Onmylayingthematterbeforehim，hesaid，``Acceptbyallmeans’’;butasIshowedhimthereasonsonbothsides，heatlastreluctantlyagreedwithmethatprobablyitwasbesttosendadeclination。
TheotherpersonconsultedwasMr。JamesBeldenofSyracuse，afterwardamemberofCongressfromtheOnondagadistrict，apoliticianwhohadamostintimateknowledgeofmenandaffairsinourState。Wehadbeenduringalongperiod，politicaladversaries，butIhadcometorespectsundryqualitieshehadmorelatelyexhibited，andthereforewenttohimasapracticalmanandlaidthecasebeforehim。HeexpressedhisgreatsurprisethatIshouldadvisewithhim，myoldpoliticaladversary，buthesaid，``Sinceyoudocome，IwillgiveyoutheverybestadviceIcan。’’
Wethenwentoverthecasetogether，andIfeelsurethatheadvisedmeaswellastheoldestofmyfriendscouldhavedone，andwithashrewdnessandforesightallhisown。
Oneofhisargumentsransomewhatasfollows:``Tobesuccessfulinpoliticsamanmustreallythinkofnothingelse;itmustbehisfirstthoughtinthemorningandhislastatnight;everythingelsemustyieldtoit。Heretoforeyouhavequietlygoneonyourway，soughtnothing，andtakenwhathasbeenfreelytenderedyouintheinterestofthepartyandofthepublic。IknowtheElmiradistrict，andyoucanhavethenominationandtheelectionwithouttrouble;butthequestioniswhetheryoucouldeverbehappyinthesortofworkwhichyoumustdoinordertotakeaproperplaceintheHouseofRepresentatives。
Firstofall，youmustgiveupeverythingelseanddevoteyourselftothatalone;andeventhen，whenyouhavesucceeded，youhaveonlytolookaboutyouandseethemenwhohaveachievedsuccessinthatway，andwho，afterall，havefoundinitnothingbutdisappointment。’’
InsayingthisheexpressedtheconclusionatwhichIhadalreadyarrived。
Icabledmyabsolutedeclinationofthenomination，andwasreprovedbymyfriendsfornotavailingmyselfofthisopportunitytotakepartinpoliticalaffairs，buthaveneverthelessalwaysfeltthatmydecisionwaswise。
Totellthetruth，Ineverhad，andneverdesiredtohave，anycapacityfortherough—and—tumbleofpolitics。
Igreatlyrespectmanyofthemenwhohavegiftsofthatsort，buthaverecognizedthefactthatmyinfluenceinandonpoliticsmustbeofadifferentkind。Ihaveindeedtakenpartinsomestormyscenesinconventions，meetings，andlegislatures，butalwayswithregret。Mytruerlehasbeenamorequietone。Myambition，whetherIhavesucceededinitornot，hasbeentosetyoungmenintrainsoffruitfulthought，tobringmaturemenintothelineofrightreason，andtoaidindevisingandurgingneededreforms，indevelopingandsupportingwisepolicies，andinbuildingupinstitutionswhichshallstrengthenwhatisbestinAmericanlife。
Earlyin1891IwasaskedbyMr。ShermanRogersofBuffalo，oneofthebestandtruestmeninpoliticallifethatIhaveeverknown，toaccompanyhimandcertainothergentlementoWashington，inordertopresenttoMr。Harrison，whohadnowbecomePresidentoftheUnitedStates，anargumentfortheextensionofthecivil—servicerules。AccompaniedbyMr。TheodoreRooseveltandSenatorCabotLodge，ourdelegationreachedtheExecutiveMansionatthetimefixedbythePresident，andwerereceivedinawaywhichsurprisedme。Mr。
