my memories of eighty years-第31章

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President　McKinley　had　spent　most　of　his　life　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　　He　loved　the　associations　and　life　of　Congress。　The　most　erratic　and　uncertain　of　bodies　is　Congress　to　an　executive　who　does　not　understand　its　temper　and　characteristics。　　McKinley　was　past　master　of　this。　　Almost　every　president　has　been　greatly　relieved　when　Congress　adjourned；　but　Mr。　McKinley　often　expressed　to　me　his　wish　that　Congress　would　always　be　in　session；　as　he　never　was　so　happy　as　when　he　could　be　in　daily　contact　with　it。　His　door　was　open　at　all　times　to　a　senator　or　a　member　of　the　House　of　Representatives。　　If　either　failed　to　see　him　at　least　once　a　week；　the　absentee　usually　received　a　message　stating　that　the　president　desired　him　to　call。　　He　was　very　keen　in　discovering　any　irritation　on　the　part　of　any　senator　or　member　about　any　disappointment　or　fancied　slight；　and　always　most　tactfully　managed　to　straighten　the　matter　out。　　He　was　quite　as　attentive　and　as　particular　with　the　opposition　as　with　members　of　his　own　party。

President　McKinley　had　a　wonderful　way　of　dealing　with　office…seekers　and　with　their　friends　and　supporters。　　A　phrase　of　his　became　part　of　the　common　language　of　the　capital。　　It　was：　　〃My　dear　fellow；　I　am　most　anxious　to　oblige　you；　but　I　am　so　situated　that　I　cannot　give　you　what　you　want。　　I　will；　however；　try　to　find　you　something　equally　as　good。〃　　The　anxious　caller　for　favors；　if　he　or　his　congressman　failed　to　get　the　office　desired；　always　carried　away　a　flower　or　a　bouquet　given　by　the　president；　with　a　complimentary　remark　to　be　remembered。　　It　soon　came　to　be　understood　among　applicants　for　office　that　a　desired　consulship　in　England　could　not　be　granted；　but　one　of　equal　rank　in　South　Africa　was　possible。

There　were　many　good　stories　in　the　Senate　of　his　tact　in　dealing　with　the　opposition。　　A　Southern　senator；　who　as　a　general　had　made　a　distinguished　record　in　the　Civil　War　on　the　Confederate　side；　was　very　resentful　and　would　frequently　remark　to　his　friends　〃that　our　president　unfortunately　is　not　a　gentleman；　and　in　his　ancestry　is　some　very　common　blood。〃

Mr。　McKinley　persuaded　some　of　the　senator's　Southern　colleagues　to　bring　him　to　the　White　House。　　He　expressed　his　regret　to　the　senator　that　he　should　have　offended　him　in　any　way　and　asked　what　he　had　done。　　The　senator　replied：　　〃You　have　appointed　for　the　town　where　my　sister　lives　a　nigger；　and　a　bad　nigger　at　that；　for　postmaster；　and　my　sister　has　to　go　to　him　for　her　letters　and　stamps。〃　　The　president　arranged　for　the　transfer　of　this　postmaster　and　the　appointment　of　a　man　recommended　by　the　senator。　The　senator　then　went　to　his　friends　and　said：　　〃Have　I　remarked　to　you　at　any　time　that　our　president　was　not　a　gentleman　and　had　somewhere　in　his　ancestry　very　common　blood？　　If　I　did　I　recall　the　statement　and　apologize。　　Mr。　McKinley　is　a　perfect　gentleman。〃

All　the　measures　which　the　president　wished　passed；　unless　they　were　absolutely　partisan；　always　received　afterwards　the　support　of　the　Southern　senator。

I　was　in　the　Senate　during　a　part　of　his　term　and　nearly　every　day　at　the　White　House；　where　his　reception　was　so　cordial　and　his　treatment　of　the　matter　presented　so　sympathetic　that　it　was　a　delight　to　go　there；　instead　of　being；　as　usual；　one　of　the　most　disagreeable　tasks　imposed　upon　a　senator。

He　had　a　way　of　inviting　one　to　a　private　conference　and　with　impressing　you　with　its　confidential　character　and　the　trust　he　reposed　in　your　advice　and　judgment　which　was　most　flattering。

Entertainments　at　the　White　House　were　frequent；　and　he　managed　to　make　each　dinner　an　event　to　be　most　pleasantly　remembered。　I　think；　while　he　was　very　courteous　to　everybody；　he　was　more　than　usually　so　to　me　because　of　an　incident　prior　to　his　inauguration。

A　well…known　journalist　came　to　my　office　one　day　and　said：　　〃I　am　just　from　Canton；　where　I　have　been　several　days　with　the　president。　I　discussed　with　him　federal　appointmentsamong　others；　the　mission　to　England；　in　which　I　am　interested　because　my　father　is　an　Englishman；　and　both　my　father　and　I　are　exceedingly　anxious　to　have　you　take　the　post；　and　Mr。　McKinley　authorized　me　to　ask　you　if　you　would　accept　the　mission。〃

