my memories of eighty years-第14节

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lied：　　'Yes；　you　know；　out　in　Nevada　we　have　a　great　deal　of　malaria；　and　I　could　not　sleep。'　　'Well；'　said　the　host；　'this　is　a　temperance　town。　　We　find　it　an　excellent　thing　for　the　working　people；　and　especially　for　the　young　men；　but　we　have　some　malaria　here；　also；　and　for　that　I　have　a　private　remedy。'　　Whereupon　he　went　to　a　closet　and　pulled　out　a　bottle　of　brandy。

〃After　his　host　had　left；　Nye　continued　there　in　a　refreshed　and　more　enjoyable　spirit。　　Soon　his　hostess　came　in　and；　much　surprised；　said：　　'Why；　senator；　you　are　up　early！'　　'Yes；'　he　said；　'out　in　Nevada　we　have　a　great　deal　of　malaria；　and　while　I　am　on　these　speaking　tours　I　have　sharp　attacks　and　cannot　sleep。　　I　had　one　last　night。'

〃'Well；'　she　remarked；　'this　is　a　temperance　town；　and　it　is　a　good　thing　for　the　working　people　and　the　young　men；　but　I　have　a　touch　of　malaria　now　and　then　myself。'　　Then　she　went　to　the　tea…caddy　and　pulled　out　a　bottle　of　brandy。　　The　senator　by　this　time　was　in　perfect　harmony　with　himself　and　the　whole　world。

〃When　the　boys　came　in　（sons　of　the　entertainer）　they　said：　'Senator；　we　hear　that　you　are　an　expert　on　livestock；　horses；　cattle；　etc。　　Won't　you　come　out　in　the　barn　so　we　can　show　you　some　we　regard　as　very　fine　specimens？'　　The　boys　took　him　out　to　the　barn；　shut　the　door；　locked　it；　and　whispered：　　'Senator；　we　have　no　live　stock；　but　we　have　a　bottle　here　in　the　hay　mow　which　we　think　will　do　you　good。'　　And　the　senator　wound　up　his　narrative　by　saying：　　'The　wettest　place　that　I　know　of　is　a　dry　town　in　Connecticut。'〃

The　next　day　General　Grant　went　to　Mount　McGregor　and；　as　we　all　know；　a　few　days　afterwards　he　lost　his　voice　completely。



V。　　ROSCOE　CONKLING

For　a　number　of　years；　instead　of　taking　my　usual　vacation　in　travel　or　at　some　resort；　I　spent　a　few　weeks　in　the　fall　in　the　political　canvass　as　a　speaker。　　In　the　canvass　of　1868　1　was　associated　with　Senator　Roscoe　Conkling；　who　desired　an　assistant；　as　the　mass　meetings　usually　wanted　at　least　two　and　probably　three　hours　of　speaking；　and　he　limited　himself　to　an　hour。　General　Grant　was　at　the　height　of　his　popularity　and　the　audiences　were　enormous。　　As　we　had　to　speak　every　day　and　sometimes　several　times　a　day；　Mr。　Conkling　notified　the　committees　that　he　would　not　speak　out　of　doors；　and　that　they　must　in　all　cases　provide　a　hall。

When　we　arrived　at　Lockport；　N。　Y。；　the　chairman　of　the　committee；　Burt　Van　Horn；　who　was　the　congressman　from　the　district；　told　the　senator　that　at　least　twenty　thousand　people　from　the　town；　and　others　coming　from　the　country　on　excursion　trains；　had　filled　the　Fair　Grounds。　　Conkling　became　very　angry　and　told　the　congressman　that　he　knew　perfectly　well　the　conditions　under　which　he　came　to　Lockport；　and　that　he　would　not　speak　at　the　Fair　Grounds。　　A　compromise　was　finally　effected　by　which　the　senator　was　to　appear　upon　the　platform；　the　audience　be　informed　that　he　would　speak　in　the　Opera　House；　and　I　was　to　be　left　to　take　care　of　the　crowd。　　The　departure　of　the　senator　from　the　grounds　was　very　dramatic。　　He　was　enthusiastically　applauded　and　a　band　preceded　his　carriage。

For　some　reason　I　never　had　such　a　success　as　in　addressing　that　audience。　　Commencing　with　a　story；　which　was　new　and　effective；　I　continued　for　two　hours　without　apparently　losing　an　auditor。

Upon　my　return　to　the　hotel　I　found　the　senator　very　indignant。　He　said　that　he　had　gone　to　the　Opera　House　with　the　committee；　that；　of　course；　no　meeting　had　been　advertised　there；　but　a　band　had　been　placed　on　the　balcony　to　play；　as　if　it　were　a　dime　museum　attraction　inside；　that　a　few　farmers'　wives　had　straggled　in　to　have　an　opportunity　to　partake　from　their　baskets　their　luncheons；　and　that　he　had　left　the　Opera　House　and　returned　to　the　hotel。　　The　committee　coming　in　and　narrating　what　had　occurred　at　the　Fair　Grounds；　did　not　help　his　imperious　temper。　The　committee　begged　for　a　large　meeting；　which　was　to　be　held　in　the　evening；　but　Conkling　refused　and　ordered　me　to　do　the　same；　and　we　left　on　the　first　train。　　The　cordial　relations　which　had　existed　up　to　that　time　were　somehow　severed　and　he　became　very　hostile。

General　Grant；　as　president；　of　course；　never　had　had　experience　or　opportunity　to　know　anything　of　practical　politics。　　It　was　said　that　prior　to　his　election　he　had　never　voted　but　once；　and　that　was　before　the　war；　when　he　voted　the　Democratic　ticket　for　James　Buchanan。

