my memories of eighty years-第38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！



I　remember　one　year　when　the　river　and　harbor　bill　came　up　for　passage　on　the　day　before　final　adjournment。　　The　hour　had　been　fixed　by　both　Houses；　and；　therefore；　could　not　be　extended　by　one　House。　　The　administration　was　afraid　of　the　bill　because　of　the　many　indefensible　extravagances　there　were　in　it。　　At　the　same　time；　it　had　so　many　political　possibilities　that　the　president　was　afraid　to　veto　it。　　Senator　Carter　was　always　a　loyal　administration　man；　and　so　he　was　put　forward　to　talk　the　bill　to　death。　　He　kept　it　up　without　yielding　the　floor　for　thirteen　hours；　and　until　the　hour　of　adjournment　made　action　upon　the　measure　impossible。

I　sat　there　all　night　long；　watching　this　remarkable　effort。　　The　usual　obstructor　soon　uses　up　all　his　own　material　and　then　sends　pages　of　irrelevant　matter　to　the　desk　for　the　clerk　to　read；　or　he　reads　himself　from　the　pages　of　the　Record；　or　from　books；　but　Carter　stuck　to　his　text。　　He　was　a　man　of　wit　and　humor。　Many　items　in　the　river　and　harbor　bill　furnished　him　with　an　opportunity　of　showing　how　creeks　and　trout　streams　were　to　be　turned　by　the　magic　of　the　money　of　the　Treasury　into　navigable　rivers；　and　inaccessible　ponds　were　to　be　dredged　into　harbors　to　float　the　navies　of　the　world。

The　speech　was　very　rich　in　anecdotes　and　delightful　in　its　success　by　an　adroit　attack　of　tempting　a　supporter　of　the　measure　into　aiding　the　filibuster　by　indignantly　denying　the　charge　which　Carter　had　made　against　him。　　By　this　method　Carter　would　get　a　rest　by　the　folly　of　his　opponent。　　The　Senate　was　full　and　the　galleries　were　crowded　during　the　whole　night；　and　when　the　gavel　of　the　vice…president　announced　that　no　further　debate　was　admissible　and　the　time　for　adjournment　had　arrived；　and　began　to　make　his　farewell　speech；　Carter　took　his　seat　amidst　the　wreck　of　millions　and　the　hopes　of　the　exploiters；　and　the　Treasury　of　the　United　States　had　been　saved　by　an　unexpected　champion。

The　country　does　not　appreciate　the　tremendous　power　of　the　committees；　as　legislative　business　constantly　increases　with　almost　geometrical　progression。　　The　legislation　of　the　country　is　handled　almost　entirely　in　committees。　　It　requires　a　possible　revolution　to　overcome　the　hostility　of　a　committee；　even　if　the　House　and　the　country　are　otherwise　minded。　　Some　men　whose　names　do　not　appear　at　all　in　the　Congressional　Record；　and　seldom　in　the　newspapers；　have　a　certain　talent　for　drudgery　and　detail　which　is　very　rare；　and　when　added　to　shrewdness　and　knowledge　of　human　nature　makes　such　a　senator　or　representative　a　force　to　be　reckoned　with　on　committees。　　Such　a　man　is　able　to　hold　up　almost　anything。

I　found　during　my　Washington　life　the　enormous　importance　of　its　social　side。　　Here　are　several　hundred　men　in　the　two　Houses　of　Congress；　far　above　the　average　in　intelligence；　force　of　character；　and　ability　to　accomplish　things。　　Otherwise　they　would　not　have　been　elected。　　They　are　very　isolated　and　enjoy　far　beyond　those　who　have　the　opportunity　of　club　life；　social　attentions。　　At　dinner　the　real　character　of　the　guest　comes　out；　and　he　is　most　responsive　to　these　attentions。　　Mrs。　Depew　and　I　gave　a　great　many　dinners；　to　our　intense　enjoyment　and；　I　might　say；　education。　　By　this　method　I　learned　to　know　in　a　way　more　intimate　than　otherwise　would　have　been　possible　many　of　the　most　interesting　characters　I　have　ever　met。

Something　must　be　done；　and　that　speedily；　to　bridge　the　widening　chasm　between　the　Executive　and　the　Congress。　　Our　experience　with　President　Wilson　has　demonstrated　this。　　As　a　self…centred　autocrat；　confident　of　himself　and　suspicious　of　others；　hostile　to　advice　or　discussion；　he　became　the　absolute　master　of　the　Congress　while　his　party　was　in　the　majority。

