theodore roosevelt-第59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！





CHAPTER　XXII。　THE　TWO　CONVENTIONS

During　the　weeks　while　Roosevelt　had　been　deliberating　over　〃throwing　his　hat　into　the　ring；〃　his　opponents　had　been　busily　gathering　delegates。　By　this　delay　they　gained　a　strategic　advantage。　According　to　the　unholy　custom　which　gave　to　the　Republicans　in　the　Southern　States　a　quota　of　delegates　proportioned　to　the　population　and　not　to　the　number　of　Republican　voters；　a　large　Southern　delegation　was　pledged　for　Mr。　Taft　very　early。　Most　of　the　few　Southern　Republicans　were　either　office…holders　or　negroes；　the　former　naturally　supported　the　Administration　on　which　their　living　depended；　the　latter；　whose　votes　were　not　counted；　also　supported　the　President　from　whom　alone　they　might　expect　favors。　The　former　slave　States　elected　216　delegates；　nearly　all　of　whom　went　to　President　Taft；　making　a　very　good　start　for　him。　In　the　Northern；　Western；　and　Pacific　States；　however；　Roosevelt　secured　a　large　proportion　of　the　delegates。　In　the　system　of　direct　primaries；　by　which　the　people　indicated　their　preference　instead　of　having　the　candidates　chosen　in　the　State　Conventions；　which　were　controlled　by　the　Machine；　the　Progressives　came　out　far　ahead。　Thus；　in　North　Dakota；　President　Taft　had　less　than　4000　votes　out　of　48；000　cast；　the　rest　going　to　Roosevelt　and　La　Follette。　In　several　of　the　great　States　he　carried　everything　before　him。　In　Illinois；　his　majority　was　139；000　over　Taft's；　in　Pennsylvania；　67　of　the　76　delegates　went　to　him。　In　Ohio；　the　President's　own　State；　the　Taft　forces　were　〃snowed　under〃；　in　California；　a　stronghold　of　Progressivism；　Roosevelt　had　a　large　plurality。　Nevertheless；　wherever　the　Regulars　controlled　the　voting；　they　usually　brought　President　Taft　to　the　front。　Even　when　they　could　not　produce　the　votes；　they　managed　to　send　out　contesting　delegations。

On　looking　back；　it　appears　indisputable　that　if　the　Republicans　could　then　have　cast　their　ballots　they　would　have　been　overwhelmingly　for　Roosevelt；　and　if　the　Roosevelt　delegates　to　the　Convention　had　not　been　hampered　in　voting；　they　too　would　have　nominated　him。　But　the　elections　had　been　so　artfully　manipulated　that；　when　the　Convention　met；　there　were　220　contests。　Everybody　understood　that　the　final　result　hung　on　the　way　in　which　these　should　be　decided。

The　Convention　assembled　in　the　great　Coliseum　Hall　at　Chicago　on　June　18；　1912。　But　for　ten　days　the　hosts　had　been　coming　in；　one　delegation　after　another；　the　hotels　were　packed；　each　committee　had　its　special　quarters；　crowds　of　sight…seers；　shouters；　and　supporters　swelled　the　multitude。　The　Republican　National　Committee　met；　the　managers　of　each　candidate　met。　The　committees；　which　had　not　yet　an　official　standing；　conferred　unofficially。　Rumors　floated　from　every　room；　there　were　secret　conferences；　attempts　to　win　over　delegates；　promises　to　trade　votes；　and　even　efforts　at　conciliation。　Night　and　day　this　wild　torrent　of　excitement　rushed　on。

A　spectator　from　Mars　might　have　remarked：　〃But　for　so　important　a　business　as　the　choice　of　a　candidate　who　may　become　President　of　the　United　States；　you　ought　to　have　quiet；　deliberation；　free　play；　not　for　those　who　can　shout　loudest；　but　for　those　who　can　speak　wisest。〃　And　to　this　remark；　the　howling　and　whirling　dervishes　who　attended　the　Convention　would　have　replied；　if　they　had　waited　long　enough　to　hear　it　through；　by　yelling；

〃Hail！　Hail！　the　gang's　all　here！　What　the　hell　do　we　care？　What　the　hell　do　we　care？〃

and　would　have　darted　off　to　catch　up　with　their　fellow　Bacchanals。　A　smell　of　cocktails　and　of　whiskey　was　ubiquitous；　a　dense　pall　of　tobacco　smoke　pervaded　the　committee…rooms；　and　out　of　doors　the　clang　of　brass　bands　drowned　even　the　incessant　noise　of　the　throngs。　There　was　no　night；　for　the　myriads　of　electric　lights　made　shadows　but　no　darkness；　and　you　wondered　when　these　strange　creatures　slept。

Such　Saturnalia　did　not　begin　with　the　Convention　of　1912。　Most　of　those　who　took　part　in　them　hardly　thought　it　a　paradox　that　these　should　be　the　conditions　under　which　the　Americans　nominated　their　candidates　for　President。