The　embassy　to　England　presented　peculiar　attraction　to　me；　because　I　knew　personally　the　Prince　of　Wales　and　most　of　the　leading　English　statesmen　and　public　men。　　The　journalist　said　that　if　I　accepted　he　would　sound　the　press。　　This　he　did；　and　the　response　was　most　flattering　from　journals　of　all　political　views。

About　the　time　of　the　inauguration　Vice…President　Hobart；　who　was　a　cordial　friend　of　mine；　said　to　me：　　〃There　is　something　wrong　about　you　with　the　president。　　It　is　very　serious；　and　you　can　expect　no　recognition　from　the　administration。〃　　I　was　wholly　at　a　loss　to　account　for　the　matter　and　would　not　investigate　any　further。　　Not　long　afterwards　the　vice…president　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃I　have　found　out　the　truth　of　that　matter　of　yours　and　have　explained　it　satisfactorily　to　the　president；　who　deeply　regrets　that　he　was　misled　by　a　false　report　from　a　friend　in　whom　he　had　confidence。〃　　Soon　after　the　president　made　me　the　offer　of　the　mission　to　Germany。　　I　did　not　understand　the　language　and　felt　that　I　could　be　of　little　service　there；　and　so　declined。

When　President　McKinley　was　lying　seriously　wounded　at　Buffalo　from　the　shot　of　the　anarchist　Czolgosz；　I　went　there　to　see　if　anything　could　be　done　for　his　comfort。　　For　some　time　there　was　hope　he　would　recover；　and　that　it　would　be　better　for　him　to　go　to　Washington。　　I　made　every　arrangement　to　take　him　to　the　capital　if　the　doctors　decided　it　could　be　done。　　But　suddenly；　as　is　always　the　case　with　wounds　of　that　kind；　a　crisis　arrived　in　which　he　died。

Vice…President　Roosevelt　was　camping　in　the　Adirondacks。　　A　message　reached　him；　and　the　next　morning　he　arrived　in　Buffalo。　　The　Cabinet　of　Mr。　McKinley　decided　that　the　vice…president　should　be　at　once　inaugurated　as　president。　　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　a　guest　at　the　house　of　Mr。　Ainsley　Wilcox。　　He　invited　me　to　witness　his　inauguration；　which　occurred　the　same　evening。　　It　was　a　small　company　gathered　in　the　parlor　of　Mr。　Wilcox's　house。　　Elihu　Root；　secretary　of　state；　choking　with　emotion　and　in　a　voice　full　of　tears；　made　a　speech　which　was　a　beautiful　tribute　to　the　dead　president　and　a　clear　statement　of　the　necessity　of　immediate　action　to　avoid　an　interregnum　in　the　government。　　John　Raymond　Hazel；　United　States　district　judge；　administered　the　oath；　and　the　new　president　delivered　a　brief　and　affecting　answer　to　Mr。　Root's　address。

This　inauguration　was　in　pathetic　and　simple　contrast　to　that　which　had　preceded　at　the　Capitol　at　Washington。　　Among　the　few　present　was　Senator　Mark　Hanna。　　He　had　been　more　instrumental　than　any　one　in　the　United　States　in　the　selection　of　Mr。　McKinley　for　president　and　his　triumphant　election。　　Mr。　McKinley　put　absolute　trust　in　Hanna；　and　Hanna　was　the　most　powerful　personality　in　the　country。　　No　two　men　in　public　life　were　ever　so　admirably　fitted　for　each　other　as　President　McKinley　and　Senator　Hanna。　The　day　before　the　death　of　the　president　Hanna　could　look　forward　to　four　years　of　increasing　power　and　usefulness　with　the　president　who　had　just　been　re…elected。　　But　as　he　walked　with　me　from　Mr。　Wilcox's　house　that　night；　he　felt　keenly　that　he　never　could　have　any　such　relation　with　Colonel　Roosevelt。　　He　was　personally　exceedingly　fond　of　Mr。　McKinley；　and　to　his　grief　at　the　death　of　his　friend　was　added　a　full　apprehension　of　his　changed　position　in　American　public　life。



XlV。　　THEODORE　ROOSEVELT

The　bullet　of　the　assassin　had　ended　fatally；　and　McKinley　was　no　more。　　Theodore　Roosevelt；　vice…president；　became　president。　Few　recognized　at　the　time　there　had　come　into　the　presidency　of　the　United　States　one　of　the　most　remarkable；　capable；　and　original　men　who　ever　occupied　the　White　House。

During　the　following　seven　years　President　Roosevelt　not　only　occupied　but　filled　the　stage　of　public　affairs　in　the　United　States。　Even　now；　two　years　or　more　after　his　death；　with　the　exception　of　President　Wilson；　Roosevelt　is　the　best　known　American