theodore roosevelt- 第48部分

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　and　feebly　begin　clapping　his　hands。　They　would　then　slowly　and　very　politely　take　up　the　applause；　in　every　case　waiting　for　his　signal。　It　was　almost　pathetic。〃　At　one　time　the　Roosevelt　scouts　alleged　that　〃Timothy　Woodruff　is　wavering；　with　four　other　delegates；　and　will　soon　fall　to　us；〃　and　told　〃of　delegates　flopping　over；　here　and　there。〃　A　still　more　extraordinary　piece　of　news　came　from　Hooker　to　the　effect　that　he　had　in　some　way　intercepted　a　telegram　〃from　Murray　Crane　to　his　nephew　saying　that　Crane　and　Barnes　would　'fight　or　ruin'　and　that　it　was　now　'use　any　means　and　sacrifice　the　Republican　Party。'　Had　it　not　been　for　the　way　he　told　us；　I　couldn't　have　believed　such　a　thing　possible。〃

Rumors　like　these　were　not　verified　at　the　time；　and　they　are　assuredly　unverifiable　now。　I　repeat　them　merely　to　show　how　suspense　and　excitement　were　constantly　fed　before　the　Convention　met。　Remembering　how　long　ex…Senator　Crane　and　Mr。　Barnes　had　had　their　hands　on　the　throttle　of　the　Republican　Machine；　we　are　not　surprised　at　the　young　Rooseveltian's　statement：　〃The　Taft　forces　control　anything　that　has　to　do　with　machinery；　but　all　the　feeling　is　for　Roosevelt；　and　the　Congress　Hotel；　at　any　rate；　favors　the　'Big　Noise；'　as　you　will　sometimes　hear　him　called　in　the　lobbies　or　in　the　streets。〃　Apparently；　stump　speeches　were　made　at　any　moment；　and　without　provocation；　in　any　hall；　room；　or　lobby　of　the　hotel；　by　any　one　who　felt　the　spirit　move　him；　and；　lest　silence　should　settle　down　and　soothe　the　jaded　nerves；　a　band　would　strike　up　unexpectedly。　The　marching　to　and　fro　of　unrestrained　gangs；　shouting；　〃We…want…Teddy！〃　completed　the　pandemonium。

Monday　came。　The　young　scouts　were　as　busy　as　ever　in　following　the　trails　which　led　to　Taft　activities。　The　news　they　had　to　tell　was　always　very　cheering。　They　found　little　enthusiasm　among　the　President's　supporters。　They　heard；　from　the　most　trustworthy　sources；　that　this　or　that　Taft　leader　or　delegation　was　coming　over。　And；　in　truth；　the　Taft　body　probably　did　not　let　off　a　tenth　of　the　noise　which　their　opponents　indulged　in。　The　shallows　murmur；　but　the　deeps　are　dumb；　does　not　exactly　apply　to　the　two　opposing　hosts。　The　Taft　men　resorted　very　little　to　shouting；　because　they　knew　that　if　they　were　to　win　at　all　it　must　be　by　other　means。　The　Rooseveltians；　on　the　other　hand；　really　felt　a　compelling　surge　of　enthusiasm　which　they　must　uncork。

Meanwhile　Colonel　Roosevelt　and　his　lieutenants　knew　that　the　enemy　was　perfecting　his　plan　to　defeat　them。　On　Monday　evening　his　zealots　packed　the　Auditorium　and　he　poured　himself　out　to　them　in　one　of　his　torrential　speeches　calculated　to　rouse　the　passions　rather　than　the　minds　of　his　hearers。　But　it　fitly　symbolized　the　situation。　He；　the　daunt　less　leader；　stood　there；　the　soul　of　sincerity　and　courage；　impressing　upon　them　all　that　they　were　engaged　in　a　most　solemn　cause　and　defying　the　opposition　as　if　it　were　a　legion　of　evil　spirits。　His　closing　words〃　We　stand　at　Armageddon　and　we　battle　for　the　Lord〃summed　it　all　up　so　completely　that　the　audience　burst　into　a　roar　of　approval；　and　never　doubted　that　he　spoke　the　truth。

Tuesday　at　noon；　a　crowd　of　fifteen　thousand　persons；　delegates　and　visitors；　packed　the　vast　Convention　Hall　of　the　Coliseum。　Mr。　Victor　Rosewater；　of　Nebraska；　presided　at　the　opening。　As　it　was　known　that　the　Republican　National　Committee　intended　to　place　on　the　temporary　roll　of　delegates　seventy…two　names　of　persons　whose　seats　were　contested；　Governor　Hadley；　of　Missouri；　made　a　motion　that　only　those　delegates；　whose　right　was　not　contested；　should　sit　and　vote　during　the　preliminary　proceedings。　Had　he　been　successful；　the　Regulars　would　have　lost　the　battle　from　the　beginning。　But　he　was　ruled　out　of　order　on　the　ground　that　the　only　business　before　the　Convention　was　the　election　of　a　Temporary　Chairman。　This　took　place；　and　Senator　Root；　from　New　York；　was　elected　by　558　votes；　McGovern；　the　Roosevelt　candidate；　received　501　votes；　there　were　14　scattering；　and　5　persons　did　not　vote。　Senator　Root；　therefore；　won　his　election　by　38　votes　over　the　combined　opposition；　but　his　plurality　was　secured　by　the　votes　of　the　72　whose　seats　were　contested。

