my memories of eighty years-第61节

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tory　may　prove　a　boomerang　in　the　most　unexpected　way。

For　many　years；　when　I　spoke　in　northern　New　York　I　was　always　met　at　the　Syracuse　station　by　a　superintendent　of　the　Lackawanna　Railroad　with　a　special　train　filled　with　friends。　　He　carried　me　up　to　my　destination　and　brought　me　back　in　the　morning。　　It　was　his　great　day　of　the　year；　and　during　the　trip　he　was　full　of　reminiscences；　and　mainly　of　the　confidences　reposed　in　him　by　the　president　of　the　road；　my　old　and　valued　friend；　Samuel　Sloan。

One　fall　he　failed　to　appear；　and　there　was　no　special　train　to　meet　me。　　I　was　told　by　friends　that　the　reason　was　his　wife　had　died　and　he　was　in　mourning。　　The　morning　after　the　meeting　I　started　to　call　upon　him；　but　was　informed　that　he　was　very　hostile　and　would　not　see　me。　　I　was　not　going　to　lose　an　old　friend　like　that　and　went　up　to　his　office。　　As　soon　as　I　entered；　he　said：　〃Go　away；　I　don't　want　to　see　you　again。〃　　I　appealed　to　him；　saying：　　〃I　cannot　lose　so　good　a　friend　as　you。　　If　there　is　anything　I　have　done　or　said；　I　will　do　everything　in　my　power　to　make　it　right。〃　　He　turned　on　me　sharply　and　with　great　emotion　told　this　story：　　〃My　wife　and　I　lived　in　loving　harmony　for　over　thirty　years；　and　when　she　died　recently　I　was　heartbroken。　　The　whole　town　was　sympathetic；　most　of　the　business　houses　closed　during　the　hour　of　the　funeral。　　I　had　arranged　to　have　ministers　whom　my　wife　admired；　and　with　them　selected　passages　of　scriptures　and　hymns　to　which　she　was　devoted。　　A　new　minister　in　town　was　invited　by　the　others　to　participate；　and　without　my　knowledge。　I　looked　over　the　congregation；　all　Mary's　friends。　　I　listened　to　the　services；　which　Mary　herself　would　have　chosen；　and　said　to　Mary's　spirit；　which　I　knew　to　be　hovering　about：　　'We　are　all　paying　you　a　loving　tribute。'　　Then　the　new　minister　had　for　his　part　the　announcement　and　reading　of　a　hymn。　　At　the　last　Republican　convention　at　Saratoga；　in　order　to　illustrate　the　condition　of　the　Democratic　party；　you　told　a　story　about　a　boy　walking　among　the　children's　graves　in　the　old　cemetery　at　Peekskill；　eating　green　apples　and　whistling　'Nearer；　my　God；　to　Thee。'　　The　new　minister　gave　that　hymn；　'Nearer；　my　God；　to　Thee。'　　Your　story　came　up　in　my　mind；　and　I　burst　out　laughing。　　I　disgraced　myself；　insulted　the　memory　of　Mary；　and　I　never　want　to　see　you　again。〃



XXI。　　NATIONAL　REPUBLICAN　CONVENTIONS

When　the　Republican　convention　met　in　1912　I　was　again　a　delegate。　In　my　fifty…six　years　of　national　conventions　I　never　had　such　an　intensely　disagreeable　experience。　　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　support　President　Taft　for　renomination。　　I　thought　he　had　earned　it　by　his　excellent　administration。　　I　had　many　ties　with　him；　beginning　with　our　associations　as　graduates　of　Yale；　and　held　for　him　a　most　cordial　regard。　　I　was　swayed　by　my　old　and　unabated　love　for　Roosevelt。　　In　that　compromise　and　harmony　were　impossible。　I　saw　that；　with　the　control　of　the　organization　and　of　the　convention　on　the　side　of　Mr。　Taft；　and　with　the　wild　support　for　Roosevelt　of　the　delegates　from　the　States　which　could　be　relied　upon　to　give　Republican　majorities；　the　nomination　of　either　would　be　sure　defeat。

I　was　again　a　delegate　to　the　Republican　convention　of　1916。　The　party　was　united。　　Progressives　and　conservatives　were　acting　together；　and　the　convention　was　in　the　happiest　of　moods。　　It　was　generally　understood　that　Justice　Hughes　would　be　nominated　if　he　could　be　induced　to　resign　from　the　Supreme　Court　and　accept。　The　presiding　officer　of　the　convention　was　Senator　Warren　G。　Harding。　He　made　a　very　acceptable　keynote　speech。　　His　fine　appearance；　his　fairness；　justice；　and　good　temper　as　presiding　officer　captured　the　convention。　　There　was　a　universal　sentiment　that　if　Hughes　declined　the　party　could　do　no　better　than　to　nominate　Senator　Harding。　　It　was　this　impression　among　the　delegates；　many　of　whom　were　also　members　of　the　convention　of　1920；　which　led　to　the　selection　as　the　convention's　candidate　for　president　of　Warren　G。　Harding。

My　good　mother　was　a　Presbyterian　and　a　good　Calvinist。　　She　believed　and　impressed　upon　me　the　certainty　of　special　Providence。　It　is　hard　for　a　Republican　to　think　that　the　election　of　Woodrow　Wilson　was　a　special　Providence；　but　if　our　candidate；　Mr。　Hughes；　had　been　elected　he　would　have　had　a　hostile　Democratic　majority　in　Congress。

