theodore roosevelt-第48章

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t　stayed　by　the　Republican　Party；　and　did　not　scruple　to　serve　it；　as　he　supposed；　in　this　way。　The　charge　of　drunkenness　spread　so　far　and；　as　usual；　so　many　persons　said　that　where　there　is　much　smoke　there　must　be　some　fire；　that　Roosevelt　determined　to　crush　that　lie　once　for　all。　He　would　not　have　it　stand　unchallenged；　to　shame　his　children　after　he　was　dead；　or　to　furnish　food　for　the　maggots　which　feed　on　the　reputations　of　great　men。　So　he　brought　suit　against　Newett。　His　counsel；　James　H。　Pound；　assembled　nearly　two…score　witnesses；　who　had　known　Roosevelt　since　he　left　College；　men　who　had　visited　him；　had　hunted　with　him；　had　served　with　him　in　the　Spanish　War；　had　been　his　Cabinet　Ministers；　journalists　who　had　followed　him　on　his　campaigning　tours；　detectives；　and　his　personal　body…servant；　General　Leonard　Wood；　and　Jacob　Riis；　and　Dr。　Alexander　Lambert；　who　had　been　his　family　physician　for　a　quarter　of　a　century。　This　cloud　of　witnesses　all　testified　unanimously　that　they　had　never　seen　him　drink　anything　stronger　than　wine；　except　as　a　medicine；　that　he　took　very　little　wine；　and　that　they　had　never　seen　him　drunk。　They　also　declared　that　he　was　not　a　curser　or　blasphemer。

After　listening　to　this　mass　of　evidence　for　a　week；　Newett　begged　to　withdraw　his　charge　and　to　apologize；　and　he　confessed　that　he　had　nothing　but　hearsay　on　which　to　base　his　slanders。　Then　Roosevelt　addressed　the　court　and　asked　it　not　to　impose　damages　upon　the　defendant；　as　he　had　not　prosecuted　the　libeler　with　the　intention　of　getting　satisfaction　in　money。　He　wrote　one　of　his　sisters　from　Marquette；　where　the　trial　was　held：　〃I　deemed　it　best　not　to　demand　money　damages；　the　man　is　a　country　editor；　and　while　I　thoroly*　depise　him；　I　do　not　care　to　seem　to　persecute　him。〃　（May　31；　1913。）

*　I　copy　〃thoroly；〃　as　he　wrote　it；　as　a　reminder　that　Roosevelt　practiced　the　spelling　reform　which　he　advocated。


Roosevelt　had　to　undergo　one　other　trial；　this　time　as　defendant。　The　managers　of　the　Republican　Party…and　the　Interests　behind　them；　not　content　with　blocking　his　way　to　the　nomination　in　1912；　wished　utterly　to　destroy　him　as　a　political　factor；　for　they　still　dreaded　that；　as　a　Progressive；　he　might　have　a　triumphant　resurrection　and　recapture　the　confidence　of　the　American　people。　To　accomplish　their　purpose　they　wished　to　discredit　him　as　a　reform　politician；　and　as　a　leader　in　civic　and　social　welfare。

Roosevelt　himself　gave　the　occasion　for　their　on　slaught　upon　him。　In　supporting　Harvey　D。　Hinman；　the　Progressive　candidate　for　the　Governor　of　New　York　in　1914；　he　declared　that　William　Barnes；　Jr。；　who　managed　the　Republican　Machine　politics　in　that　State；　had　a　bi…partisan　alliance　with　the　Democratic　Machine　in　the　interest　of　crooked　politics　and　crooked　business。　Mr。　Barnes；　in　whose　ears　the　word　〃Boss〃　sounded　obnoxious　as　applied　to　himself；　brought　suit　for　libel；　and　it　came　to　trial　at　Syracuse　on　April　19；　1915。　Mr。　Barnes's　counsel；　Mr。　Ivins；　peered　into　every　item　of　Mr。　Roosevelt's　political　career　with　a　microscope。　Mr。　Barnes　had；　of　course；　all　the　facts；　all　the　traditions　that　his　long　experience　at　Albany　could　give　him。　And　as　he　dated　back　to　Boss　Platt's　time；　he　must　have　heard；　at　first　hand　from　the　Senator；　his　relations　with　Roosevelt　as　Governor。　But　the　most　searching　examination　by　Mr。　Barnes　brought　him　no　evidence；　and　cross…examination；　pursued　for　many　days；　brought　him　no　more。　When　it　became　Roosevelt's　turn　to　reply；　he　showed　how　the　Albany　Evening　Journal；　Mr。　Barnes's　organ；　had　profited　by　illegal　political　advertising。　He　proved　the　existence　of　the　bi…partisan　alliance　with　the　Democratic　Machine；　and　showed　its　effects　on　legislation　and　elections。　After　deliberating　two　days；　the　jury　brought　in　a　verdict　in　favor　of　Roosevelt。

