my memories of eighty years-第31节

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y　to　his　wife。　　The　cowboy　ambassador　asked　the　wife：　　〃Are　you　the　wife　of　…？〃　　She　answered　〃Yes。〃　　〃Well；〃　said　the　ambassador；　〃you　are　mistaken。　　You　are　his　widow。　　I　have　his　body　in　the　wagon。　　You　need　not　feel　bad　about　it；　because　we　hung　him　thinking　he　was　the　horse　thief。　　We　soon　after　found　that　he　was　innocent。　　The　joke　is　on　us。〃

Mr。　Roosevelt　was　intensely　human　and　rarely　tried　to　conceal　his　feelings。　　He　was　to　address　the　New　York　State　Fair　at　Syracuse。　　The　management　invited　me　as　a　United　States　Senator　from　New　York　to　be　present。　　There　were　at　least　twenty　thousand　on　the　fair　ground；　and　Mr。　Roosevelt　read　his　speech；　which　he　had　elaborately　prepared；　detailing　his　scheme　for　harmonizing　the　relations　between　labor　and　capital。　　The　speech　was　long　and　very　able　and　intended　for　publication　all　over　the　country。　　But　his　audience；　who　were　farmers；　were　not　much　interested　in　the　subject。　　Besides；　they　had　been　wearied　wandering　around　the　grounds　and　doing　the　exhibits；　waiting　for　the　meeting　to　begin。　I　know　of　nothing　so　wearisome　to　mind　and　body　as　to　spend　hours　going　through　the　exhibits　of　a　great　fair。　　When　the　president　finished；　the　audience　began　calling　for　me。　　I　was　known　practically　to　every　one　of　them　from　my　long　career　on　the　platform。

Knowing　Roosevelt　as　I　did；　I　was　determined　not　to　speak；　but　the　fair　management　and　the　audience　would　not　be　denied。　　I　paid　the　proper　compliments　to　the　president；　and　then；　knowing　that　humor　was　the　only　possible　thing　with　such　a　tired　crowd；　I　had　a　rollicking　good　time　with　them。　　They　entered　into　the　spirit　of　the　fun　and　responded　in　a　most　uproarious　way。　　I　heard　Roosevelt　turn　to　the　president　of　the　fair　and　say　very　angrily：　　〃You　promised　me；　sir；　that　there　would　be　no　other　speaker。〃

When　I　met　the　president　that　evening　at　a　large　dinner　given　by　Senator　Frank　Hiscock；　he　greeted　me　with　the　utmost　cordiality。　He　was　in　fine　form；　and　early　in　the　dinner　took　entire　charge　of　the　discussion。　　For　three　hours　he　talked　most　interestingly；　and　no　one　else　contributed　a　word。　　Nevertheless；　we　all　enjoyed　the　evening；　and　not　the　least　the　president　himself。

I　used　to　wonder　how　he　found　time；　with　his　great　activities　and　engagements；　to　read　so　much。　　Publishers　frequently　send　me　new　books。　　If　I　thought　they　would　interest　him　I　mentioned　the　work　to　him；　but　invariably　he　had　already　read　it。

When　my　first　term　as　senator　expired　and　the　question　of　my　re…election　was　before　the　legislature；　President　Roosevelt　gave　me　his　most　cordial　and　hearty　support。

Events　to　his　credit　as　president；　which　will　be　monuments　in　history；　are　extraordinary　in　number　and　importance。　　To　mention　only　a　few：　　He　placed　the　Monroe　Doctrine　before　European　governments　upon　an　impregnable　basis　by　his　defiance　to　the　German　Kaiser；　when　he　refused　to　accept　arbitration　and　was　determined　to　make　war　on　Venezuela。　　The　president　cabled：　〃Admiral　Dewey　with　the　Atlantic　Fleet　sails　to…morrow。〃　　And　the　Kaiser　accepted　arbitration。　　Raissuli；　the　Moroccan　bandit；　who　had　seized　and　held　for　ransom　an　American　citizen　named　Perdicaris；　gave　up　his　captive　on　receipt　of　this　cable：　〃Perdicaris　alive　or　Raissuli　dead。〃　　He　settled　the　war　between　Russia　and　Japan　and　won　the　Nobel　prize　for　peace。

Roosevelt　built　the　Panama　Canal　when　other　efforts　had　failed　for　five　hundred　years。　　As　senator　from　his　own　State；　I　was　in　constant　consultation　with　him　while　he　was　urging　legislation　necessary　to　secure　the　concession　for　the　construction　of　the　canal。　　The　difficulties　to　be　overcome　in　both　Houses　seemed　insurmountable；　and　would　have　been　so　except　for　the　marvellous　resourcefulness　and　power　of　the　president。

When　the　Republican　convention　met　in　1908；　I　was　again　delegate　at　large。　　It　was　a　Roosevelt　convention　and　crazy　to　have　him　renominated。　　It　believed　that　he　could　overcome　the　popular　feeling　against　a　third　term。　　Roosevelt　did　not　think　so。　　He　believed　that　in　order　to　make　a　third　term　palatable　there　must　be　an　interval　of　another　and　different　administration。　　When　the　convention　found　that　his　decision　was　unalterably　not　to　accept　the　nomination　himself；　it　was　prepared　to　accept　any　one　he　might　advise。　　He　selected　his　secretary　of　war　and　most　intimate　friend；　William　Howard　Taft。　　Taft　had　a　delightful　personality；　and　won　distinction　upon　the　bench；　and　had　proved　an　admirable　administrator　as　governor　of　the　Philippine　Islands。　After　Mr。　Taft's　election　the　president；　in　order　that　the　new　president　and　his　administration　might　not　be　embarrassed　by　his　presence　and　prestige；　went　on　a　two　years'　trip　abroad。