All　the　senators；　representatives；　and　public　men　who　began　to　press　around　him；　seeking　the　appointment　to　office　of　their　friends；　were　unknown　to　him　personalIy。　　He　decided　rapidly　whom　among　them　he　could　trust；　and　once　having　arrived　at　that　conclusion；　his　decision　was　irrevocable。　　He　would　stand　by　a　friend；　without　regard　to　its　effect　upon　himself；　to　the　last　ditch。

Of　course；　each　of　the　two　United　States　senators；　Conkling　and　Fenton；　wanted　his　exclusive　favor。　　It　is　impossible　to　conceive　of　two　men　so　totally　different　in　every　characteristic。　　Grant　liked　Conkling　as　much　as　he　disliked　Fenton。　　The　result　was　that　he　transferred　the　federal　patronage　of　the　State　to　Senator　Conkling。

Conkling　was　a　born　leader；　very　autocratic　and　dictatorial。　　He　immediately　began　to　remove　Fenton　officials　and　to　replace　them　with　members　of　his　own　organization。　　As　there　was　no　civil　service　at　that　time　and　public　officers　were　necessarily　active　politicians；　Senator　Conkling　in　a　few　years　destroyed　the　organization　which　Fenton　had　built　up　as　governor；　and　became　master　of　the　Republican　party　in　the　State。

The　test　came　at　the　State　convention　at　Saratoga。　　Senator　Conkling　at　that　time　had　become　hostile　to　me；　why　I　do　not　know；　nor　could　his　friends；　who　were　most　of　them　mine　also；　find　out。　He　directed　that　I　must　not　be　elected　a　delegate　to　the　convention。　The　collector　of　the　port　of　New　York；　in　order　to　make　that　decree　effective；　filled　my　district　in　Westchester　County　with　appointees　from　the　Custom　House。

Patronage；　when　its　control　is　subject　to　a　popular　vote；　is　a　boomerang。　　The　appointment　of　a　citizen　in　a　town　arouses　the　anger　of　many　others　who　think　they　are　more　deserving。　I　appealed　to　the　farmers　with　the　simple　question　whether　old　Westchester　should　be　controlled　by　federal　authority　in　a　purely　State　matter　of　their　own。　　The　result　of　the　appeal　was　overwhelming；　and　when　the　district　convention　met；　the　Custom　House　did　not　have　a　single　delegate。

The　leader　of　the　Custom　House　crowd　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃This　is　a　matter　of　bread…and…butter　and　living　with　us。　　It　is　nothing　to　you。　　These　delegates　are　against　us　and　for　you　at　the　convention。　　Now；　we　have　devised　a　plan　to　save　our　lives。　　It　is　that　the　three　delegates　elected　shall　all　be　friends　of　yours。　You　shall　apparently　be　defeated。　　A　resolution　will　be　passed　that　if　either　delegate　fails　to　attend　or　resigns；　the　other　two　may　fill　the　vacancy。　　One　of　these　will　resign　when　the　convention　meets　and　you　will　be　substituted　in　his　place。　　In　the　meantime　we　will　send　out　through　the　Associated　Press　that　you　have　been　defeated。〃　　I　did　not　have　the　heart　to　see　these　poor　fellows　dismissed　from　their　employment；　and　I　assented　to　the　proposition。

When　we　arrived　at　the　convention　Governor　Cornell；　then　State　chairman；　called　to　order。　　I　arose　to　make　a　motion；　when　he　announced：　　〃You；　sir；　are　not　a　member　of　this　convention。〃　　My　credentials；　however；　under　the　arrangement　made　in　Westchester；　convinced　him　that　he　was　misinformed。　　The　Conkling　side　selected　for　their　chairman　Andrew　D。　White；　and　the　other　side　selected　me。　　Upon　careful　canvass　of　the　votes　we　had　a　clear　majority。

There　were　several　delegations　which　were　controIled　by　federal　office…holders。　　It　is　at　this　point　that　patronage　becomes　overwhelmingly　effective。　　Several　of　those　office…holders　were　shown　telegrams　from　Washington；　which　meant　their　removal　unless　they　did　as　directed　by　Senator　Conkling。　　When　the　convention　met　the　next　day；　the　office…holders　kept　their　heads　on　their　shoulders；　and　my　dear　and　valued　old　friend；　Andrew　D。　White；　was　elected　chairman　of　the　convention。

I　asked　the　leader　of　the　federal　crowd　from　Westchester　how　he　explained　my　getting　into　the　convention。　　〃Oh；〃　he　said；　〃that　was　easy。　　Our　people　gained　so　many　delegates　by　offers　of　patronage　and　threats　of　removal　that　when　I　told　them　you　had　bought　my　delegates　away　from　me；　they　believed　it　without　question；　and　we　are　all　safe　in　our　places　in　the　Custom　House。〃　My　success　was　entirely　due　to　the　farmers'　indignation　at　federal　dictation；　and　the　campaign　did　not　cost　me　a　dollar。

Roscoe　Conkling　was　created　by　nature　for　a　great　career。　　That　he　missed　it　was　entirely　his　own　fault。　　Physically　he　was　the　handsomest　man　of　his　time。　　His　mental　equipment　nearly　approached　genius。　　He　was　industrious　to　a　degree。　　His　oratorical　gifts　were　of　the　highest　order；　and　he　was　a　debater　of　rare　power　and　resources。　　But　his　intolerable　egotism　deprived　him　of　vision　necessary　for　supreme　leadership。　　With　all　his　oratorical　power　and　his　talent　in　debate；　he　made　little　impression　upon　the　country　and　none　upon　posterity。　　His