theodore roosevelt-第8节

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d　still　attempt　to　show　him　the　folly　of　his　ways；　and　we　hear　reports　of　one　gentleman；　a　member　of　the　Assembly　and　an　〃old　friend；〃　who　told　him　that　the　great　concern　in　life　was　Business；　and　that　lawyers　and　judges；　legislators　and　Congressmen；　existed　to　serve　the　ends　of　Business。　〃There　is　no　politics　in　politics；〃　said　this　moral　guide　and　sage。　But　he　could　not　budge　the　young　man；　who　believed　that　there　are　many　considerations　more　important　than　the　political。

During　this　third　year；　he　made　a　straight　and　gallant　fight　to　improve　the　condition　under　which　cigars　were　made　in　New　York　City。　By　his　own　investigation；　he　found　that　the　cigar　makers　lived　in　tenements；　in　one　room；　perhaps　two；　with　their　families　and　often　a　boarder；　these　made　the　cigars　which　the　public　bought；　in　ignorance　of　the　facts。　Roosevelt　proposed　that；　as　a　health　measure　which　would　benefit　alike　the　cigar…makers　and　the　public；　this　evil　practice　be　prohibited　and　that　the　police　put　a　stop　to　it。　His　bill　passed　in　1884；　but　the　next　year　the　Court　of　Appeals　declared　it　unconstitutional；　because　it　deprived　the　tenement…house　people　of　their　liberty　and　would　injure　the　owners　of　the　tenements　if　they　were　not　allowed　to　rent　their　property　to　these　tenants。　In　its　decision；　the　court　indulged　in　nauseating　sanctimony　of　this　sort：　〃　It　cannot　be　perceived　how　the　cigar…maker　is　to　be　improved　in　his　health；　or　his　morals；　by　forcing　him　from　his　home　and　its　hallowed　associations　and　beneficent　influences　to　ply　his　trade　elsewhere。〃　This　was　probably　not　the　first　time　when　Roosevelt　was　enraged　to　find　the　courts　of　justice　sleekly　upholding　hot…beds　of　disease　and　vice；　on　the　pretense　that　they　were　protecting　liberty。　Commenting　on　this　episode；　Mr。　Washburn　well　says：　〃As　applied　to　the　kind　of　tenement　I　have　referred　to；　this　reference　to　the　'home　and　its　hallowed　associations'　seems　grotesque　or　tragic　depending　upon　the　point　of　view。〃*

*　Washburn；　11。


Amid　work　of　this　kind；　fighting　and　fearless；　constantly　adding　to　his　reputation　among　the　good　as　a　high　type　of　reformer；　and　adding　to　the　detestation　in　which　the　bad　held　him；　he　completed　his　third　term。　He　resolutely　refused　to　serve　again　and　declined　the　offers　which　were　pressed　upon　him　to　run　for　Congress；　nor　did　he　accept　a　place　on　the　Republican　National　Committee。

The　death　of　his　mother　on　February　12；　1884；　followed　in　twenty…four　hours　by　that　of　his　wife；　who　died　after　the　birth　of　a　daughter；　brought　sorrow　upon　Roosevelt　which　made　the　burden　of　his　political　work　heavier　and　caused　him　to　consider　how　he　should　readjust　his　life；　for　he　was　first　of　all　a　man　of　deep　family　affections　and　the　loss　of　his　wife　left　him　adrift。

To　S。　N。　D。　North；　editor　of　the　Utica　Herald　and　a　well…wisher　of　his；　he　wrote　from　Albany　on　April　30；　1884：

Dear　Mr。　North：　I　wish　to　write　you　a　few　words　just　to　thank　you　for　your　kindness　towards　me；　and　to　assure　you　that　my　head　will　not　be　turned　by　what　I　well　know　was　a　mainly　accidental　success。　Although　not　a　very　old　man；　I　have　yet　lived　a　great　deal　in　my　life；　and　I　have　known　sorrow　too　bitter　and　joy　too　keen　to　allow　me　to　become　either　cast　down　or　elated　for　more　than　a　very　brief　period　over　success　or　defeat。

I　have　very　little　expectation　of　being　able　to　keep　on　in　politics；　my　success　so　far　has　only　been　won　by　absolute　indifference　to　my　future　career；　for　I　doubt　if　any　one　can　realize　the　bitter　and　venomous　hatred　with　which　I　am　regarded　by　the　very　politicians　who　at　Utica　supported　me；　under　dictation　from　masters　who　were　influenced　by　political　considerations　that　were　national　and　not　local　in　their　scope。　I　realize　very　thoroughly　the　absolutely　ephemeral　nature　of　the　hold　I　have　upon　the　people；　and　the　very　real　and　positive　hostility　I　have　excited　among　the　politicians。　I　will　not　stay　in　public　life　unless　I　can　do　so　on　my　own　terms；　and　my　ideal；　whether　lived　up　to　or　not；　is　rather　a　high　one。　For　very　many　reasons　I　will　not　mind　going　back　into　private　life　for　a　few　years。　My　work　this　winter　has　been　very　harassing；　and　I　feel　both　tired　and　restless；　for　the　next　few　months　I　shall　probably　be　in　Dakota；　and　I　think　I　shall　spend　the　next　two　or　three　years　in　making　shooting　trips；　either　in　the　Far　West　or　in　the　Northern　woodsand　there　will　be　plenty　of　work　to　do　writing。*