During　that　trip　he　was　more　in　the　popular　mind　at　home　and　abroad　than　almost　any　one　in　the　world。　　If　he　reviewed　the　German　army　with　the　Kaiser；　the　press　was　full　of　the　common　characteristics　and　differences　between　the　two　men　and　of　the　unprecedented　event　of　the　guest　giving　advice　to　the　Kaiser。

When　he　visited　England　he　told　in　a　public　speech　of　his　experience　in　Egypt；　and　recommended　to　the　English　Government　that；　if　they　expected　to　continue　to　govern　Egypt；　to　begin　to　govern　it。

All　France　was　aghast　and　then　hilarious　when；　in　an　address　before　the　faculties　of　Sorbonne；　he　struck　at　once　at　the　weak　point　of　the　future　and　power　of　France；　and　that　was　race　suicide。



XV。　　UNITED　STATES　SENATE

My　twelve　years　in　the　Senate　were　among　the　happiest　of　my　life。　The　Senate　has　long　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　being　the　best　club　in　the　world；　but　it　is　more　than　that。　　My　old　friend；　Senator　Bacon；　of　Georgia；　often　said　that　he　preferred　the　position　of　senator　to　that　of　either　President　or　Chief　Justice　of　the　United　States。　　There　is　independence　in　a　term　of　six　years　which　is　of　enormous　value　to　the　legislative　work　of　the　senator。　The　member　of　the　House；　who　is　compelled　to　go　before　his　district　every　two　years；　must　spend　most　of　his　time　looking　after　his　re…election。　　Then　the　Senate；　being　a　smaller　body；　the　associations　are　very　close　and　intimate。　　I　do　not　intend　to　go　into　discussion　of　the　measures　which　occupied　the　attention　of　the　Senate　during　my　time。　　They　are　a　part　of　the　history　of　the　world。　　The　value　of　a　work　of　this　kind；　if　it　has　any　value；　is　in　personal　incidents。

One　of　the　most　delightful　associations　of　a　lifetime　personally　and　politically；　was　that　with　Vice…President　James　S。　Sherman。　During　the　twenty…two　years　he　was　in　the　House　of　Representatives　he　rarely　was　in　the　City　of　New　York　without　coming　to　see　me。　He　became　the　best　parliamentarian　in　Congress；　and　was　generally　called　to　the　chair　when　the　House　met　in　committee　of　the　whole。　He　was　intimately　familiar　with　every　political　movement　in　Washington；　and　he　had　a　rare　talent　for　discriminatory　description；　both　of　events　and　analysis　of　the　leading　characters　in　the　Washington　drama。　　He　was　one　of　the　wisest　of　the　advisers　of　the　organization　of　his　party；　both　national　and　State。

When　President　Roosevelt　had　selected　Mr。　Taft　as　his　successor　he　made　no　indication　as　to　the　vice…presidency。　　Of　course；　the　nomination　of　Mr。　Taft　under　such　conditions　was　a　foregone　conclusion；　and　when　the　convention　met　it　was　practically　unanimous　for　Roosevelt's　choice。　　Who　was　the　best　man　to　nominate　for　vice…president　in　order　to　strengthen　the　ticket　embarassed　the　managers　of　the　Taft　campaign。　　The　Republican　congressmen　who　were　at　the　convention　were　practically　unanimous　for　Sherman；　and　their　leader　was　Uncle　Joe　Cannon。　　We　from　New　York　found　the　Taft　managers　discussing　candidates　from　every　doubtful　State。　We　finally　convinced　them　that　New　York　was　the　most　important；　but　they　had　gone　so　far　with　State　candidates　that　it　became　a　serious　question　how　to　get　rid　of　them　without　offending　their　States。

The　method　adopted　by　one　of　the　leading　managers　was　both　adroit　and　hazardous。　　He　would　call　up　a　candidate　on　the　telephone　and　say　to　him：　　〃The　friends　of　Mr。　Taft　are　very　favorable　to　you　for　vice…president。　　Will　you　accept　the　nomination？〃　　The　candidate　would　hesitate　and　begin　to　explain　his　ambitions；　his　career　and　its　possibilities；　and　the　matter　which　he　would　have　to　consider。　Before　the　prospective　candidate　had　finished；　the　manager　would　say；　〃Very　sorry；　deeply　regret；〃　and　put　up　the　telephone。

When　the　nomination　was　made　these　gentlemen　who　might　have　succeeded　would　come　around　to　the　manager　and　say　impatiently　and　indignantly：　　〃I　was　all　right。　　Why　did　you　cut　me　off？〃　However；　those　gentlemen　have　had　their　compensation。　　Whenever　you　meet　one　of　them　he　will　say　to　you：　　〃I　was　offered　the　vice…presidency　with　Taft　but　was　so　situated　that　I　could　not　accept。〃

One　evening　during　the　convention　a　wind　and　rain　storm　drove　everybody　indoors。　　The　great　lobby　of　Congress　Hall　was　crowded；　and　most　of　them　were　delegates。　　Suddenly　there　was　a　loud　call　for　a　speech；　and　some　husky　and　athletic　citizen　seized　and　lifted　me　on　to　a　chair。　　After　a　story　and　a　joke；　which　put　the　crowd　into　a　receptive　mood；　I　made　what　was　practically　a　nominating　speech　for　Sherman。　　The　response　was　intense　and　unanimous。　　When