Harrisonseemed，tosaytheleast，notingoodhumor。Hestoodleaningonthecornerofhisdesk，andheaskednoneofustosit。Allofushadvotedforhim，andhadcometohiminhisowninterestaswellasintheinterestofthecountry;butheseemedtolikeusnonethebetterforallthat。ThefirstspeechwasmadebyMr。Rogers。DwellingonthedisappointmentofthoughtfulRepublicansthroughoutthecountryatthedelayinredeemingpledgesmadebytheRepublicanNationalConventionastotheextensionofthecivilservice，andreiteratedinthePresident’sownspeechesintheUnitedStatesSenate，heinaplayfulwayreferredtotheconductofcertainofficialsinBuffalo，whenthePresidentinterruptedhim，asitseemedtomeatthetimeverybrusquelyandevenrudelysaying:``Mr。Rogers，youhavenorighttoimputeevilmotivestoanyman。Themotivesofthesegentlementowhomyoureferarepresumablyasgoodasyourown。Anargumentbaseduponsuchimputationscannotadvancethecauseyousupportintheslightestdegree。’’Mr。Rogerswassomewhatdisconcertedforamoment，but，havingresumedhisspeech，hepresented，inaverydignifiedandconvincingway，theremainderofhisargument。HewasfollowedbytheothermembersfromvariousStates，givingdifferentsidesofthecase，eachshowingtheimportancewhichRepublicansinhisownpartofthecountryattributedtoanextensionofthecivil—servicerules。
Myownturncamelast。Isaid:``Mr。President:Iwillmakenospeech，butwillsimplystatetwofacts。
``First:Downtoacomparativelyrecentperiodeveryhighschool，college，anduniversityintheNorthernStateshasbeenacenterofRepublicanideas:noonewillgainsaythisforamoment。Butrecentlytherehascomeachange。
DuringnearlytwentyyearsithasbeenmydutytonominatetothetrusteesofCornellUniversitycandidatesforvariouspositionsinitsfaculty;thefundamentalcharteroftheinstitutionabsolutelyforbidsanyconsideration，insuchcases，ofthepartyorsecttowhichanycandidatebelongs，andIhavealwaysfaithfullycarriedoutthatinjunction，never，inanyoneofthemultitudeofnominationsthatIhavemade，allowingthequestionofpoliticstoenterintheslightestdegree。Butstillithashappenedthat，almostwithoutexception，thecandidateshaveprovedtobeRepublicans，andthistosuchanextentthatattimesIhaveregrettedit;fortheuniversityhasbeenobligedfrequentlytoaskforlegislationfromaDemocraticlegislature，andIhavealwaysfearedthatthislargepreponderanceofRepublicanprofessorswouldbebroughtupagainstusasanevidencethatwewerenottruetotheprinciplesofourcharter。Asamatteroffact，downtotwoorthreeyearssince，therewere，asIcasuallylearned，outofafacultyofaboutfiftymembers，notovereightortenDemocrats。Butduringtheserecentyearsallthishasbeenchanged，andattheStateelection，whenJudgeFolgerwasdefeatedforthegovernorship，Ifoundtomysurprisethat，almostwithoutexception，mycolleaguesinthefacultyhadvotedtheDemocraticticket;sofarasI
couldlearn，butthreebesidesmyselfhadvotedfortheRepublicancandidate。’’PresidentHarrisonimmediatelysaid:``Mr。White，wasthatnotchieflyduetothefree—
tradetendenciesofcollege—men？’’Ianswered:``No，Mr。
President;thegreatmajorityofthesemenwhovotedwiththeDemocratswereprotectionists，andyouwillyourselfseethattheymusthavebeensoiftheyhadcontinuedtovotefortheRepublicanticketdowntothatelection。AllthatIhearleadsmetotheconvictionthattherealcauseisdisappointmentatthedelayoftheRepublicanpartyinmakinggooditspromisestoimprovethepublicservice。Inthisquestionthefacultiesofourcollegesanduniversities，especiallyintheEastern，Middle，andNorthernStates，takeadeepinterest。Infact，itiswiththemthequestionofallquestions;andIthinkthisisoneofthethingswhich，atthatelectioninNewYork，causedthemostoverwhelmingdefeatthatacandidateforgovernorhadeverexperienced。’’TothisthePresidentlistenedattentively，andIthensaid:``Mr。
