my memories of eighty years-第25章

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ndidate　when　the　chosen　orator　should　present　their　favorite。

The　gentleman　selected　to　present　Mr。　Blaine　was　eminent　in　business　and　great　enterprises；　but　I　doubt　if　he　had　ever　spoken　before　except　to　a　board　of　directors。　　Of　course；　in　that　vast　hall　such　a　man　was　fearfully　handicapped　and　could　not　be　very　well　heard。　He　closed　by　naming　his　candidate　somewhat　like　this：　　〃I　now　have　the　pleasure　and　honor　of　proposing　as　the　candidate　of　this　convention　that　eminent　statesman；　James　S。　Blaine。〃　　Nearly　every　one　in　the　convention　knew　that　Mr。　Blaine's　middle　name　was　Gillespie。

The　Blaine　followers；　whose　indignation　had　been　growing　throughout　the　speech；　because　they　expected　the　very　highest　type　of　oratory　for　their　favorite；　shouted　in　chorus；　〃G。；　you　fool；　G！〃

When　General　Garfield　was　voted　for；　he　indignantly　repudiated　the　votes　as　an　imputation　upon　his　honor；　as　he　was　there　to　nominate　his　friend；　John　Sherman。　　Senator　George　F。　Hoar；　of　Massachusetts；　presided　at　the　convention。　　He　interrupted　Garfield　by　calling　him　to　order；　as　it　was　not　in　order　to　interrupt　the　calling　of　the　roll；　and　he　did　so　for　fear　that　Garfield　would　go　so　far　as　to　say　he　would　not　accept　the　nomination　if　it　were　made。　　On　the　last　ballot　State　after　State；　each　striving　to　get　ahead　of　the　other；　changed　its　vote　from　Sherman　or　Blaine　to　Garfield；　and　he　was　nominated。

I　sat　close　to　him　as　a　visitor　to　the　Ohio　delegation。　　It　was　a　curious　exhibit　of　the　ambition　of　a　lifetime　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　realized　by　a　highly　sensitive　and　highly　wrought…up　man。　　He　was　so　overcome　that　he　practically　had　to　be　carried　out　of　the　convention　by　his　friends。

Senator　Conkling　was　very　indignant　at　the　result　and　expressed　his　anger　with　his　usual　emphasis　and　picturesqueness。　　The　Ohio　leaders　were　then　anxious　to　placate　New　York；　but　Conkling　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　them。　　They　then　came　to　us；　who　had　been　opposed　to　the　unit　rule；　and　wanted　suggestions　as　to　which　New　Yorker　they　should　select　for　vice…president。　　Levi　P。　Morton　was　suggested。　　Mr。　Morton　said　he　would　accept　if　Senator　Conkling　was　willing　to　agree　to　it；　and　that　he　would　not　act　without　the　senator's　acquiescence；　as　he　was　an　organization　man。　　The　senator　refused　his　consent；　and　told　Mr。　Morton　that　no　friend　of　his　would　go　on　the　ticket。

It　was　then　suggested　that　they　try　General　Arthur；　who　was　Conkling's　first　lieutenant　and　chairman　of　the　Republican　State　Committee　of　New　York。　　Senator　Conkling　made　the　same　answer　to　General　Arthur；　but　he　frankly　said　to　Conkling：　　〃Such　an　honor　and　opportunity　comes　to　very　few　of　the　millions　of　Americans；　and　to　that　man　but　once。　　No　man　can　refuse　it；　and　I　will　not。〃　And　so　General　Arthur　was　nominated　for　vice…president。



X。　　GROVER　CLEVELAND

Grover　Cleveland　was　a　remarkable　man。　　He　had　more　political　courage　of　the　General　Jackson　type　than　almost　any　man　who　ever　held　great　responsible　positions。　　He　defied　Tammany　Hall　while　governor　of　the　State；　and　repeatedly　challenged　the　strongest　elements　of　his　party　while　president。　　Threats　of　defeat　or　retaliation　never　moved　him。　　If　he　had　once　made　up　his　mind　and　believed　he　was　right；　no　suggestions　of　expediency　or　of　popularity　had　any　influence　on　him。

In　personal　intercourse　he　made　friends　and　had　great　charm。　The　campaign　against　him　when　he　ran　for　governor　of　New　York　was　ruthlessly　conducted。　　I　considered　the　actions　of　his　enemies　as　unfair　and　that　they　would　react　in　the　canvass。　　I　studiously　discredited　all　in　my　speeches；　and　begged　our　people　not　to　feature　them。

I　knew　Mr。　Cleveland；　and　as　an　evidence　of　my　appreciation　of　his　character　and　ability；　when　the　office　of　general　counsel　of　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　at　Buffalo　became　vacant；　I　offered　it　to　him；　saying：　　〃I　am　exceedingly　anxious　that　you　should　accept　this　place。　　I　think；　by　an　adjustment　of　the　administration　of　your　office；　you　can　retain　your　private　practice；　and　this　will　add　about　fifteen　thousand　dollars　a　year　to　your　income。〃