The　trial；　which　had　lasted　two　months；　and　cost　Roosevelt　52；000　（so　expensive　is　it　for　an　honest　man　to　defend　his　honesty　against　hostile　politicians！）　decided　two　things：　first；　that　Mr。　Barnes　was　a　Boss；　and　had　used　crooked　methods；　and　next；　that　Theodore　Roosevelt；　under　the　most　intense　scrutiny　which　his　enemies　could　employ；　was　freed　from　any　suspicion　of　dishonest　political　methods　or　acts。　As　William　M。　Ivins；　attorney　for　Mr。　Barnes；　left　the　New　York　Constitutional　Convention　to　try　the　case　at　Syracuse；　he　said　with　un　concealed　and　alluring　self…satisfaction　to　Mr。　Root：　〃I　am　going　to　nail　Roosevelt's　hide　to　the　barn　door。〃　Mr。　Root　replied：　〃Be　sure　it　is　Roosevelt's　and　not　some　other　hide　that　is　nailed　there。〃



CHAPTER　XXIV。　PROMETHEUS　BOUND

The　event　which　put　Roosevelt's　patriotism　to　the　final　test；　and；　as　it　proved；　evoked　all　his　great　qualities　in　a　last　display；　was　the　outbreak　of　the　Atrocious　World　War　in　August；　1914。　By　the　most　brutal　assault　in　modern　times；　Germany；　and　her　lackey　ally；　Austria；　without　notice；　overran　Belgium　and　Northeastern　France；　and　devastated　Serbia。　The　other　countries；　especially　the　United　States；　were　too　startled　at　first　to　understand　either　the　magnitude　or　the　possible　implications　of　this　war。　On　August　18th；　President　Wilson　issued　the　first　of　his　many　variegated　messages；　in　which　he　gave　this　warning：　〃We　must　be　impartial　in　thought　as　well　as　in　action；　must　put　a　curb　upon　our　sentiments　as　well　as　upon　every　transaction　that　might　be　construed　as　a　preference　of　one　party　to　the　struggle　before　another。〃　He　added　that　his　first　thought　was　of　America。　Any　one　who　analyzed　his　message　carefully　must　have　wondered　how　it　was　possible；　in　the　greatest　moral　issue　which　had　ever　been　thrust　before　the　world's　judgment；　to　remain　impartial　〃even　in　thought〃　between　good　and　evil。　Perhaps　it　was　right；　though　hardly　necessary；　to　impress　upon　Americans　that　they　must　look　after　their　own　interests　first。　Would　it　not　have　been　more　seemly；　however；　especially　for　President　Wilson；　who　on　the　previous　Fourth　of　July　had　uttered　his　sanctimonious　tribute　to　the　superiority　in　virtue　of　the　United　States　to　all　other　nations；　to　urge　his　countrymen　to　put　some　of　this　virtue　into　practice　at　that　crisis？

But　the　masses　did　not　reason。　They　used　his　admonition　to　remain　neutral　〃even　in　thought〃　to　justify　them　in　not　having　any　great　anxiety　as　to　who　was　right　and　who　wrong；　and　they　interpreted　his　concern　for　〃America　first〃　as　authorizing　them　to　go　about　their　affairs　and　profit　as　much　as　they　could　in　the　warlike　conditions。　Some　of　us；　indeed；　took　an　opposite　view。　We　saw　that　the　conflict；　if　fought　to　a　finish；　would　decide　whether　Democracy　or　Despotism　should　rule　the　earth。　We　felt　that　the　United　States；　the　vastest；　strongest；　and　most　populous　Republic　in　the　world；　pledged　to　uphold　Democracy；　should　throw　itself　at　once　on　the　side　of　the　European　nations　which　were　struggling；　against　great　odds；　to　save　Democracy　from　the　most　atrocious　of　despots。　Inevitably；　we　were　regarded　as　incorrigible　idealists　whose　suggestions　ran　counter　to　etiquette　and　were；　after　all；　crazy。

