theodore roosevelt-第7节

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It　was　on　April　6；　1882；　that　Roosevelt　took　the　floor　in　the　Assembly　and　demanded　that　Judge　Westbrook；　of　New　bury；　be　impeached。　And　for　sheer　moral　courage　that　act　is　probably　supreme　in　Roosevelt's　life　thus　far。　He　must　have　expected　failure。　Even　his　youth　and　idealism　and　ignorance　of　public　affairs　could　not　blind　him　to　the　apparently　inevitable　consequences。　Yet　he　drew　his　sword　and　rushed　apparently　to　destructionalone；　and　at　the　very　outset　of　his　career；　and　in　disregard　of　the　pleadings　of　his　closest　friends　and　the　plain　dictates　of　political　wisdom。　That　speechthe　deciding　act　in　Roosevelt's　careeris　not　remarkable　for　eloquence。　But　it　is　remarkable　for　fear　less　candor。　He　called　thieves　thieves；　regardless　of　their　millions；　he　slashed　savagely　at　the　judge　and　the　Attorney　General；　he　told　the　plain　unvarnished　truth　as　his　indignant　eyes　saw　it。*

*　Riis；　54…55。


Astonishment　verging　on　consternation　filled　the　Assemblymen；　who；　through　long　experience；　were　convinced　that　Truth　was　too　precious　to　be　exhibited　in　public。　Worldly　wisdom　came　to　the　aid　of　the　veteran　Republican　leader　who　wished　to　treat　the　assault　as　if　it　were　the　unripe　explosion　of　youth。　The　callowness　of　his　young　friend　must　excuse　him。　He　doubtless　meant　well；　but　his　inexperience　prevented　him　from　realizing　that　many　a　reputation　in　public　life　had　been　shattered　by　just　such　loose　charges。　He　felt　sure　that　when　the　young　man　had　time　to　think　it　over；　he　would　modify　his　language。　It　would　be　fitting；　therefore；　for　that　body　to　show　its　kindliness　by　giving　the　new　member　from　New　York　City　leisure　to　think　it　over。

Little　did　this　official　defender　of　corruption　understand　Mr。　Roosevelt；　whose　business　it　was　then　to　uphold　Right。　That　was　a　question　in　which　expediency　could　have　no　voice。　He　regarded　neither　the　harm　he　might　possibly　do　to　his　political　future　nor　to　the　standing　of　the　Republican　Party。　I　suspect　that　he　smarted　under　the　leader's　attempt　to　treat　him　as　a　young　man　whose　breaks　instead　of　causing　surprise　must　be　condoned。　Although　the　magnates　of　the　party　pleaded　with　him　and　urged　him　not　to　throw　away　his　usefulness；　he　rose　again　in　the　Assembly　next　day　and　renewed　his　demand　for　an　investigation　of　Judge　Westbrook。　Day　after　day　he　repeated　his　demand。　The　newspapers　throughout　the　State　began　to　give　more　and　more　attention　to　him。　The　public　applauded；　and　the　legislators；　who　had　sat　and　listened　to　him　with　contemptuous　indifference；　heard　from　their　constituents。　At　last；　on　the　eighth　day；　by　a　vote　of　104　to　6　the　Assembly　adopted　Roosevelt's　resolution　and　appointed　an　investigating　committee。　The　evidence　taken　amply　justified　Roosevelt's　charges；　in　spite　of　which　the　committee　gave　a　whitewashing　verdict。　Nevertheless　the　〃young　reformer〃　had　not　only　proved　his　case；　but　had　suddenly　made　a　name　for　himself　in　the　State　and　in　the　Country。

Before　his　first　term　ended　he　discovered　that　there　were　enemies　of　honest　government　quite　as　dangerous　as　the　open　supporters　of　corruption。　These　were　the　demagogues　who；　under　the　pretense　of　attacking　the　wicked　interests；　introduced　bills　for　the　sole　purpose　of　being　bought　off。　Sly　fellows　they　were　and　sneaks。　Against　their　〃strike〃　legislation　Roosevelt　had　also　to　fight。　His　chief　friend　at　Albany　was　Billy　O'Neil；　who　kept　a　little　crossroads　grocery　up　in　the　Adirondacks；　had　thought　for　himself　on　American　politics；　had　secured　his　election　to　the　Assembly　without　the　favor　of　the　Machine；　and　now　acted　there　with　as　much　independence　as　his　young　colleague　of　the　Twenty　first　District。　Roosevelt　remarks　that　the　fact　that　two　persons；　sprung　from　such　totally　different　surroundings；　should　come　together　in　the　Legislature　was　an　example　of　the　fine　result　which　American　democracy　could　achieve。

The　session　came　to　a　close；　and　although　Roosevelt　had　protested　the　year　before　that　he　was　not　going　into　politics　as　a　career；　he　allowed　himself　to　be　renominated。　Naturally；　his　desire　to　continue　in　and　complete　the　task　in　which　he　had　already　accomplished　much　was　whetted。　He　would　have　been　a　fool　if　he　had　not　known；　what　every　one　else　knew；　that　he　had　made　a　very　brilliant　record　during　his　first　year。　A　false　standard　which　comes　very　near　hypocrisy　imposes　a　ridiculous　mock　modesty　on　great　men　in　modern　times：　as　if　Shakespeare　alone　should　be　unaware　that　he　was　Shakespeare　or　that　Napoleon　or　Darwin　or　Lincoln　or　Cavour　should　each　be　ignorant　of　his　worth。　Better　vanity；　if　you　will；　than　sham　modesty。　There　was　no　harm　done　that　Roosevelt　at　twenty…three　felt　proud　of　being　recognized　as　a　power　in　the　Assembly。　We　must　never　forget　also　that　he　was　a　fighter；　and　that　his　first　contests　in　Albany　had　so　roused　his　blood　that　he　longed　to　fight　those　battles　to　a　finish；　that　is；　to　victory。　We　must　make　a　distinction　also　in　his　motives。　He　did　not　strain　every　nerve　to　win　a　cause　because　it　was　his　cause；　but　having　adopted　a　cause　which　his　heart　and　mind　told　him　was　good；　he　strove　to　make　that　cause　triumph　because　he　believed　it　to　be　good。

