my memories of eighty years-第33节

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On　our　way　home　we　stopped　for　luncheon　at　a　place　outside　of　Charleston。　　During　the　luncheon　an　earthquake　shook　the　table　and　rattled　the　plates。　　I　was　called　upon　to　make　the　farewell　address　for　the　Gridiron　Club　to　the　State　of　South　Carolina。　Of　course　the　earthquake　and　its　possibilities　gave　an　opportunity　for　pathos　as　well　as　humor；　and　Tillman　was　deeply　affected。　When　we　were　on　the　train　he　came　to　me　and　with　great　emotion　grasped　my　hand　and　said：　　〃Chauncey　Depew；　I　was　mistaken　about　you。　　You　are　a　damn　good　fellow。〃　　And　we　were　good　friends　until　he　died。

I　asked　Tillman　to　what　he　owed　his　phenomenal　rise　and　strength　in　the　conservative　State　of　South　Carolina。　　He　answered：　　〃We　in　our　State　were　governed　by　a　class　during　the　colonial　period　and　afterwards　until　the　end　of　the　Civil　War。　　They　owned　large　plantations；　hundreds　of　thousands　of　negroes；　were　educated　for　public　life；　represented　our　State　admirably；　and　did　great　service　to　the　country。　　They　were　aristocrats　and　paid　little　attention　to　us　poor　farmers；　who　constituted　the　majority　of　the　people。　　The　only　difference　between　us　was　that　they　had　been　colonels　or　generals　in　the　Revolutionary　War；　or　delegates　to　the　Continental　Congress　or　the　Constitutional　Convention；　while　we　had　been　privates；　corporals；　or　sergeants。　　They　generally　owned　a　thousand　slaves；　and　we　had　from　ten　to　thirty。　　I　made　up　my　mind　that　we　should　have　a　share　of　the　honors；　and　they　laughed　at　me。　　I　organized　the　majority　and　put　the　old　families　out　of　business；　and　we　became　and　are　the　rulers　of　the　State。〃

Among　the　most　brilliant　debaters　of　any　legislative　body　were　Senators　Joseph　W。　Bailey；　of　Texas；　and　John　C。　Spooner；　of　Wisconsin。　　They　would　have　adorned　and　given　distinction　to　any　legislative　body　in　the　world。　　Senator　Albert　J。　Beveridge；　of　Indiana；　and　Senator　Joseph　B。　Foraker；　of　Ohio；　were　speakers　of　a　very　high　type。　　The　Senate　still　has　the　statesmanship；　eloquence；　scholarship；　vision；　and　culture　of　Senator　Lodge；　of　Massachusetts。

One　of　the　wonders　of　the　Senate　was　Senator　W。　M。　Crane；　of　Massachusetts。　　He　never　made　a　speech。　　I　do　not　remember　that　he　ever　made　a　motion。　　Yet　he　was　the　most　influential　member　of　that　body。　　His　wisdom；　tact；　sound　judgment；　encyclopaedic　knowledge　of　public　affairs　and　of　public　men　made　him　an　authority。

Senator　Hanna；　who　was　a　business　man　pure　and　simple；　and　wholly　unfamiliar　with　legislative　ways；　developed　into　a　speaker　of　remarkable　force　and　influence。　　At　the　same　time；　on　the　social　side；　with　his　frequent　entertainments；　he　did　more　for　the　measures　in　which　he　was　interested。　　They　were　mainly；　of　course；　of　a　financial　and　economic　character。

One　of　the　characters　of　the　Senate；　and　one　of　the　upheavals　of　the　Populist　movement　was　Senator　Jeff。　Davis；　of　Arkansas。　Davis　was　loudly；　vociferously；　and　clamorously　a　friend　of　the　people。　　Precisely　what　he　did　to　benefit　the　people　was　never　very　clear；　but　if　we　must　take　his　word　for　it；　he　was　the　only　friend　the　people　had。　　Among　his　efforts　to　help　the　people　was　to　denounce　big　business　of　all　kinds　and　anything　which　gave　large　employment　or　had　great　capital。　　I　think　that　in　his　own　mind　the　ideal　state　would　have　been　made　of　small　landowners　and　an　occasional　lawyer。　　He　himself　was　a　lawyer。

One　day　he　attacked　me；　as　I　was　sitting　there　listening　to　him；　in　a　most　vicious　way；　as　the　representative　of　big　corporations；　especially　railroads；　and　one　of　the　leading　men　in　the　worst　city　in　the　world；　New　York；　and　as　the　associate　of　bankers　and　capitalists。　　When　he　finished　Senator　Crane　went　over　to　his　seat　and　told　him　that　he　had　made　a　great　mistake；　warned　him　that　he　had　gone　so　far　that　I　might　be　dangerous　to　him　personally；　but　in　addition　to　that；　with　my　ridicule　and　humor；　I　would　make　him　the　laughing…stock　of　the　Senate　and　of　the　country。　　Jeff；　greatly　alarmed；　waddled　over　to　my　seat　and　said：　　〃Senator　Depew；　I　hope　you　did　not　take　seriously　what　I　said。　　I　did　not　mean　anything　against　you。　　I　won't　do　it　again；　but　I　thought　that　you　would　not　care；　because　it　won't　hurt　you；　and　it　does　help　me　out　in　Arkansas。〃　　I　replied：　　〃Jeff；　old　man；　if　it　helps　you；　do　it　as　often　as　you　like。〃　　Needless　to　say；　he　did　not　repeat。