During　the　three　following　days　the　Roosevelt　men　fought　desperately　to　secure　what　they　believed　to　be　justice。　They　challenged　every　delegate；　they　demanded　a　roll…call　on　the　slightest　excuse；　they　deluged　the　Regulars　with　alternate　showers　of　sarcasm　and　anger。　But　it　availed　them　nothing。　They　soon　perceived　that　victory　lay　with　the　Republican　National　Committee；　which　had　the　organization　of　the　Convention　and　the　framing　of　the　rules　of　procedure。　The　Taft　people；　the　Regulars；　controlled　the　National　Committee；　and　they　knew　that　the　rules　would　do　the　rest；　especially　since；　the　Chairman　of　the　Convention；　Senator　Root；　was　the　interpreter　of　the　rules。

At　no　other　National　Convention　in　American　history　did　a　Chairman　keep　his　head　and　his　temper　so　admirably　as　did　Mr。　Root　on　this　occasion。　His　intellect；　burning　with　a　cold；　white　light；illumined　every　point；　but　betrayed　no　heat　of　passion。　He　applied　the　rules　as　impartially　as　if　they　were　theorems　of　algebra。　Time　after　time　the　Rooseveltians　protested　against　the　holders　of　contested　seats　to　vote；　but　he　was　unmoved　because　the　rule　prescribed　that　the　person　had　a　right　to　vote。　When　the　contests　were　taken　up；　the　Taft　men　always　won；　the　Roosevelt　men　always　lost。　The　Machine　went　as　if　by　clock…work　or　like　the　guillotine。　More　than　once　some　Rooseveltian　leader；　like　Governor　Hadley；　stung　by　a　particularly　shocking　display　of　overbearing　injustice；　taunted　the　majority　with　shouts　of　〃Robbers〃　and　〃Theft。〃　Roars　of　passion　swept　through　the　hall。　The　derision　of　the　minority　was　countered　by　the　majority　with　equal　vigor；　but　the　majority　did　not　always　feel；　in　spite　of　its　truculent　manner；　confident　of　the　outcome。

By　what　now　seems　shameless　theft；　the　Credentials　Committee　approved　the　seating　of　two　Taft　delegates　from　California；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　proper　officials　of　that　State　had　certified　that　its　twenty…six　delegates　were　all　for　Roosevelt；　and　had　been　elected　by　a　majority　of　76；000　votes。　Chairman　Root　put　the　question　to　the　Convention；　however；　and　those　two　discredited　delegates　were　admitted　for　Taft　by　a　vote　of　542　to　529。　This　indicates　how　close　the　Convention　then　stood；　when　a　change　of　seven　votes　would　have　given　Roosevelt　a　majority　of　one　and　have　added　to　his　list　the　two　California　delegates　who　were　counted　out。　Had　such　a　change　taken　place；　those　who　watched　the　Convention　believed　there　would　have　been　a　〃landslide〃　to　Roosevelt。　But　the　Republican　Committee's　sorely　tested　rules　held。　After　that；　the　Rooseveltians　saw　no　gleam　of　hope。

On　Saturday；　June　22d；　the　list　of　delegates　to　the　Convention　having　been　drawn　up　as　the　Republican　Machine　intended；　Mr。　Taft　was　nominated　by　a　vote　of　561；　Roosevelt　received　107；　La　Follette　41；　Cummins　17；　Hughes　2；　344　delegates　did　not　vote。　The　last　were　all　Roosevelt　men；　but　they　had　been　requested　by　Roosevelt　to　refuse　to　vote。　Through　Mr。　Henry　J。　Allen；　of　Kansas；　he　sent　this　message：

'The　Convention　has　now　declined　to　purge　the　roll　of　the　fraudulent　delegates　placed　thereon　by　the　defunct　National　Committee；　and　the　majority　which　thus　endorsed　fraud　was　made　a　majority　only　because　it　included　the　fraudulent　delegates　themselves；　who　all　sat　as　judges　on　one　another's　cases。　If　these　fraudulent　votes　had　not　thus　been　cast　and　counted　the　Convention　would　have　been　purged　of　their　presence。　This　action　makes　the　Convention　in　no　proper　sense　any　longer　a　Republican　Convention　representing　the　real　Republican　Party。　Therefore；　I　hope　the　men　elected　as　Roosevelt　delegates　will　now　decline　to　vote　on　any　matter　before　the　Convention。　I　do　not　release　any　delegate　from　his　honorable　obligation　to　vote　for　me　if　he　votes　at　all；　but　under　the　actual　conditions　I　hope　that　he　will　not　vote　at　all。　The　Convention　as　now　composed　has　no　claim　to　represent　the　voters　of　the　Republican　Party。　It　represents　nothing　but　s