For　several　years；　Roosevelt　had　been　a　contributing　editor　of　the　Outlook；　and　although　his　first　instinct；　when　the　Germans　ravished　Belgium；　was　to　protest　and　then；　if　necessary；　to　follow　up　our　protest　by　a　show　of　force；　he　wrote　in　the　Outlook　an　approval　of　our　taking　immediately　a　neutral　attitude。　Still；　he　did　not　let　this　preclude　stern　action　later。　〃　Neutrality；〃　he　said；　〃may　be　of　prime　necessity　to　maintain　peace　。　。　。　but　we　pay　the　penalty　of　this　action　on　behalf　of　peace　for　ourselves；　and　possibly　for　others　in　the　future；　by　forfeiting　our　right　to　do　anything　on　behalf　of　peace　for　the　Belgians　at　present。〃　Three　years　afterwards　these　sentences　of　his　were　unearthed　by　his　enemies　and　flung　against　him；　but　his　dominant　purpose；　from　the　start；　was　too　well　known　for　any　one　to　accuse　him　of　inconsistency。　He　assumed；　when　President　Wilson　issued　his　impartial　〃even　in　thought〃　message；　that　the　President　must　have　some　secret　diplomatic　information　which　would　vindicate　it。

As　the　months　went　on；　however；　it　became　clear　to　him　that　Mr。　Wilson　was　pursuing　towards　the　European　War　the　same　policy　of　contradictions；　of　brief　paroxysms　of　boldness；　followed　by　long　periods　of　lassitude；　which　had　marked　his　conduct　of　our　relations　towards　the　Mexican　bandits。　He　saw　only　too　well；　also；　into　what　ignoble　depths　this　policy　led　us。　Magnificent　France；　throttled　Belgium；　England　willing　but　not　yet　ready；　devastated　Serbia；　looked　to　us　for　sympathy　and　help；　and　all　the　sympathy　they　got　came　from　private　persons　in　America；　and　of　help　there　was　none。　Meanwhile；　the　Germans　undermined　and　gangrened　the　American　people。　Every　ship　brought　over　their　slyest　and　most　unscrupulous　propagandists；　who　cooperated　with　the　despicable　German　professors　and　other　agents　already　planted　here；　and　opened　the　sewers　of　their　doctrines。　Their　spies　began　to　go　up　and　down　the　land；　without　check。　Count　Bernstorff；　the　German　Ambassador；　assumed　to　play　with　the　Administration　at　Washington　as　a　cat　might　play　with　half　a　score　of　mice；　feeling　sure　that　he　could　devour　them　when　he　chose。　A　European　gentleman；　who　came　from　a　neutral　country；　and　called　on　Bernstorff　in　April；　1915；　told　me　that　when　he　asked　the　Ambassador　how　he　got　on　with　the　United　States；　he　replied：　〃Very　well；　indeed；　we　pay　no　attention　to　the　Government；　but　go　ahead　and　do　what　we　please。〃　Within　a　fortnight　the　sinking　of　the　Lusitania　showed　that　Bernstorff　had　not　boasted　idly。

Roosevelt　understood　the　harm　which　the　German　conspiracy　was　doing　among　our　people；　not　only　by　polluting　their　ideals；　but　actually　strengthening　the　coils　which　the　propagandists　had　been　winding；　to　strangle　at　the　favorable　moment　American　independence　itself。　We　discovered　then　that　the　process　of　Germanization　had　been　going　on　secretly　during　twenty　years。　Since　England　was　the　chief　enemy　in　the　way　of　German　world　domination；　the　German…Americans　laid　themselves　out　to　render　the　English　odious　here。　And　they　worked　to　such　good　purpose　that　the　legal　officers　of　the　Administration　admonished　the　American　people　that　the　English；　in　holding　up　merchant　vessels　laden　with　cargoes　for　Germany；　committed　breaches　against　international　law　which　were　quite　as　heinous　as　the　sinking　by　German　submarines　of　ships　laden　with　American　non…combatants。　They　magnified　the　loss　of　a　cargo　of　perishable　food　and　set　it　against　the　ferocious　destruction　of　neutral　human　beings。　Senator　Lodge；　however；　expressed　the　clear　thought　and　right　feeling　of　Americans　when　he　said　that　we　were　more　moved　by　the　thought　of　the　corpse　of　an　innocent　victim　of　the　Hun　submarines　than　by　that　of　a　bale　of　cotton。

These　enormities；　these　sins　of　omission　and　commission；　of　which　Roosevelt　declared　our　Government　guilty；　amazed　and　exasperated　him；　and　from　the　beginning　of　1915　onward；　he　set　himself　three　tasks。　He　wished　to　expose　and　circumvent　German　machinations　over　here。　Next；　he　deemed　it　a　pressing　duty　to　rouse　our　country　to　the　recognition　that　we　must　prepare　at　once　for　war。　He　saw；　as　every　other　sensible　person　saw；　that　as　the　conflict　grew　more　terrible　in　Europe　and　spread　into　Asia　and　Africa；　we　should　be　dr