theodore roosevelt-第54节

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ect；　burning　with　a　cold；　white　light；illumined　every　point；　but　betrayed　no　heat　of　passion。　He　applied　the　rules　as　impartially　as　if　they　were　theorems　of　algebra。　Time　after　time　the　Rooseveltians　protested　against　the　holders　of　contested　seats　to　vote；　but　he　was　unmoved　because　the　rule　prescribed　that　the　person　had　a　right　to　vote。　When　the　contests　were　taken　up；　the　Taft　men　always　won；　the　Roosevelt　men　always　lost。　The　Machine　went　as　if　by　clock…work　or　like　the　guillotine。　More　than　once　some　Rooseveltian　leader；　like　Governor　Hadley；　stung　by　a　particularly　shocking　display　of　overbearing　injustice；　taunted　the　majority　with　shouts　of　〃Robbers〃　and　〃Theft。〃　Roars　of　passion　swept　through　the　hall。　The　derision　of　the　minority　was　countered　by　the　majority　with　equal　vigor；　but　the　majority　did　not　always　feel；　in　spite　of　its　truculent　manner；　confident　of　the　outcome。

By　what　now　seems　shameless　theft；　the　Credentials　Committee　approved　the　seating　of　two　Taft　delegates　from　California；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　proper　officials　of　that　State　had　certified　that　its　twenty…six　delegates　were　all　for　Roosevelt；　and　had　been　elected　by　a　majority　of　76；000　votes。　Chairman　Root　put　the　question　to　the　Convention；　however；　and　those　two　discredited　delegates　were　admitted　for　Taft　by　a　vote　of　542　to　529。　This　indicates　how　close　the　Convention　then　stood；　when　a　change　of　seven　votes　would　have　given　Roosevelt　a　majority　of　one　and　have　added　to　his　list　the　two　California　delegates　who　were　counted　out。　Had　such　a　change　taken　place；　those　who　watched　the　Convention　believed　there　would　have　been　a　〃landslide〃　to　Roosevelt。　But　the　Republican　Committee's　sorely　tested　rules　held。　After　that；　the　Rooseveltians　saw　no　gleam　of　hope。

On　Saturday；　June　22d；　the　list　of　delegates　to　the　Convention　having　been　drawn　up　as　the　Republican　Machine　intended；　Mr。　Taft　was　nominated　by　a　vote　of　561；　Roosevelt　received　107；　La　Follette　41；　Cummins　17；　Hughes　2；　344　delegates　did　not　vote。　The　last　were　all　Roosevelt　men；　but　they　had　been　requested　by　Roosevelt　to　refuse　to　vote。　Through　Mr。　Henry　J。　Allen；　of　Kansas；　he　sent　this　message：

'The　Convention　has　now　declined　to　purge　the　roll　of　the　fraudulent　delegates　placed　thereon　by　the　defunct　National　Committee；　and　the　majority　which　thus　endorsed　fraud　was　made　a　majority　only　because　it　included　the　fraudulent　delegates　themselves；　who　all　sat　as　judges　on　one　another's　cases。　If　these　fraudulent　votes　had　not　thus　been　cast　and　counted　the　Convention　would　have　been　purged　of　their　presence。　This　action　makes　the　Convention　in　no　proper　sense　any　longer　a　Republican　Convention　representing　the　real　Republican　Party。　Therefore；　I　hope　the　men　elected　as　Roosevelt　delegates　will　now　decline　to　vote　on　any　matter　before　the　Convention。　I　do　not　release　any　delegate　from　his　honorable　obligation　to　vote　for　me　if　he　votes　at　all；　but　under　the　actual　conditions　I　hope　that　he　will　not　vote　at　all。　The　Convention　as　now　composed　has　no　claim　to　represent　the　voters　of　the　Republican　Party。　It　represents　nothing　but　successful　fraud　in　overriding　the　will　of　the　rank　and　file　of　the　party。　Any　man　nominated　by　the　Convention　as　now　constituted　would　be　merely　the　beneficiary　of　this　successful　fraud；　it　would　be　deeply　discreditable　to　any　man　to　accept　the　Convention's　nomination　under　these　circumstances；　and　any　man　thus　accepting　it　would　have　no　claim　to　the　support　of　any　Republican　on　party　grounds；　and　would　have　forfeited　the　right　to　ask　the　support　of　any　honest　man　of　any　party　on　moral　grounds。'

Mr。　Allen　concluded　with　these　words　of　his　own：

'We　do　not　bolt。　We　merely　insist　that　you；　not　we；　are　making　the　record。　And　we　refuse　to　be　bound　by　it。　We　have　pleaded　with　you　ten　days。　We　have　fought　with　you　five　days　for　a　square　deal。　We　fight　no　more；　we　plead　no　longer。　We　shall　sit　in　protest　and　the　people　who　sent　us　here　shall　judge　us。

'Gentlemen；　you　accuse　us　of　being　radical。　Let　me　tell　you　that　no　radical　in　the　ranks　of　radicalism　ever　did　so　radical　a　thing　as　to　come　to　a　National　Convention　of　the　great　Republican　Party　and　secure　through　fraud　the　nomination　of　a　man　whom　they　knew　could　not　be　elected。'*

*　Fifteenth　Republican　National　Convention　（New　York；　1912）；　333；　335。


Every　night　during　that　momentous　week　the　Roosevelt　delegates　met　in　the　Congress　Hotel；　talked　over　the　day's　proceedings；　gave　vent　to　their　indignation；　confirmed　each　other's　resolution；　and　took　a　decision　as　to　their　future　action。　The　powerful　Hiram　Johnson；　Governor　of　California；　led　them；　and　through　his　eloquence　he　persuaded　all　but　107　of　them　to　stand　by　Roosevelt　whether　he　were　nominated　by　the　Convention　or　not。

