第47章
加入书架 A- A+

  influenceontheonehandasagainstdemagogyandmobruleontheother。Iunderstandperfectlythatsuchanattitudeofmoderationisapttobemisunderstoodwhenpassionsaregreatlyexcitedandwhenvictoryisapttorestwiththeextremistsononesideortheother;yetIthinkitisinthelongruntheonlywiseattitude……Iappreciateabsolutely[whatMr。Platthadsaid]thatanyapplauseIgetwillbetooevanescentforamoment’sconsideration。Iappreciateabsolutelythatthepeoplewhonowloudlyapproveofmyactioninthefranchisetaxbillwillforgetallaboutitinafortnight,andthat,ontheotherhand,theverypowerfulinterestsadverselyaffectedwillalwaysrememberit……[Theleaders]urgeduponmethatIpersonallycouldnotaffordtotakethisaction,forundernocircumstancescouldIeveragainbenominatedforanypublicoffice,asnocorporationwouldsubscribetoacampaignfundifIwasontheticket,andthattheywouldsubscribemostheavilytobeatme;andwhenIaskedifthisweretrueofRepublicancorporations,thecynicalanswerwasmadethatthecorporationsthatsubscribedmostheavilytothecampaignfundssubscribedimpartiallytobothpartyorganizations。Underallthesecircumstances,itseemedtometherewasnoalternativebuttodowhatIcouldtosecurethepassageofthebill。”

  Thesetwoletters,writteninthespringof1899,expressclearlytheviewsofthetwoelementsoftheRepublicanparty,whosehostilitygraduallygrewuntilitculminated,thirteenyearslater。In1912thepoliticalandfinancialforcesofwhichMr。Platthadoncebeenthespokesman,usurpedthecontrolofthepartymachineryanddroveoutofthepartythemenwhowereloyallyendeavoringtoapplytheprinciplesofthefoundersofthepartytotheneedsandissuesoftheirownday。

  IhadmadeupmymindthatifIcouldgetashowintheLegislaturethebillwouldpass,becausethepeoplehadbecomeinterestedandtherepresentativeswouldscarcelydaretovotethewrongway。

  Accordingly,onApril27,1899,IsentaspecialmessagetotheAssembly,certifyingthattheemergencydemandedtheimmediatepassageofthebill。Themachineleaderswerebitterlyangry,andtheSpeakeractuallytoreupthemessagewithoutreadingittotheAssembly。Thatnighttheywerebusytryingtoarrangesomedeviceforthedefeatofthebill——whichwasnotdifficult,asthesessionwasabouttoclose。

  AtseventhenextmorningIwasinformedofwhathadoccurred。AteightIwasintheCapitolattheExecutivechamber,andsentinanotherspecialmessage,whichopenedasfollows:“IlearnthattheemergencymessagewhichIsentlasteveningtotheAssemblyonbehalfoftheFranchiseTaxBillhasnotbeenread。Ithereforesendherebyanothermessageonthesubject。IneednotimpressupontheAssemblytheneedofpassingthisbillatonce。”IsentthismessagetotheAssembly,bymysecretary,WilliamJ。Youngs,afterwardsUnitedStatesDistrictAttorneyofKings,withanintimationthatifthiswerenotpromptlyreadIshouldcomeupinpersonandreadit。Then,assooftenhappens,theoppositioncollapsedandthebillwentthroughbothhouseswitharush。IhadintheHousestanchfriends,suchasRegisPostandAlfordCooley,menofcharacterandcourage,whowouldhavefoughttoafinishhadtheneedarisen。

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