theodore roosevelt-第33章
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them； who never bluffed； becauseunlike President Cleveland and Secretary Olney with their Venezuela Message in 1895he never made a threat which he could not back up at the moment。 There was no longer a bed of roses to stifle opposition； whosoever hit at the United States would encounter a barrier of long； sharp； and unbending thorns。
These particular achievements in foreign affairs； and others which I shall mention later； gave Roosevelt and his country great prestige abroad and the admiration of a large part of his countrymen。 But his truly significant work related to home affairs。 Now at last； he； the young David of the New Ideals； was to go forth； if he dared； and do battle with the Goliath of Conservatism。 With him there was no question of daring。 He had been waiting for twenty years for this opportunity。 Such a conflict or duel has rarely been witnessed； because it rarely happens that an individual who consciously embodies the aims of an epoch is accepted by that epoch as its champion。 Looking backward； we see that Abraham Lincoln typified the ideals of Freedom and Union which were the supreme issues of his time； but this recognition has come chiefly since his death。 In like fashion I believe that Roosevelt's significance as a champion of Liberty； little suspected by his contemporaries and hardly surmised even now； will require the lapse of another generation before it is universally understood。
Many obvious reasons account for this。 Most of the internal reforms which Roosevelt struggled for lacked the dramatic quality or the picturesqueness which appeals to average； dull； unimaginative men and women。 The heroism of the medical experimenter who voluntarily contracts yellow fever and diesand thereby saves myriads of livesmakes little impression on the ordinary person； who can be roused only by stories of battle heroism； of soldiers and torpedoes。 And yet the attacks which Roosevelt made； while they did not involve death； called for the highest kind of civic courage and fortitude。
Then again a political combat with tongues and arguments seldom conveys the impression that through it irrevocable Fate gives its decision to the same extent that a contest by swords and volleys does。 Political campaigns are a competition of parties and only the immediate partisans who direct and carry on the fight； grow very hot。 The great majority of a party is not fanatical； and a citizen who has witnessed many elections； some for and some against him； comes instinctively to feel that whoever wins the country is safe。 He discounts the cries of alarm and the abuse by opponents。 And only in his most expansive moments does he flatter himself that his party really represents the State。 The Republican Party； through which President Roosevelt had to work； was by no means an ideal instrument。 He believed in Republicanism； with a faith only less devoted than that with which he embraced the fundamental duties and spiritual facts of life。 But the Republicanism which he revered must be interpreted by himself； and the party which bore the name Republican was split into several sections； mutually discordant if not actually hostile。 It seems no exaggeration to say that the underlying motive of the majority of the Republican Party during Roosevelt's Presidency was to uphold Privilege； just as much as the underlying purpose of the great Whig Party in England in the eighteenth century was to uphold Aristocracy。 Roosevelt's purpose； on the contrary； was to clip the arrogance of Privilege based on Plutocracy。 To achieve this he must； in some measure； compel the party of Plutocracy to help him。 I speak； so far as possible； as a historian；and not as a partisan；who recognizes that the rise of a Plutocracy was the inevitable result of the amassing； during a generation； of unprecedented wealth； and that； in a Republic governed by parties； the all…dominant Plutocracy would naturally see to it that the all dominant party which governed the country and made its laws should be plutocratic。 If the spheres in which Plutocracy made most of its money had been Democratic； then the Democratic Party would have served the Plutocracy。 As it was； in the practical relation between the parties； the Democrats got their share of the spoils； and the methods of a Democratic Boss； like Senator Gorman； did not differ from those of a Republican Boss； like Senator Aldrich。 Roosevelt relied implicitly on justice and common sense。 He held； as firmly as Lincoln had held； to the inherent rightmindedness of the 〃plain people。〃 And however fierce and formidable the opposition to his policies might be in Congress； he trusted that； if he could make clear to the average voters of the country what he was aiming at； they would support him。 And they did support him。 Time after time； when the Interests appeared to be on the point of crushing his reform； the people rose and coerced Congress into adopting it。 I would not imply that Roosevelt assumed an autocratic manner in this warfare。 He left no doubt of his intention； still less could he disguise the fact of his tremendous personal vigor； but rather than threaten he tried to persuade； he was good…natured to everybody； he explained the reasonableness of his measures； and only when the satraps of Plutocracy so far lost their discretion as to threaten him； did he bluntly challenge them to do their worst。
The Interests had undeniably reached such proportions that unless they were chastened and controlled； the freedom of the Republic could not survive。 And yet； in justice； we must recall that when they grew up in the day of small things； they were beneficial； their founders had no idea of their becoming a menace to the Nation。 The man who built the first cotton…mill in his section； or started the first iron…furnace； or laid the first stretch of railroad； was rightly hailed as a benefactor； and he could not foresee that the time would come when his mill； entering into a business combination with a hundred other mills in different parts of the country； would be merged。 in a monopoly to strangle competition in cotton manufacture。 Likewise； the first stretch of railroad joined another； and this a third； and so on； until there had arisen a vast railway system under a single management from New York to San Francisco。 Now； while these colossal monopolies had grown up so naturally； responding to the wonderful expansion of the population they served； the laws and regulations which applied to them； having been framed in the days when they were young and small and harmless； still obtained。 The clothes made for the little boy would not do for the giant man。 I have heard a lawyer complain that statutes； which barely sufficed when travel and transportation went by stage…coach； were stretched to fit the needs of the public in its relation with transcontinental railroads。 This is an exaggeration； no doubt； but it points towards truth。 The Big Interests were so swollen that they went ahead on their own affairs and paid little attention to the community on which they were battening。 They saw to it that if any laws concerning them had to be made by the State Legislatures or by Congress； their agents in those bodies should make them。 A certain Mr。 Vanderbilt； the president of one of the largest railroad systems in America； a person whose other gems of wit and wisdom have not been recorded； achieved such immortality； as it is； by remarking； 〃The public be damned。〃 Probably the president and directors of a score of other monopolies would have heartily echoed that impolitic and petulant display of arrogance。 Impolitic the exclamation was； because the American public had already begun to feel that the Big Interests were putting its freedom in jeopardy； and it was beginning to call for laws which should reduce the power of those interests。
As early as 1887 the Interstate Commerce Act was passed； the earliest considerable attempt to regulate rates and traffic。 Then followed anti…trust laws which aimed at the suppression of 〃pools；〃 in which many large producers or manufacturers combined to sell their staples at a uniform price； a practice which inevitably set up monopolies。 The 〃Trusts〃 were to these what the elephant is to a colt。 When the United States Steel Corporation was f