President，mysecondpointisthis:TheStateofNewYorkis，ofcourse，ofimmenseimportancetotheRepublicanparty，andithasbeencarriedinrecentyearsbyamajorityofafewhundredvotes。TherearemorethanfourteenthousandschooldistrictsintheState，andinnearlyeveryoneoftheseschooldistrictsthereareacertainnumberofearnestmen——anywherefromahandfultoahouseful——whobelievethatsincetheslaveryquestionisremovedfromnationalpolitics，theonlyburningquestionwhichremainsisthe`spoilssystem’andthereformofthecivilservice。Now，youhaveonlytomultiplythefourteenthousandschooldistrictsbyaverysmallfigure，andyouwillseetheimportanceofthisquestionasregardsthevoteoftheStateofNewYork。IknowwhereofIspeak，forIhavemyselfaddressedmeetingsinmanyofthesedistrictsinfavorofareformofthecivilservice，havehadcorrespondencewithotherdistrictsinallpartsoftheState，andamsurethatthereisadeep—
seatedfeelingonthesubjectingreatnumbersofthem，——
afeelingakintowhatusedtobecalledintheanti—slaverydays`fanaticism，’——thatis，adeep—seatedconvictionthatthisisnowthemostimportantquestionbeforetheAmericanpeople，andthatitmustbesettledinprecedencetoallothers。’’
ThePresidentreceivedwhatIhadtosaycourteously，andthenbeganareplytousall。Hetookatfirstratherabittertone，sayingthathehadarighttofindfaultwithallofus;thattheCivilServiceLeaguehaddenouncedhisadministrationmostunjustlyforitsrelationtothespoilssystem;thathewasmovingasrapidlyinthematterascircumstancespermitted;thathewasanxioustoredeemthepromisesmadebythepartyandbyhimself;
thathehadalreadydonesomethingandpurposedtodomore;andthattheglorificationsoftheprogressmadebythepreviousadministrationinthisrespect，attheexpenseofhisown，hadbeengrosslyunjust。
Tothiswemadeashortrejoinderononepoint，statingthathiscomplaintagainstuswaswithoutfoundation;
thatnotoneofuswasamemberoftheCivilServiceLeague;thatnotoneofushadtakenanypartinitsdeliberations;andthatwecouldnot，therefore，bemaderesponsibleinanywayforitsutterances。ThePresidentnowbecamesomewhatmoregenial，thoughhedidnotaskustobeseated，alludinginapungentbutgood—naturedwaytothezealforreformshownbyMr。Roosevelt，whowasstandingby，andclosinginconsiderablybetterhumorthanhehadbegun。AlthoughIcannotsaythatI
wasgreatlypleasedwithhistreatmentofthecommittee，Irememberedthat，althoughcourtesywasnotgenerallyconsideredhisstrongpoint，hewasknowntopossessmanysterlingqualities，andIfeltboundtoallowthathisspeechrevealedamanofstrengthandhonestpurpose。
Allofus，evenMr。RooseveltandSenatorLodge，cameawaybelievingthatgoodhadbeendone，andthatthePresident，beforehistermofofficehadexpired，woulddowhathecouldintherightdirection;andIamgladtosaythatthisexpectationwasfulfilled。
CHAPTERXIV
McKINLEYANDROOSEVELT——1891—1904
Duringthesummerof1891cameacuriousepisodeinmylife，towhich，asitwasconsiderablydiscussedinthenewspapersatthetime，andasvarioussensationalnews—makershavedweltuponitsince，Imaybepermittedtorefer。Duringseveralyearsbefore，——infact，eversincemytwotermsintheStateSenate，——variouspeople，andespeciallymyoldCornellstudentsthroughouttheState，hadwrittentomeandpublishedarticlesinmybehalfasacandidateforgovernor。Ihadneverencouragedthese，andwheneverIreferredtothemdeprecatedthem，sinceIpreferredaverydifferentlineoflife，andfeltthatthegrapplewithspoilsmenwhicheverygovernormustmakewouldwearmeoutveryrapidly。
Buttheelectionwhichwasthatyearapproachingwasfelttobeveryimportant，andoldfriendsfromvariouspartsoftheStatethoughtthat，intheseverecontestwhichwasexpected，Istoodabetterchanceofelectionthananyotherwhocouldbenamed...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：