Mr。　Cleveland　replied：　　〃I　have　a　very　definite　plan　of　life　and　have　decided　how　much　work　I　can　do　without　impairing　my　health；　and　how　much　of　additional　responsibility　I　can　assume。　　I　have　accumulated　about　seventy…five　thousand　dollars　and　my　practice　yields　me　an　income　which　is　sufficient　for　my　wants　and　a　prudent　addition　for　my　old　age　to　my　capital。　　No　amount　of　money　whatever　would　tempt　me　to　add　to　or　increase　my　present　work。〃

I　doubt　if　there　were　many　lawyers　in　the　United　States　who　had　that　philosophy　or　control　of　their　ambitions。　　His　annual　income　from　his　profession　was　considerably　less　than　the　compensation　offered　by　the　general　counselship　of　the　New　York　Central。

Cleveland　was　most　satisfactory　as　president　in　his　quick　and　decisive　judgment　upon　matters　presented　to　him。　　There　were　no　delays；　no　revisions；　in　fact；　no　diplomatic　methods　of　avoiding　a　disagreeable　decision。　　He　told　you　in　the　briefest　time　and　in　the　clearest　way　what　he　would　do。

A　great　social　leader　and　arbiter　in　social　affairs　in　New　York　was　very　desirous　that　the　president　should　reverse　his　judgment　in　regard　to　an　appointment　affecting　a　member　of　his　family。　I　gave　him　a　letter　which　procured　him　a　personal　and　confidential　interview。　　When　he　came　back　to　me　he　said：　　〃That　is　the　most　extraordinary　man　I　ever　saw。　　After　he　had　heard　me　through；　he　said　he　understood　the　matter　thoroughly　and　would　not　change　his　opinion　or　action。　　He　has　no　social　position　and　never　had。　I　tried　to　present　its　attractions　and　my　ability　to　help　him　in　that　regard；　but　he　only　laughed；　yes；　he　positively　laughed。〃

While　President　Hayes　had　difficulty　with　civil…service　reform　and　incurred　the　hostility　of　the　Republican　organization　and　machine　men；　the　situation　with　him　was　far　less　difficult　than　it　was　with　Cleveland；　who　was　a　sincere　civil…service　reformer；　and　also　an　earnest　Democrat。　　While　a　Democratic　senator　from　Ohio；　Mr。　Pendleton；　had　passed　a　bill　during　the　Hayes　administration　for　reform　in　the　civil　service；　the　great　majority　of　the　Democratic　party　believed　in　Secretary　Marcy's　declaration　that　〃to　the　victors　belong　the　spoils。〃

There　was　an　aggravation；　also；　growing　out　of　the　fact　that　the　Democrats　had　been　out　of　office　for　twenty…four　years。　　We　can　hardly　visualize　or　conceive　now　of　their　hunger　for　office。　The　rule　for　rescuing　people　dying　of　starvation　is　to　feed　them　in　very　small　quantities；　and　frequently。　　By　trying　this；　the　president　became　one　of　the　most　unpopular　of　men　who　had　ever　held　office；　in　fact；　so　unpopular　among　the　Democratic　senators　and　members　of　the　House　that　a　story　which　Zebulon　Vance；　of　North　Carolina；　told　went　all　over　the　country　and　still　survives。　Vance；　who　had　a　large　proportion　of　the　citizens　of　North　Carolina　on　his　waiting　list；　and　could　get　none　of　them　appointed；　said　that　the　situation；　which　ought　to　be　one　of　rejoicing　at　the　election　of　a　president　by　his　own　party；　was　like　that　of　a　client　of　his　who　had　inherited　a　farm　from　his　father。　　There　were　so　many　difficulties　about　the　title　and　getting　possession　of　it　and　delay；　that　the　son　said：　　〃I　almost　wished　father　had　not　died。〃

However；　Mr。　Cleveland；　in　his　deliberate　way　did　accomplish　the　impossible。　　He　largely　regained　favor　with　his　party　by　satisfying　their　demands；　and　at　the　same　time　so　enlarged　the　scope　of　civil…service　requirements　as　to　receive　the　commendation　of　the　two　great　leaders　of　the　civil…service　movementGeorge　William　Curtis　and　Carl　Schurz。

President　Cleveland　entered　upon　his　second　term　with　greater　popularity　in　the　country　than　most　of　his　predecessors。　　When　he　retired　from　office；　it　was　practically　by　unanimous　consent。　It　is　among　the　tragedies　of　public　life　that　he　lost　entirely　the　confidence　of　his　party　and；　in　a　measure；　of　the　whole　people　by　rendering　to　his　country　the　greatest　public　service。

A　strike　of　the　men　on　the　railroads　tied　up　transportation。　Railroads　are　the　arteries　of　travel；　commerce；　and　trade。　　To　stop　them　is　to　prevent　the　transportation　of　provisions　or　of　coal；　to　starve