theodore roosevelt-第55节

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p　emotion；　to　the　Leader　whom　they　had　wished　to　see　at　the　head　of　the　Republican　Party。　Chief　among　these　was　Governor　Hadley；　of　Missouri；　who　at　one　moment；　during　the　Convention；　seemed　likely　to　be　brought　forward　by　the　Regulars　as　a　compromise　candidate。　Some　of　the　Progressives　resented　his　defection　from　them；　not　so　Roosevelt；　who　said：　〃He　will　not　be　with　us；　but　we　must　not　blame　him。〃

Six　weeks　later；　the　Progressives　returned　to　Chicago。　Again；　Roosevelt　had　his　headquarters　at　the　Congress　Hotel。　Again；　the　delegates；　among　whom　were　several　women；　met　at　the　Coliseum。　Crowds　of　enthusiastic　supporters　and　larger　crowds　of　curiosity…　seekers　swarmed　into　the　vast　building。　On　Monday；　August　5；　the　first　session　of　the　Progressive　Party's　Convention　was　held。　Senator　Albert　J。　Beveridge；　of　Indiana；　made　the　opening　address；　in　which　he　defined　the　principles　of　their　party　and　the　objects　it　hoped　to　obtain。　Throughout　the　proceedings　there　was　much　enthusiasm；　but　no　battle。　It　was　rather　the　gathering　of　several　thousand　very　earnest　men　and　women　bent　on　consecrating　themselves　to　a　new　Cause；　which　they　believed　to　be　the　paramount　Cause　for　the　political；　economic；　and　social　welfare　of。　their　country。　Nearly　all　of　them　were　Idealists；　eager　to　secure　the　victory　of　some　special　reform。　And；　no　doubt；　an　impartial　observer　might　have　detected　among　them　traces　of　that　〃lunatic　fringe；〃　which　Roosevelt　himself　had　long　ago　humorously　remarked　clung　to　the　skirts　of　every　reform。　But　the　whole　body；　judged　without　prejudice；　probably　contained　the　largest　number　of　disinterested；　public…spirited；　and　devoted　persons；　who　had　ever　met　for　a　national　and　political　object　since　the　group　which　formed　the　Republican　Party　in　1854。

The　professional　politician　who　usually　preponderates　in　such　Conventions；　and；　in　the　last；　had　usurped　control　both　of　the　proceedings　and　decisions；　had　little　place　here。　The　chief　topic　of　discussion　turned　on　the　admission　of　negro　delegates　from　the　South。　Roosevelt　believed　that　an　attempt　to　create　a　negro　Progressive　Party；　as　such；　would　alienate　the　Southern　whites　and　would　certainly　sharpen　their　hostility　towards　the　blacks。　Therefore；　he　advised　that　the　negro　delegates　ought　to　be　approved　by　the　White　Progressives　in　their　several　districts。　In　other　words；　the　Progressive　Party　in　the　South　should　be　a　white　party　with　such　colored　members　as　the　whites　found　acceptable。

On　Monday　and　Tuesday　the　work　done　in　the　Convention　was　much　less　important　than　that　done　by　the　Committee　on　Resolutions　and　by　the　Committee　on　Credentials。　On　Wednesday　the　Convention　heard　and　adopted　the　Platform　and　then　nominated　Roosevelt　by　acclamation。　Miss　Jane　Addams；　of　Hull　House；　Chicago；　seconded　the　nomination；　praising　Roosevelt　as　〃one　of　the　few　men　in　our　public　life　who　has　been　responsive　to　modern　movement。〃　〃The　program；〃　she　said；　〃will　need　a　leader　of　invincible　courage；　of　open　mind；　of　democratic　sympathiesone　endowed　with　power　to　interpret　the　common　man；　and　to　identify　himself　with　the　common　lot。〃　Governor　Hiram　Johnson；　from　California；　was　nominated　for　Vice…President。　Over　the　platform；　to　which　the　candidates　were　escorted；　hung　Kipling's　stanza：

〃For　there　is　neither　East　nor　West；　Border　nor　breed　nor　birth；　When　two　strong　men　stand　face　to　face；　Though　they　come　from　the　ends　of　the　earth。〃

Portraits　of　Washington；　Jefferson；　Lincoln；　Jackson；　and　Hamilton；　a　sufficiently　inclusive　group　of　patriots；　looked　down　upon　them。　After　Roosevelt　and　Johnson　addressed　the　audience；　the　trombones　sounded　〃Old　Hundred〃　and　the　great　meeting　closed　to　the　words

〃Praise　God　from　whom　all　blessings　flow。〃

The　Progressive　Platform　contained　many　planks　which　have　since　been　made　laws　by　the　Democratic　Party；　which　read　the　signs　of　the　times　more　quickly　than　did　the　Republicans。　Especially　many　of　the　suggestions　relating　to　Labor；　the　improvement　of　the　currency；　the　control　of　corporate　wealth；　and　oversight　over　public　hygiene；　should　be　commended。　In　general；　it　promised　to　bring　the　Government　nearer　to　the　people　by　giving　the　people　a　more　and　more　direct　right　over　the　Government。　It　declared　for　a　rational　tariff　and　the　creation　of　a　non…partisan　Tariff　Commission　of　experts；　and　it　denounced　alike　the　Republicans　for　the　Payne…Aldrich　Bill；　which　dishonestly　revised　upwards；　and　the　Democrats；　who　wished　to　abolish　protection　altogether。　It　urged　proper　military　and　naval　preparation　and　the　building　of　two　battleships　a　yeara　plank　which　we　can　imagine　Roosevelt　wrote　in　with　peculiar　satisfaction。　It　advocated　direct　primaries；　the　conservation　of　natural　resources；　woman　suffrage。