So　he　allowed　himself　to　be　renominated　and　he　was　reelected　by　2000　majority；　although　in　that　autumn　of　1882　the　Democratic　candidate　for　Governor；　Grover　Cleveland；　swept　New　York　State　by　192；000　and　carried　into　office　by　the　momentum　of　his　success　many　of　the　minor　candidates　on　the　Democratic　ticket。

The　year　1883　opened　with　the　cheer　of　dawn　in　New　York　politics。　Cleveland；　the　young　Governor　of　forty…four；　had　proved　himself　fearless；　public…spirited；　and　conscientious。　So　had　Roosevelt；　the　young　Assemblyman　of　twenty…three。　One　was　a　Democrat；　one　a　Republican；　but　they　were　alike　in　courage　and　in　holding　honesty　and　righteousness　above　their　party　platforms。

Roosevelt　pursued　in　this　session　the　methods　which　had　made　him　famous　and　feared　in　the　preceding。　He　admits　that　he　may　have　had　for　a　while　a　〃swelled　head；〃　for　in　the　chaos　of　conflicting　principles　and　no…principles　in　which　his　life　was　thrown；　he　decided　to　act　independently　and　to　let　his　conscience　determine　his　action　on　each　question　which　arose。　He　flocked　by　himself　on　a　peak。　He　was　too　practical；　however；　to　hold　this　course　long。　Experience　had　already　taught　him　that　under　a　constitutional　government　parties　which　advocate　or　oppose　issues　must　rule；　and　that　in　order　to　make　your　issues　win　you　must　secure　a　majority　of　the　votes。　Not　by　playing　solitaire；　therefore；　not　by　standing　aloof　as　one　crying　in　the　wilderness；　but　by　honestly　persuading　as　many　as　you　could　to　support　you；　could　you　promote　the　causes　which　you　had　at　heart。　The　professional　politicians　and　the　Machine　leaders　still　thought　that　he　was　stubborn　and　too　conceited　to　listen　to　reason；　but　in　reality　he　had　a　few　intimates　like　Billy　O'Neil　and　Mike　Costello　with　whom　he　took　counsel；　and　a　group　of　thirty　or　forty　others；　both　Republican　and　Democratic；　with　whom　he　acted　harmoniously　on　many　questions。

They　all　united　to　fight　the　Black…Horse　Cavalry；　as　the　gang　of　〃strike〃　legislators　was　called。　One　of　the　most　insidious　bills　pushed　by　these　rascals　aimed　at　reducing　the　fares　on　the　New　York　Elevated　Railway　from　ten　cents　to　five　cents。　It　seemed　so　plausible！　So　entirely　in　the　interest　of　the　poor　man！　Indeed；　the　affairs　of　the　Elevated　took　up　much　of　Roosevelt's　attention　and　enriched　for　years　the　Black…Horse　Cavalrymen　and　the　lobbyists。　He　also　forced　the　Assembly　to　appoint　a　commission　to　investigate　the　New　York　City　police　officials；　the　police　department　being　at　that　time　notoriously　corrupt。　They　employed　as　their　counsel　George　Bliss；　a　lawyer　of　prominence；　with　a　sharp　tongue　and　a　contempt　for　self…constituted　reformers。　While　Roosevelt　was　cross…examining　one　of　the　officials；　Bliss；　who　little　understood　the　man　he　was　dealing　with；　interrupted　with　a　scornful　and　impertinent　remark。　〃Of　course　you　do　not　mean　that；　Mr。　Bliss；〃　said　the　young　reformer　with　impressive　politeness；　〃for　if　you　did　we　should　have　to　put　you　out　in　the　street。〃　Even　in　those　early　days；　when　Roosevelt　was　in　dead　earnest；　he　had　a　way　of　pointing　his　forefinger　and　of　fixing　his　under　jaw　which　the　person　whom　he　addressed　could　not　mistake。　That　forefinger　was　as　menacing　as　a　seven　shooter。　Mr。　Bliss；　with　all　the　prestige　of　a　successful　career　at　the　bar　behind　him；　quickly　understood　the　meaning　of　the　look；　the　gesture；　and　the　studied　courtesy。　He　deemed　it　best　to　retract　and　apologize　at　once；　and　it　was。

Roosevelt　consented　to　run　for　a　third　term　and　he　was　elected　in　spite　of　the　opposition　of　the　various　elements　which　united　to　defeat　him。　Such　a　man　was　too。　dangerous　to　be　acceptable　to　Jay　Gould　and　the　〃interests；〃　to　Black…Horse　Cavalry；　and　to　gangs　of　all　kinds　who　made　a　living；　directly　or　indirectly；　by　office…holding。　His　friends　urged　him　for　the　speakership；　but　this　was　asking　too　much　of　the　Democratic　majority；　and　besides；　there　were　Republicans　who　had　winced　under　his　scourge　the　year　before　and　were　glad　enough　to　defeat　him　now。　Occasionally；　some　kind　elderly　friend　would　still　attempt　to　show　him　the　folly　of　his　ways；　and　we　hear　reports　of　one　g