my memories of eighty years-第28章

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nty　of　President　Harrison's　renomination。　　I　doubt　if　there　was　a　reliable　majority；　but　the　announcement　of　this　result　brought　enough　of　those　always　anxious　to　get　on　the　band…wagon　to　make　it　certain。

Soon　after　arriving　home　I　received　a　letter　from　the　owner　of　the　cane。　　He　wrote：　　〃I　was　very　angry　when　you　broke　my　cane。　It　was　a　valued　birthday　present　from　my　children。　　It　is　now　in　a　glass　case　in　my　library；　and　on　the　case　is　this　label：　　'This　cane　nominated　a　president　of　the　United　States。'〃

Mr。　McKinley；　then　Governor　of　Ohio；　presided　at　the　convention。　I　stood　close　beside　him　when　I　made　my　speech　for　Harrison's　renomination。　　While　thoroughly　prepared；　the　speech　was　in　a　way　extemporaneous　to　meet　calls　or　objections。　　In　the　midst　of　a　sentence　McKinley　said　to　me　in　a　loud　voice：　　〃You　are　making　a　remarkably　fine　speech。〃　　The　remark　threw　me　off　my　balance　as　an　opposition　would　never　have　done。　　I　lost　the　continuity　and　came　near　breaking　down；　but　happily　the　applause　gave　me　time　to　get　again　upon　the　track。

Among　my　colleagues　in　the　New　York　delegation　was　James　W。　Husted。　General　Husted　was　very　ill　and　unable　to　leave　his　room　during　the　convention。　　He　sent　for　me　one　morning　and　said：　　〃I　have　just　had　a　call　from　Governor　McKinley。　　He　says　that　you　have　the　power　to　nominate　him；　and　that　Harrison　cannot　be　nominated。　If　you　will　direct　the　Harrison　forces　for　him；　he　will　be　the　next　president。〃

I　told　Husted　I　was　enlisted　for　the　war　and；　while　having　a　great　admiration　for　McKinley；　it　was　impossible。

Soon　after　arriving　home　I　received　an　invitation　from　the　president　to　visit　him　at　Washington。　　I　took　the　night　train；　arriving　there　in　the　morning。　　My　appointment　was　to　lunch　with　him。

During　the　morning　Stephen　B。　Elkins；　then　secretary　of　war；　called　and　asked　me　to　take　a　walk。　　While　we　were　walking　he　told　me　that　the　president　was　going　to　offer　me　the　secretaryship　of　state；　in　succession　to　Mr。　Blaine；　and　that　I　ought　to　accept。　He　then　led　me　to　the　State　Department　and　pointed　to　the　portraits　on　the　walls　of　the　different　secretaries；　commencing　with　Thomas　Jefferson。　　Elkins　said　that　to　be　in　that　list　was　a　greater　distinction　than　to　be　on　the　walls　of　the　White　House；　because　these　men　are　of　far　greater　eminence。

After　luncheon　the　president　invited　me　into　the　Blue　Room；　and　with　a　great　deal　of　emotion　said：　　〃You　are　the　only　man　who　has　ever　unselfishly　befriended　me。　　It　was　largely　through　your　efforts　that　I　became　president；　and　I　am　greatly　indebted　to　you　for　my　renomination。　　I　have　tried　my　best　to　show　my　appreciation　by　asking　you　into　my　Cabinet　and　otherwise；　but　you　have　refused　everything　I　have　heretofore　offered。　　I　now　want　to　give　you　the　best　I　have；　which　is　secretary　of　state。　　It　is　broken　bread；　because　if　I　am　not　re…elected　it　will　be　only　till　the　4th　of　March；　but　if　I　am　re…elected　it　will　be　for　four　years　more。　　I　personally　want　you　in　my　Cabinet。〃

I　told　the　president　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　accept；　that　even　if　I　resigned　my　presidency　of　the　railroad；　coming　directly　from　that　position　would　bring　the　railroad　question；　which　was　very　acute；　into　the　canvass。　　He　said　he　did　not　think　there　was　anything　in　that；　but　I　realized　that　if　he　was　defeated　his　defeat　would　be　charged　to　having　made　that　mistake。

He　then　said：　　〃Well；　how　about　it　if　I　am　re…elected？〃　　I　told　him　that　I　would　regard　the　appointment　the　greatest　of　honors；　and　the　associations　the　most　pleasurable　of　a　lifetime。

〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　appoint　Mr。　John　W。　Foster；　who　has　been　doing　excellent　service　for　the　State　Department；　until　next　4th　of　March；　and　you　can　prepare　to　come　here　upon　that　date。〃

The　most　painful　thing　that　was　connected　with　the　canvass　at　Minneapolis　before　the　convention　was　the　appearance　of　Mr。　Blaine　as　a　candidate。　　He　had　resigned　from　the　Cabinet　and　yielded　to　the　pressure　of　his　friends　to　become　a　candidate。