And　this　they　did。　For　when　the　vote　for　the　nomination　was　taken　at　the　Convention　only　107　of　the　Roosevelt　men　cast　their　ballots。　They　favored　Roosevelt；　but　they　were　not　prepared　to　quit　the　Republican　Party。　During　the　roll…call　the　Roosevelt　delegates　from　Massachusetts　refused　to　vote。　Thereupon；　Mr。　Root；　the　Chairman；　ruled　that　they　must　vote；　to　which　Frederick　Fosdick　replied；　when　his　name　was　read　again；　〃Present；　and　not　voting。　I　defy　the　Convention　to　make　me　vote　for　any　man〃；　and　seventeen　other　Roosevelt　delegates　refrained。　Mr。　Root　then　called　up　the　alternates　of　these　abstainers　and　three　of　them　recorded　their　votes　for　Taft；　but　there　was　such　a　demonstration　against　this　ruling　that　Mr。　Root　thought　better　of　it　and　proceeded　in　it　no　farther。　Many　of　his　Republican　associates　at　the　time　thought　this　action　high…handed　and　unjustified；　and　many　more　agree　in　this　opinion　today。

Except　for　this　grave　error；　Mr。　Root's　rulings　were　strictly　according　to　the　precedents　and　directions　of　the　Republican　National　Committee；　and　we　may　believe　that　even　he　saw　the　sardonic　humor　of　his　unvarying　application　of　them　at　the　expense　of　the　Rooseveltians。　Before　the　first　day's　session　was　over；　the　process　was　popularly　called　the　〃steam　roller。〃　Late　in　the　week；　a　delegate　rose　to　a　point　of　order；　and　on　being　recognized　by　the　Chairman；　he　shouted　that　he　wished　to　call　the　attention　of　the　Chairman　to　the　fact　that　the　steam　roller　was　exceeding　its　speed　limit；　at　which　Mr。　Root　replied；　〃The　Chairman　rules　that　the　gentleman's　point　of　order　is　well　taken。〃　And　everybody　laughed。　There　was　one　dramatic　moment　which；　as　Dean　Lewis　remarks；　has　had　no　counterpart　in　a　National　Convention。　When　the　Machine　had　succeeded；　in　spite　of　protests　and　evidence；　in　stealing　the　two　delegates　from　California；　the　friends　of　Mr。　Taft　gave　triumphant　cheers。　Then　the　Roosevelt　men　rose　up　as　one　man　and　sent　forth　a　mighty　cheer　which　astonished　their　opponents。　It　was　a　cheer　in　which　were　mingled　indignation　and　scorn；　and；　above　all；　relief。　Strictly　interpreted；　it　meant　that　those　men　who　had　sat　for　four　days　and　seen　their　wishes　thwarted；　by　what　they　regarded　as　fraud；　and　had　held　on　in　the　belief　that　this　fraud　could　not　continue　to　the　end；　that　a　sense　of　fairness　would　return　and　rule　the　Regulars；　now　realized　that　Fraud　would　concede　nothing　and　that　their　Cause　was　lost。　And　they　felt　a　great　load　lifted。　No　obligation　bound　them　any　longer　to　the　Republican　Party　which　had　renounced　honesty　in　its　principles　and　fair　play　in　its　practice。　Henceforth　they　could　go　out　and　take　any　step　they　chose　to　promote　their　Progressive　doctrines。　*

*　Lewis；　363。


Shortly　after　the　Convention　adjourned；　having；　by　these　methods；　nominated　Mr。　Taft　and　James　S。　Sherman　for　President　and　Vice…President；　the　Rooseveltians　held　a　great　meeting　in　Orchestra　Hall。　Governor　Johnson　presided　and　apparently　a　majority　of　the　Rooseveltians　wished；　then　and　there；　to　organize　a　new　party　and　to　nominate　Roosevelt　as　its　candidate。　Several　men　made　brief　but　earnest　addresses。　Then　Roosevelt　himself　spoke；　and　although　he　lacked　nothing　of　his　usual　vehemence；　he　seemed　to　be　controlled　by　a　sense　of　the　solemnity　of　their　purpose。　He　told　them　that　it　was　no　more　a　question　of　Progressivism；　which　he　ardently　believed　in；　but　a　question　of　fundamental　honesty　and　right；　which　everybody　ought　to　believe　in　and　uphold。　He　advised　them　to　go　to　their　homes；　to　discuss　the　crisis　with　their　friends；　to　gain　what　adherence　and　support　they　could；　and　to　return　in　two　months　and　formally　organize　their　party　and　nominate　their　candidate　for　President。　And　he　added：　〃If　you　wish　me　to　make　the　fight；　I　will　make　it；　even　if　only　one　State　should　support　me。　The　only　condition　I　impose　is　that　you　shall　feel　entirely　free；　when　you　come　together；　to　substitute　any　other　man　in　my　place；　if　you　deem　it　better　for　the　movement；　and　in　such　case；　I　will　give　him　my　heartiest　support。〃

And　so　the　defeated　majority　of　the　Republicans　at　Chicago；　Republicans　no　longer；　broke　up。　There　were　many　earnest　hand…shakings；　many　pledges　to　meet　again　in　August；　and　to　take　up　the　great　work。　Those　who　intended　to　stay　by　the　Republican　Party；　not　less　than　those　who　cast　their　lot　with　the　Progressives；　bade　farewell；　with　deep　emotion；　to　the　Leader　whom　they　had　wished　to　see　at　the　head　of　the　Republican　Party。　Chief　amon