The　Congress；　instead　of　being　a　co…ordinate　branch；　was　really　in　session　only　to　accept；　adopt；　and　put　into　laws　the　imperious　will　of　the　president。　　When；　however；　the　majority　changed；　there　being　no　confidence　between　the　executive　and　the　legislative　branch　of　the　government；　the　necessary　procedure　was　almost　paralyzed。　　The　president　was　unyielding　and　the　Congress　insisted　upon　the　recognition　of　its　constitutional　rights。　　Even　if　the　president　is；　as　McKinley　was；　in　close　and　frequent　touch　with　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　relation　is　temporary　and　unequal；　and　not　what　it　ought　to　be；　automatic。

Happily　we　have　started　a　budget　system；　but　the　Cabinet　should　have　seats　on　the　floor　of　the　Houses；　and　authority　to　answer　questions　and　participate　in　debates。　　Unless　our　system　was　radically　changed；　we　could　not　adopt　the　English　plan　of　selecting　the　members　of　the　Cabinet　entirely　from　the　Senate　and　the　House。　But　we　could　have　an　administration　always　in　close　touch　with　the　Congress　if　the　Cabinet　members　were　in　attendance　when　matters　affecting　their　several　departments　were　under　discussion　and　action。

I　heard　Senator　Nelson　W。　Aldrich；　who　was　one　of　the　shrewdest　and　ablest　legislators　of　our　generation；　say　that　if　business　methods　were　applied　to　the　business　of　the　government　in　a　way　in　which　he　could　do　it；　there　would　be　a　saving　of　three　hundred　millions　of　dollars　a　year。　　We　are；　since　the　Great　War；　facing　appropriations　of　five　or　six　billions　of　dollars　a　year。　　I　think　the　saving　of　three　hundred　millions　suggested　by　Senator　Aldrich　could　be　increased　in　proportion　to　the　vast　increase　in　appropriations。

There　has　been　much　discussion　about　restricting　unlimited　debates　in　the　Senate　and　adopting　a　rigid　closure　rule。　　My　own　recollection　is　that　during　my　twelve　years　unlimited　discussion　defeated　no　good　measure；　but　talked　many　bad　ones　to　death。　　There　is　a　curious　feature　in　legislative　discussion；　and　that　is　the　way　in　which　senators　who　have　accustomed　themselves　to　speak　every　day　on　each　question　apparently　increase　their　vocabulary　as　their　ideas　evaporate。　　Two　senators　in　my　time；　who　could　be　relied　upon　to　talk　smoothly　as　the　placid　waters　of　a　running　brook　for　an　hour　or　more　every　day；　had　the　singular　faculty　of　apparently　saying　much　of　importance　while　really　developing　no　ideas。　In　order　to　understand　them；　while　the　Senate　would　become　empty　by　its　members　going　to　their　committee　rooms；　I　would　be　a　patient　listener。　　I　finally　gave　that　up　because；　though　endowed　with　reasonable　intelligence　and　an　intense　desire　for　knowledge；　I　never　could　grasp　what　they　were　driving　at。



XVI。　　AMBASSADORS　AND　MINISTERS

The　United　States　has　always　been　admirably　represented　at　the　Court　of　St。　James。　　I　consider　it　as　a　rare　privilege　and　a　delightful　memory　that　I　have　known　well　these　distinguished　ambassadors　and　ministers　who　served　during　my　time。　　I　was　not　in　England　while　Charles　Francis　Adams　was　a　minister；　but　his　work　during　the　Civil　War　created　intense　interest　in　America。　It　is　admitted　that　he　prevented　Great　Britain　from　taking　such　action　as　would　have　prolonged　the　war　and　endangered　the　purpose　which　Mr。　Lincoln　was　trying　to　accomplish；　namely；　the　preservation　of　the　Union。　　His　curt　answer　to　Lord　John　Russell；　〃This　means　war；〃　changed　the　policy　of　the　British　Government。

James　Russell　Lowell　met　every　requirement　of　the　position；　but；　more　than　that；　his　works　had　been　read　and　admired　in　England　before　his　appointment。　　Literary　England　welcomed　him　with　open　arms；　and　official　England　soon　became　impressed　with　his　diplomatic　ability。　　He　was　one　of　the　finest　after…dinner　speakers；　and　that　brought　him　in　contact　with　the　best　of　English　public　life。　　He　told　me　an　amusing　instance。　　As　soon　as　he　was　appointed；　everybody　who　expected　to　meet　him　sent　to　the　book　stores　and　purchased　his　works。　　Among　them；　of　course；　was　the　〃Biglow　Papers。〃　　One　lady　asked　him　if　he　had　brought　Mrs。　Biglow　with　him。

The　secretary　of　the　embassy；　William　J。　Hoppin；　was　a　very　accomplished　gentleman。　　He　had　been　president　of　the　Union　League　Club；　and　I　knew　him　very　well。　　I　called　one　day　at　the　embassy　with　an　American　living　in　Europe　to　ask　for　a　favor　for　this　fellow　countryman。　　The　embassy　was　overwhelmed　with　Americans　asking　favors；　so　Hoppin；　without　looking　at　me　or　waiting　for　the　re