my memories of eighty years-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　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　position　in　the　Senate　was　a　masterful　one；　and　on　the　platform　most　attractive；　but　none　of　his　speeches　appear　in　the　schoolbooks　or　in　the　collections　of　great　orations。　The　reason　was　that　his　wonderful　gifts　were　wholly　devoted　to　partisan　discussions　and　local　issues。

His　friends　regarded　his　philippic　against　George　W。　Curtis　at　the　Republican　State　convention　at　Rochester　as　the　high…water　mark　of　his　oratory。　　I　sat　in　the　seat　next　to　Mr。　Curtis　when　Conkling　delivered　his　famous　attack。　　His　admirers　thought　this　the　best　speech　he　ever　made；　and　it　certainly　was　a　fine　effort；　emphasized　by　oratory　of　a　high　order；　and　it　was　received　by　them　with　the　wildest　enthusiasm　and　applause。

The　assault　upon　Mr。　Curtis　was　exceedingly　bitter；　the　denunciation　very　severe；　and　every　resource　of　sarcasm；　of　which　Mr。　Conkling　was　past　master；　was　poured　upon　the　victim。　　His　bitterness　was　caused　by　Mr。　Curtis's　free　criticism　of　him　on　various　occasions。　The　speech　lasted　two　hours；　and　it　was　curious　to　note　its　effect　upon　Mr。　Curtis。　　Under　the　rules　which　the　convention　had　adopted；　he　could　not　reply；　so　he　had　to　sit　and　take　it。　　The　only　feeling　or　evidence　of　being　hurt　by　his　punishment　was　in　exclamations　at　different　points　made　by　his　assailant。　　They　were：　　〃Remarkable！〃　〃Extraordinary！〃　　〃What　an　exhibition！〃　　〃Bad　temper！〃　　〃Very　bad　temper！〃

In　the　long　controversy　between　them　Mr。　Curtis　had　the　advantages　which　the　journalist　always　possesses。　　The　orator　has　one　opportunity　on　the　platform　and　the　publication　the　next　day　in　the　press。　　The　editorand　Mr。　Curtis　was　at　that　time　editor　of　Harper's　Weeklycan　return　every　Saturday　and　have　an　exclusive　hearing　by　an　audience　limited　only　by　the　circulation　of　his　newspaper　and　the　quotations　from　it　by　journalistic　friends。

The　speech　illustrated　ConkIing's　methods　of　preparation。　　I　used　to　hear　from　the　senator's　friends　very　frequently　that　he　had　added　another　phrase　to　his　characterization　of　Curtis。　　While　he　was　a　ready　deba