Roosevelt　had　not　intended　to　appear　at　the　Convention；　but　when　he　discovered　that　the　long　distance　telephone　from　Chicago　to　Oyster　Bay；　by　which　his　managers　conferred　with　him；　was　being　tapped；　he　changed　his　mind。　He　perceived；　also；　that　there　was　a　lack　of　vigorous　leadership　among　those　managers　which　demanded　his　presence。　By　going；　he　would　call　down　much　adverse　criticism；　even　from　some　of　those　persons　whose　support　he　needed。　On　the　other　hand；　he　would　immensely　strengthen　his　cause　in　Chicago；　where　the　mere　sight　of　him　would　stimulate　enthusiasm。

So　he　and　Mrs。　Roosevelt　took　the　five…thirty　afternoon　train　to　Chicago；　on　Friday；　June　14th；　leaving　as　privately　as　possible；　and　accompanied　by　seven　or　eight　of　their　children　and　cousins。　Late　on　Saturday；　the　train；　having　narrowly　escaped　being　wrecked　by　an　accident；　reached　Chicago。　At　the　station　there　was　an　enormous　crowd。　Roosevelt's　young　kinsmen　kept　very　close　to　him　and　wedged　their　way　to　an　automobile。　With　the　greatest　difficulty　his　car　slowly　proceeded　to　the　Congress　Hotel。　Never　was　there　such　a　furor　of　welcome。　Everybody　wore　a　Roosevelt　button。　Everybody　cheered　for　〃Teddy。〃　Here　and　there　they　passed　State　delegations　bearing　banners　and　mottoes。　Rough　Riders；　who　had　come　in　their　well…worn　uniforms；　added　to　the　Rooseveltian　exultation。　Whoever　judged　by　this　demonstration　must　think　it　impossible　that　the　Colonel　could　be　defeated。

After　he　and　his　party　had　been　shown　to　the　suites　reserved　for　them；　he　went　out　on　the　balcony　of　a　second…floor　room　and　spoke　a　few　words　to　the　immense　multitude　waiting　below。　He　said；　in　substance；　that　he　was　glad　to　find　from　their　cheers　that　Chicago　did　not　believe　in　the　thieves　who　stole　delegates。　Some　who　saw　him　say　that　his　face　was　red　with　anger；　others　aver　that　he　was　no　more　vehement　than　usual；　and　simply　strained　himself　to　the　utmost　to　make　his　voice　carry　throughout　his　audience。　Still；　if　he　said　what　they　report；　he　was　not　politic。


Then　followed　days　and　nights　of　incessant　strain。

The　Colonel　and　Mrs。　Roosevelt　had　their　personal　apartment　in　the　northeast　corner　of　the　hotel；　at　some　distance　from　the　Florentine　Room；　which　served　as　the　official　headquarters　for　the　Progressives。　He　had；　besides；　a　private　office　with　a　reception…room；　and　Tyree；　one　of　the　devoted　detectives　who　had　served　under　him　in　old　times；　carefully　guarded　the　entrance。　There　was　hardly　a　moment　when　one　or　two　persons　were　not　closeted　with　him。　Occasionally；　he　would　come　out　into　the　reception　room　and　speak　to　the　throng　waiting　there。　No　matter　what　the　news；　no　matter　how　early　or　late　the　hour；　he　was　always　cheerful；　and　the　mere　sight　of　him　brought　joy　and　confidence　to　his　followers。

The　young　kinsmen　went　everywhere　and　brought　back　reports　of　what　they　had　seen　or　heard。　One　of　them　kept　a　diary　of　the　events　as　they　whirled　past；　hour　by　hour；　and　in　this　one　can　note　many　of　the　fleeting　but　vivid　touches；　which　recall　to　the　reader　now　the　reality　of　those　feverish　days。　He　attended　a　big　Taft　rally　at　the　Taft　headquarters。　Bell…boys　ran　up　and　down　the　hotel　corridors　announcing　it。　〃After　each　announcement；〃　writes　the　young　cousin；　〃a　group　of　Roosevelt　men　would　cry　out；　'All　postmasters　attend！'〃　Two　Taftites　spoke　briefly　and　〃were　greeted　by　a　couple　of　hand　claps　apiece；　and　then　the　star　performer　of　the　evening　was　announced　in　the　most　glowing　terms　as　a　model　of　political　propriety；　and　the　foremost　and　most　upright　citizen　of　the　United　StatesWilliam　Barnes；　Jr。；　of　Albany。〃　Mr。　Barnes　was　supposed；　at　that　time；　to　lead　the　New　York　Republican　Machine。　〃We　have　got　to　save　the　country；〃　he　said；　〃　save　the　constitution；　save　our　liberty。　We　are　in　danger　of　monarchy。　The　country　must　be　saved！！〃　The　Roosevelt　cousin　thought　that　he　spoke　〃without　fervor　to　a　listless；　sedate；　and　very　polite　audience。　It　was　made　all　the　more　preposterous　by　the　fact　that　a　very　ancient　colored　gentleman　stood　back　of　Barnes；　and　whenever　Barnes　paused；　would　point　to　the　crowd　an