So　rapidly　has　the　country　progressed　in　seven　years　that　most　of　the　recommendations　have　already　been　adopted；　and　are　among　the　common　places　which　nobody　disputes　any　longer。　But　the　Initiative；　the　Referendum；　and　the　Recall　of　Judicial　Decisions　were　the　points；　as　I　remarked　above；　over　which　the　country　debated　most　hotly。　The　Recall；　in　particular；　created　a　widespread　alarm；　and　just　as　Roosevelt's　demand　for　it　in　his　Columbus　speech　prevented；　as　I　believe；　his　nomination　by　the　Republican　Convention　in　June；　so　it　deprived　the　Progressives　at　the　election　in　November　of　scores　of　thousands　of　votes。　The　people　of　the　United　Statesevery　person　who　owned　a　bit　of　property；　a　stock　or　a　bond；　or　who　had　ten　dollars　or　more　in　the　savings　banklooked　upon　it　almost　with　consternation。　For　they　knew　that　they　were　living　in　a　time　of　flux；　when　old　standards　were　melting　away　like　snow　images　in　the　sun；　when　new　ideals；　untried　and　based　on　the　negation　of　some　of　the　oldest　principles　in　our　civilization；　were　being　pushed　forward。　They　instinctively　rallied　to　uphold　Law；　the　slow　product　of　centuries　of　growth；　the　sheet　anchor　of　Society　in　a　time　of　change。　Where　could　we　look　for　solidity；　or　permanence；　if　judicial　decisions　could　be　recalled　at　the　caprice　of　the　mobthe　hysterical；　the　uninstructed；　the　fickle　mob？　The　opinion　of　one　trained　and　honest　judge　outweighs　the　whims　of　ten　thousand　of　the　social　dregs。

The　Recall　of　Judicial　Decisions；　therefore；　caused　many　of　Roosevelt's　friends；　and　even　Republicans　who　would　otherwise　have　supported　him；　to　balk。　They　not　only　rejected　the　proposal　itself；　but　they　feared　that　he；　by　making　it；　indicated　that　he　had　lost　his　judgment　and　was　being　swept　into　the　vortex　of　revolution。　Judges　and　courts　and　respect　for　law；　like　lighthouses　on　granite　foundations；　must　be　kept　safe　from　the　fluctuations　of　tides　and　the　crash　of　tempests。

The　campaign　which　followed　is　chiefly　remarkable　for　Roosevelt's　amazing　activity。　He　felt　that　the　success　of　the　Progressive　Party　at　the　polls　depended　upon　him　as　its　Leader。　The　desire　for　personal　success　in　any　contest　into　which　he　plunged　would　have　been　a　great　incentive；　but　this　was　a　cause　which　dwarfed　any　personal　considerations　of　his。　Senator　Joseph　M。　Dixon；　of　Montana；　managed　the　campaign；　Roosevelt　himself　gave　it　a　dynamic　impulse　which　never　flagged。　He　went　to　the　Pacific　Coast；　speaking　at　every　important　centre　on　the　way；　and　returning　through　the　Southern　States　to　New　York　City。　In　September　he　swept　through　New　England；　and　he　was　making　a　final　tour　through　the　Middle　West；　when；　on　October　14th；　just　as　he　was　leaving　his　hotel　to　make　a　speech　in　the　Auditorium　in　Milwaukee；　a　lunatic　named　John　Schranck　shot　him　with　a　revolver。　The　bullet　entered　his　body　about　an　inch　below　the　right　nipple　and　would　probably　have　been　fatal　but　for　an　eye　glass…case　and　a　roll　of　manuscript　he　had　in　his　pocket。　Before　the　assassin　could　shoot　again；　his　hand　was　caught　and　deflected　by　the　Colonel's　secretary。　〃Don't　hurt　the　poor　creature；〃　Roosevelt　said；　when　Schranck　was　overpowered　and　brought　before　him。　Not　knowing　the　extent　of　his　wound；　and　waiting　only　long　enough　to　return　to　his　hotel　room　and　change　his　white　shirt；　as　the　bosom　of　the　one　he　had　on　was　soaked　with　blood；　and　disregarding　the　entreaties　of　his　companions　to　stay　quiet；　he　went　to　the　Auditorium　and　spoke　for　more　than　an　hour。　Only　towards　the　end　did　the　audience　perceive　that　he　showed　signs　of　fatigue。　This　extraordinary　performance　was　most　foolhardy；　and　some　of　his　carping　critics　said　that；　as　usual；　Roosevelt　wanted　to　be　theatrical。　But　there　was　no　such　purpose　in　him。　He　felt　to　the　depths　of　his　soul　that　neither　his　safety　nor　that　of　any　other　individual　counted　in　comparison　with　the　triumph　of　the　Cause　he　was　fighting　for。

After　a　brief　examination　the　surgeons　stated　that　he　had　better　be　removed　to　the　Mercy　Hospital　in　Chicago。　They　put　him　on　his　special　car　and　by　an　incredible　negligence　they　sent　him　off　to　make　the　night　journey　without　any　surgical　attendant。　On　reaching　the　Mercy　Hospital；　Dr。　Ryan　made　a　further　examination　and　reported　that　there　seemed　to　be　no　immediate　danger；　although　he　could　not　be　sure　whether　the　Colonel　would　live　or　not。　Roosevelt；　who　was　advertised　to　make　a　great　speech　in　Louisville；　Kentucky；　that　evening；　summoned　Senator　Beveridge　and　sent　him　off　with　the　manuscript　of　the　address　to　take　his