*　Douglas；　41…42。


This　letter　is　a　striking　revelation　of　the　inmost　intentions　of　the　man　of　twenty…five；　who　already　stood　on　a　pinnacle　where　hard　heads　and　mature　might　well　have　been　dizzy。　Evidently　he　knew　him　self；　and　even　in　his　brief　experience　with　the　world　he　understood　how　uncertain　and　evanescent　are　the　winds　of　Fame。　If　he　had　ever　suffered　from　a　〃swelled　head；〃　he　was　now　cured。　He　felt　the　emptiness　of　life's　prizes　when　the　dearest　who　should　have　shared　them　with　him　were　dead。



CHAPTER　III。　AT　THE　FIRST　CROSSROADS

The　year　1884　was　a　Presidential　year；　and　Roosevelt　was　one　of　the　four　delegates…at…large*　of　New　York　State　to　the　Republican　National　Convention　at　Chicago。　The　day　seemed　to　have　come　for　a　new　birth　in　American　politics。　The　Republican　Party　was　grown　fat　with　four　and　twenty　years　of　power；　and　the　fat　had　overlain　and　smothered　its　noble　aims。　The　party　was　arrogant；　it　was　corrupt；　it　was　unashamed。　After　the　War；　immense　projects　involving　huge　sums　of　money　had　to　be　managed；　and　the　Republicans　spent　like　spendthrifts　when　they　did　not　spend　like　embezzlers。　I　do　not　imply　that　the　Democrats　would　not　have　done　the　same　if　they　had　been　in　command；　or　that　there　were　not　among　them　many　who　saw　where　their　profit　lay；　and　took　it。　The　quadrupeds　which　feed　at　the　Treasury　trough　are　all　of　one　species；　no　matter　whether　their　skins　be　black　or　white。

*　The　other　delegates…at…large　were　President　Andrew　D。　White　of　Cornell　University；　J。　T。　Gilbert；　and　Edwin　Packard。


But　now　a　new　generation　was　springing　up；　with　its　leaven　of　hope　and　idealism　and　its　intuitive　faith　in　honesty。

More　completely　than　any　one　else；　Roosevelt　embodied　to　the　country　the　glorious　promise　of　this　new　generation。　But　the　old　always　dies　hard　after　it　has　long　been　the　blood　and　mind　of　a　creed；　a　class；　or　a　party。　Terrible　also　is　the　blind；　remorseless　sweep　of　a　custom　which　may　have　sprung　up　from　good　soil；　not　less　than　one　spawned　and　nurtured　in　iniquity。　Frankenstein　laboriously　constructing　his　monster　seems　to　personify　society　at　its　immemorial　task　of　creating　institutions；　each　institution　as　it　becomes　viable　rends　its　creator。

So　the　Republican　Party　lived　on　its　traditions；　its　privileges；　its　appetites；　its　arrogance；　and　it　refused　to　be　transmuted　by　its　youngest　members。　In　1876　it　resorted　to　fraud　to　perpetuate　its　hold　on　power。　Unchastened　in　1880；　three　hundred　and　six　of　its　delegates　attempted　through　thick　and　thin　to　force　the　nomination　of　General　Grant　for　a　third　term。　The　chief　opposing　candidate　was　James　G。　Blaine；　whose　unsavory　reputation；　however；　caused　the　majority　of　the　convention　which　was　not　pledged　to　Grant　to　repudiate　Blaine　and　to　choose　Garfield　as　a　compromise。　Then　followed　four　years　of　factional　bitterness　in　the　party；　and　when　1884　came　round；　Blaine's　admirers　pushed　him　to　the　front。

Blaine　himself　was　not　a　person　of　delicate　instinct。　The　repudiation　which　he　had　twice　suffered　by　the　better　element　of　the　Republican　Party；　seemed　only　to　redouble　his　determination　to　be　its　candidate。　He　had　much　personal　magnetism。　Both　in　his　methods　and　ideals；　he　represented　perfectly　the　politicians　who　during　the　dozen　years　after　Lincoln's　death　flourished　at　Washington；　and　at　every　State　capitol　in　the　Union。　By　the　luck　of　a　catching　phrase　applied　to　him　by　Robert　G。　Ingersoll；　he　stood　before　the　imagination　of　the　country　〃as　the　plumed　knight；〃　although　on　looking　back　we　search　in　vain　for　any　trait　of　knightliness　or　chivalry　in　him。　For　a　score　of　years　he　filled　the　National　Congress；　House　and　Senate；　with　the　bustle　of　his　egotism。　His　knightly　valor　consisted　in　shaking　his　fist　at　the　〃Rebel　Brigadiers　〃　and　in　waving　the　〃bloody　shirt；〃　feats　which　seemed　to　him　heroic；　no　doubt；　but　which　were　safe　enough；　the　Brigadiers　being　few　and　Blaine's　supporters　many。　But　where　on　the　Nation's　statute　book　do　you　find　now　a　single　important　law　fathered　by　him？　What　book　contains　one　of　his　maxims　for　men　to　live　by？　Many　persons　still　live　who　knew　him；　and　remember　him；　but　can　any　of　them　repeat　a　saying　of　his　which　passes　current　on　the　lips　of　Americans？　So　much　sound　and　fury；　so　much　intrigue　and　sophistry；　and　self…seeking；　and　now　the　silence　of　an　empty　sepulchre！

The　better　element　of　the　Republican　Party　went　to　the　Chicago　Convention　sworn　to　save　the　party　from　the　disgrace　of　nominating　Blaine。　Roosevelt　believed　the　charges　against　him；　and　by　all　that　he　had　written　and　spoken；　and　by　his　political　career；　he　was　bound　to　oppose　the　politician；　who；　as　Speaker　of　the　National　House；　had；　by　the　showing　of　his　own　letters；　taken　bribes　from　unscrupulous　interests。　In　the　convention；　and　in　the　committee　meetings；　and　in　the　incessant　parleys　which　p