Notwithstanding　my　interview　and　what　he　had　said；　he　sent　no　word　whatever　to　me；　and　personally　I　had　no　information　and　no　notification　that　his　candidacy　was　authorized　by　himself。　　What　gave；　however；　much　authority　to　the　statement　that　he　would　accept　the　nomination　was　the　appearance　of　his　son；　Emmons；　among　those　who　were　endeavoring　to　bring　it　about。

There　has　never　been　a　statesman　in　our　public　life；　except　Henry　Clay；　who　had　such　devoted　friends　as　Mr。　Blaine。　　While　Henry　Clay　never　reached　the　presidency　and　was　fairly　defeated　in　his　attempt；　there　is　no　doubt　that　Mr。　Blaine　was　elected　in　1884；　and　that　notwithstanding　the　Burchard　misfortune；　he　would　still　have　been　a　victor　except　for　transparent　frauds　in　New　York。

General　Harrison　was　by　far　the　ablest　and　profoundest　lawyer　among　our　presidents。　　None　of　them　equalled　him　as　an　orator。　His　State　papers　were　of　a　very　high　order。　　When　history　sums　up　the　men　who　have　held　the　great　place　of　president　of　the　United　States；　General　Harrison　will　be　among　the　foremost。

He　retired　from　office；　like　many　of　our　presidents；　a　comparatively　poor　man。　　After　retirement　he　entered　at　once　upon　the　practice　of　his　profession　of　the　law　and　almost　immediately　became　recognized　as　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　American　bar。



XII。　　JAMES　G。　BLAINE

I　have　spoken　in　every　national　canvass；　beginning　with　1856。　It　has　been　an　interesting　experience　to　be　on　the　same　platform　as　an　associate　speaker　with　nearly　every　man　in　the　country　who　had　a　national　reputation。　　Most　of　them　had　but　one　speech；　which　was　very　long；　elaborately　prepared；　and　so　divided　into　sections；　each　complete　in　itself；　that　the　orator　was　equipped　for　an　address　of　any　length；　from　fifteen　minutes　to　four　hours；　by　selection　or　consolidation　of　these　sections。　　Few　of　them　would　trust　themselves　to　extemporaneous　speaking。　　The　most　versatile　and　capable　of　those　who　could　was　James　G。　Blaine。　He　was　always　ready；　courted　interruptions；　and　was　brilliantly　effective。　　In　a　few　sentences　he　had　captured　his　audience　and　held　them　enthralled。　　No　public　man　in　our　country；　except；　perhaps；　Henry　Clay；　had　such　devoted　following。

Mr。　Blaine　had　another　extraordinary　gift；　which　is　said　to　belong　only　to　kings；　he　never　forgot　any　one。　　Years　after　an　introduction　he　would　recall　where　he　had　first　met　the　stranger　and　remember　his　name。　　This　compliment　made　that　man　Blaine's　devoted　friend　for　life。

I　had　an　interesting　experience　of　his　readiness　and　versatility　when　he　ran　for　president　in　1884。　　He　asked　me　to　introduce　him　at　the　different　stations；　where　he　was　to　deliver　long　or　short　addresses。　　After　several　of　these　occasions；　he　asked：　　〃What's　the　next　station；　Chauncey？〃　　I　answered：　　〃Peekskill。〃　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃what　is　there　about　Peekskill？〃　　〃I　was　born　there；〃　I　answered。　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　rising；　〃I　always　thought　that　you　were　born　at　Poughkeepsie。〃　　〃No；　Peekskill。〃　　Just　then　we　were　running　into　the　station；　and；　as　the　train　stopped；　I　stepped　forward　to　introduce　him　to　the　great　crowd　which　had　gathered　there　from　a　radius　of　fifty　miles。　　He　pushed　me　back　in　a　very　dramatic　way；　and　shouted：　　〃Fellow　citizens；　allow　me　to　make　the　introduction　here。　　As　I　have　many　times　in　the　last　quarter　of　a　century　travelled　up　and　down　your　beautiful　Hudson　River；　with　its　majestic　scenery　made　famous　by　the　genius　of　Washington　Irving；　and　upon　the　floating　palaces　not　equalled　anywhere　else　in　the　world；　or　when　the　steamer　has　passed　through　this　picturesque　bay　and　opposite　your　village；　I　have　had　emotions　of　tenderness　and　loving　memories；　greater　than　those　impressed　by　any　other　town；　because　I　have　said　to　myself：　　'There　is　the　birthplace　of　one　of　my　best　friends；　Chauncey　Depew。'〃

Local　committees　who　desire　to　use　the　candidate　to　help　the　party　in　their　neighborhood　and　also　their　county　tickets　are　invariably　most　unreasonable　and　merciless　in　their　demands　upon　the　time　of　the　candidate。　　They　know　perfectly　well　that　he　has　to　speak　many　times　a　day；　that　there　is　a　limit　to　his　strength　and　to　his　vocal　cords；　and　yet　they　will　exact　from　him　an　effort　which　would　prevent　his　filling　o