When　the　United　States　went　into　the　war；　as　it　must　have　done；　the　president　would　have　been　handicapped　by　this　pacifist　Congress。　The　draft　would　have　been　refused；　without　which　our　army　of　four　millions　could　not　have　been　raised。　　The　autocratic　measures　necessary　for　the　conduct　of　the　war　would　have　been　denied。　With　the　conflict　between　the　executive　and　Congress；　our　position　would　have　been　impossible　and　indefensible。

I　had　a　personal　experience　in　the　convention。　　Chairman　Harding　sent　one　of　the　secretaries　to　me　with　a　message　that　there　was　an　interval　of　about　an　hour　when　the　convention　would　have　nothing　to　do。　　It　was　during　such　a　period　the　crank　had　his　opportunity　and　the　situation　was　dangerous；　and　he　wished　me　to　come　to　the　platform　and　fill　as　much　of　that　hour　as　possible。　　I　refused　on　the　ground　that　I　was　wholly　unprepared；　and　it　would　be　madness　to　attempt　to　speak　to　fourteen　thousand　people　in　the　hall　and　a　hundred　million　outside。

A　few　minutes　afterwards　Governor　Whitman；　chairman　of　the　New　York　delegation；　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃You　must　be　drafted。　　The　chairman　will　create　some　business　to　give　you　fifteen　minutes　to　think　up　your　speech。〃　　I　spurred　my　gray　matter　as　never　before；　and　was　then　introduced　and　spoke　for　forty…five　minutes。　　I　was　past　eighty…two。　　The　speech　was　a　success；　but　when　I　returned　to　my　seat　I　remembered　what　General　Garfield　had　so　earnestly　said　to　me：　　〃You　are　the　only　man　of　national　reputation　who　will　speak　without　preparation。　　Unless　you　peremptorily　and　decisively　stop　yielding　you　will　some　day　make　such　a　failure　as　to　destroy　the　reputation　of　a　lifetime。〃

In　a　letter　President　Harding　has　this　to　say　in　reference　to　the　occasion：　　〃Just　about　a　year　ago　（1916）　it　was　my　privilege　as　chairman　of　the　Republican　convention　at　Chicago　to　call　upon　you　for　an　address。　　There　was　a　hiatus　which　called　for　a　speech；　and　you　so　wonderfully　met　the　difficult　requirements　that　I　sat　in　fascinated　admiration　and　have　been　ready　ever　since　to　pay　you　unstinted　tribute。　　You　were　ever　eloquent　in　your　more　active　years；　but　I　count　you　the　old　man　eloquent　and　incomparable　in　your　eighties。　　May　many　more　helpful　and　happy　years　be　yours。〃

I　was　again　a　delegate　to　the　convention　in　June；　1920。　　The　Republicans　had　been　for　eight　years　out　of　office　during　Mr。　Wilson's　two　terms。　　The　delegates　were　exceedingly　anxious　to　make　no　mistake　and　have　no　friction　in　the　campaign。

The　two　leading　candidates；　General　Wood　and　Governor　Lowden；　had　nearly　equal　strength　and　were　supported　by　most　enthusiastic　admirers　and　advocates。　　As　the　balloting　continued　the　rivalry　and　feeling　grew　between　their　friends。　　It　became　necessary　to　harmonize　the　situation　and　it　was　generally　believed　that　this　could　be　best　done　by　selecting　Senator　Warren　G。　Harding。

Very　few　conventions　have　a　dramatic　surprise；　but　the　nomination　of　Governor　Coolidge；　of　Massachusetts；　for　vice…president　came　about　in　a　very　picturesque　way。　　He　had　been　named　for　president　among　the　others；　and　the　speech　in　his　behalf　by　Speaker　Frederick　H。　Gillett　was　an　excellent　one。　　Somehow　the　convention　did　not　seem　to　grasp　all　that　the　governor　stood　for　and　how　strong　he　was　with　each　delegate。　　When　the　nominations　for　vice…president　were　called　for；　Senator　Medill　McCormick　presented　Senator　Lenroot；　of　Wisconsin；　in　an　excellent　speech。　　There　were　also　very　good　addresses　on　behalf　of　the　Governor　of　Kansas　and　others。

When　the　balloting　was　about　to　start；　a　delegate　from　Oregon　who　was　in　the　rear　of　the　hall　arose　and　said：　　〃Mr。　Chairman。〃　The　chairman　said：　　〃The　gentleman　from　Oregon。〃　　The　Oregon　delegate；　in　a　far…reaching　voice；　shouted：　　〃Mr。　Chairman；　I　nominate　for　vice…president　Calvin　Coolidge；　a　one…hundred…per…cent　American。〃　　The　convention　went　off　its　feet　with　a　whoop　and　Coolidge　was　nominated　hands　down。

I　again　had　a　personal　experience。　　The　committee　on　resolutions；　not　being　prepared　to　report；　there　was　that　interval　of　no　business　which　is　the　despair　of　presiding　officers　of　conventions。　The　crowd　suddenly　began　calling　for　me。　　While；　of　course；　I　had　thought　much　on　the　subject；　I　had　not　expected　to　be　called　upon　and　had　no　prepared　speech。　　Happily；　fifteen　thousand　faces　and　fifteen　thousand　voices　giving　uproarious　welcome　both　steadied　and　inspired　me。　　Though　I　was　past　eighty…six　years　of　age；　my　voice　was　in　as　good　condition　as　at　forty；　and　was　practically　the　only　one　which　did　fill　that　vast　auditorium。　　The　press　of　the　country　featured　the　effort　next　day　in　a　way　which　was　most　gratifying。

Among　the　thousands　who　greeted　me　on　the　streets　and　in　the　hotel　lobbies　with　congratulations　and　efforts　to　say　something　agreeable　and　complimentary；　I　selected　one　compliment　as　unique。