I　have　always　been　deeply　interested　in　the　preservation　of　the　forests　and　a　warm　advocate　of　forest　preservers。　　I　made　a　study　of　the　situation　of　the　Appalachian　Mountains；　where　the　lumberman　was　doing　his　worst；　and　millions　of　acres　of　fertile　soil　from　the　denuded　hills　were　being　swept　by　the　floods　into　the　ocean　every　year。　　I　made　a　report　from　my　committee　for　the　purchase　of　this　preserve；　affecting；　as　it　did；　eight　States；　and　supported　it　in　a　speech。　　Senator　Eugene　HaIe；　a　Senate　leader　of　controlling　influence；　had　been　generally　opposed　to　this　legislation。　　He　became　interested；　and；　when　I　had　finished　my　speech；　came　over　to　me　and　said：　　〃I　never　gave　much　attention　to　this　subject。　You　have　convinced　me　and　this　bill　should　be　passed　at　once；　and　I　will　make　the　motion。〃　　Several　senators　from　the　States　affected　asked　for　delay　in　order　that　they　might　deliver　speeches　for　local　consumption。　　The　psychological　moment　passed　and　that　legislation　could　not　be　revived　until　ten　years　afterwards；　and　then　in　a　seriously　modified　form。

I　worked　very　hard　for　the　American　mercantile　marine。　　A　subsidy　of　four　million　dollars　a　year　in　mail　contracts　would　have　been　sufficient；　in　addition　to　the　earnings　of　the　ships；　to　have　given　us　lines　to　South　and　Central　America；　Australia；　and　Asia。

Shakespeare's　famous　statement　that　a　rose　by　any　other　name　would　smell　as　sweet　has　exceptions。　　In　the　psychology　of　the　American　mind　the　word　subsidy　is　fatal　to　any　measure。　　After　the　most　careful　investigation；　while　I　was　in　the　Senate；　I　verified　this　statement；　that　a　mail　subsidy　of　four　millions　a　year　would　give　to　the　United　States　a　mercantile　marine　which　would　open　new　trade　routes　for　our　commerce。　　This　contribution　would　enable　the　ship…owners　to　meet　the　losses　which　made　it　impossible　for　them　to　compete　with　the　ships　of　other　countries；　some　having　subsidies　and　all　under　cheaper　expenses　of　operation。　It　would　not　all　be　a　contribution　because　part　of　it　was　a　legitimate　charge　for　carrying　the　mails。　　The　word　subsidy；　however；　could　be　relied　upon　to　start　a　flood　of　fiery　oratory；　charging　that　the　people　of　the　United　States　were　to　be　taxed　to　pour　money　into　the　pockets　of　speculators　in　New　York　and　financial　crooks　in　Wall　Street。

We　have　now　created　a　mercantile　marine　through　the　Shipping　Board　which　is　the　wonder　and　amazement　of　the　world。　　It　has　cost　about　five　hundred　millions。　　Part　of　it　is　junk　already；　and　a　part　available　is　run　at　immense　loss；　owing　to　discriminatory　laws。　Recently　a　bill　was　presented　to　Congress　for　something　like　sixty　millions　of　dollars　to　make　up　the　losses　in　the　operations　of　our　mercantile　marine　for　the　year。　　While　a　subsidy　of　four　millions　under　private　management　would　have　been　a　success　but　was　vetoed　as　a　crime；　the　sixty　millions　are　hailed　as　a　patriotic　contribution　to　public　necessity。

A　river　and　harbor　bill　of　from　thirty　to　fifty　millions　of　dollars　was　eagerly　anticipated　and　enthusiastically　supported。　　It　was　known　to　be　a　give　and　take；　a　swap　and　exchange；　where　a　few　indispensable　improvements　had　to　carry　a　large　number　of　dredgings　of　streams；　creeks；　and　bayous；　which　never　could　be　made　navigable。　Many　millions　a　year　were　thrown　away　in　these　river　and　harbor　bills；　but　four　millions　a　year　to　restore　the　American　mercantile　marine　aroused　a　flood　of　indignant　eloquence；　fierce　protest；　and　wild　denunciation　of　capitalists；　who　would　build　and　own　ships；　and　it　was　always　fatal　to　the　mercantile　marine。

Happily　the　war　has；　among　its　benefits；　demonstrated　to　the　interior　and　mountain　States　that　a　merchant　marine　is　as　necessary　to　the　United　States　as　its　navy；　and　that　we　cannot　hope　to　expand　and　retain　our　trade　unless　we　have　the　ships。

I　remember　one　year　when　the　river　and　harbor　bill　came　up　for　passage　on　the　day　before　final　adjournment。　　The　hour　had　been　fixed　by　both　Houses；　and；　therefore；　could　not　be　extended　by　one　House。　　The　administration　was　afraid　of　the　bill　because　of　the　many　indefensible　extravagances　there　were　in　it。　　At　the　same　time；　it　had　so　many　political　possibilities　that　the　president　was　afraid　to　veto　it。　　Senator　Carter　was　always　a　loyal　administration　man；　and　so　he　was　put　forward　to　talk　the　bill　to　death。　　He　kept　it　up　without　yielding　the　floor　for　thirteen　hours；　and　until　the　hour　of　adjournment　made　action　upon　the　measure　impossible。

I　sat　there　all　night　long；　watching　this　remarkable　effort。　　The　usual　obstructor　soon　uses　up　all　his　own　material　and　then　sends　pages　of　irrelevant　matter　to　the　desk　for　the　clerk　to　read；　or　he　reads　himself　from　the　pages　of　the　Record；　or　from　books；　but　Carter　stuck　to　his　text。　　He　was　a　man　of　wit　and　humor。　Many　items　in　the　river　and　harbor　bill　furnished　him　with　an　opportunity　of　showing　how　creeks　and　trout　streams　were　to　be　turned　by　the