Mr。　Cortelyou；　the　manager　of　the　Republican　campaign；　had　received　great　sums　of　money　from　the　Big　Interests；　and　that　he　had；　indeed；　been　appointed　manager　because；　from　his　previous　experience　as　Secretary　of　the　Department　of　Commerce；　he　had　special　information　in　regard　to　malefactors　of　great　wealth　which　would　enable　him　to　coerce　them　to　good　purpose　for　the　Republican　Corruption　Fund。　President　Roosevelt　published　a　letter　denying　Judge　Parker's　statements　as　〃unqualifiedly　and　atrociously　false。〃　If　Judge　Parker's　attack　had　any　effect　on　the　election　it　was　to　reduce　his　own　votes。　Later；　Edward　H。　Harriman；　the　railroad　magnate；　tried　to　smirch　Roosevelt　by　accusing　him　of　seeking　Harriman's　help　in　1904；　but　this　charge　also　was　never　sustained。

At　the　election　on　November　8；　Ro