Thereisoftenmuchgoodinthetypeofboss,especiallycommoninbigcities,whofulfillstowardsthepeopleofhisdistrictinroughandreadyfashionthepositionoffriendandprotector。Heuseshisinfluencetogetjobsforyoungmenwhoneedthem。Hegoesintocourtforawildyoungfellowwhohasgottenintotrouble。Hehelpsoutwithcashorcreditthewidowwhoisinstraits,orthebreadwinnerwhoiscrippledorforsomeothercausetemporarilyoutofwork。Heorganizesclambakesandchowderpartiesandpicnics,andisconsultedbythelocallaborleaderswhenacutinwagesisthreatened。Forsomeofhisconstituentshedoesproperfavors,andforotherswhollyimproperfavors;buthepreserveshumanrelationswithall。Hemaybeaverybadandverycorruptman,amanwhoseactioninblackmailingandprotectingviceisoffar-reachingdamagetohisconstituents。Buttheseconstituentsareforthemostpartmenandwomenwhostrugglehardagainstpovertyandwithwhomtheproblemoflivingisveryrealandveryclose。Theywouldprefercleanandhonestgovernment,ifthiscleanandhonestgovernmentisaccompaniedbyhumansympathy,humanunderstanding。Butanappealmadetothemforvirtueintheabstract,anappealmadebygoodmenwhodonotreallyunderstandtheirneeds,willoftenpassquiteunheeded,ifontheothersidestandstheboss,thefriendandbenefactor,whomayhavebeenguiltyofmuchwrong-
doinginthingsthattheyarehardlyawareconcernthem,butwhoappealstothem,notonlyforthesakeoffavorstocome,butinthenameofgratitudeandloyalty,andaboveallofunderstandingandfellow-feeling。Theyhaveafeelingofclan-loyaltytohim;hisandtheirrelationsmaybesubstantiallythosewhicharerightandproperamongprimitivepeoplestillintheclanstageofmoraldevelopment。
Thesuccessfulfightagainstthistypeofviciousboss,andthetypeofviciouspoliticswhichproducesit,canbemadeonlybymenwhohaveagenuinefellow-feelingforandunderstandingofthepeopleforandwithwhomtheyaretowork,andwhoinpracticalfashionseektheirsocialandindustrialbenefit。
Therearecommunitiesofpoormen,whoselivesarehard,inwhichtheboss,thoughhewouldbeoutofplaceinamoreadvancedcommunity,iffundamentallyanhonestman,meetsarealneedwhichwouldotherwisenotbemet。Becauseofhislimitationsinotherthanpurelylocalmattersitmaybeourdutytofightsuchaboss;butitmayalsobeourdutytorecognize,withinhislimitations,bothhissincerityandhisusefulness。
Yetagaineventhebosswhoreallyisevil,likethebusinessmanwhoreallyisevil,mayoncertainpointsbesound,andbedoinggoodwork。Itmaybethehighestdutyofthepatrioticpublicservanttoworkwiththebigbossorthebigbusinessmanonthesepoints,whilerefusingtoworkwithhimonothers。Inthesamewaytherearemanyself-styledreformerswhoseconductissuchastowarrantTomReed’sbitterremark,thatwhenDr。Johnsondefinedpatriotismasthelastrefugeofascoundrelhewasignorantoftheinfinitepossibilitiescontainedinthewordreform。Yet,nonetheless,itisourdutytoworkforthereformsthesemenchampion,withoutregardtothemisconductofthementhemselvesonotherpoints。Ihaveknowninmylifemanybigbusinessmenandmanybigpoliticalbosseswhooftenorevengenerallydidevil,butwhoonsomeoccasionsandoncertainissueswereright。Ineverhesitatedtodobattleagainstthesemenwhentheywerewrong;and,ontheotherhand,aslongastheyweregoingmywayIwasgladtohavethemdoso。Tohaverepudiatedtheiraidwhentheywererightandwerestrivingforarightend,andforwhatwasofbenefittothepeople——nomatterwhattheirmotivesmayhavebeen——wouldhavebeenchildish,andmoreoverwouldhaveitselfbeenmisconductagainstthepeople。
Mydutywastostandwitheveryonewhilehewasright,andtostandagainsthimwhenhewentwrong;andthisIhavetriedtodoasregardsindividualsandasregardsgroupsofindividuals。Whenabusinessmanorlaborleader,politicianorreformer,isright,Isupporthim;whenhegoeswrong,Ileavehim。WhenMr。LorimerupheldthewarfortheliberationofCuba,Isupportedhim;whenhebecameUnitedStatesSenatorbyimpropermethods,Iopposedhim。TheprinciplesormethodswhichtheSocialistsadvocateandwhichIbelievetobeintheinterestofthepeopleIsupport,andthosewhichIbelievetobeagainsttheinterestofthepeopleIoppose。Moreover,whenamanhasdoneevil,butchanges,andworksfordecencyandrighteousness,andwhen,asfarasIcansee,thechangeisrealandtheman’sconductsincere,thenIwelcomehimandworkheartilywithhim,asanequalwithanequal。ForthirtyyearsaftertheCivilWarthecreedofmerematerialismwasrampantinbothAmericanpoliticsandAmericanbusiness,andmany,manystrongmen,inaccordancewiththeprevailingcommercialandpoliticalmorality,didthingsforwhichtheydeserveblameandcondemnation;butiftheynowsincerelychange,andstriveforbetterthings,itisunwiseandunjusttobarthemfromfellowship。Solongastheyworkforevil,smitethemwiththeswordoftheLordandofGideon!Whentheychangeandshowtheirfaithbytheirworks,rememberthewordsofEzekiel:“Ifthewickedwillturnfromallthesinshehascommitted,andkeepallmystatutes,anddothatwhichislawfulandright,heshallsurelylive,heshallnotdie。Allhistransgressionsthathehathcommitted,theyshallnotbementioneduntohim:inhisrighteousnessthathehathdoneheshalllive。HaveIanypleasureatallthatthewickedshoulddie?saiththeLordGod;andnotthatheshouldreturnfromhiswaysandlive?”
Everymanwhohasbeeninpracticalpoliticsgrowstorealizethatpoliticians,bigandlittle,arenomoreallofthembadthantheyareallofthemgood。Manyofthesemenareverybadmenindeed,butthereareothersamongthem——andsomeamongthosehelduptospecialobloquy,too——who,evenalthoughtheymayhavedonemuchthatisevil,alsoshowtraitsofsterlingworthwhichmanyoftheircriticswhollylack。TherearefewmenforwhomIhaveeverfeltamorecordialandcontemptuousdislikethanforsomeofthebossesandbigprofessionalpoliticianswithwhomIhavebeenbroughtintocontact。Ontheotherhand,inthecaseofsomepoliticalleaderswhoweremostbitterlyattackedasbosses,Igrewtoknowcertainsidesoftheircharacterswhichinspiredinmeaverygenuineregardandrespect。
ToreadmuchoftheassaultonSenatorHanna,onewouldhavethoughtthathewasamanincapableofpatriotismoroffar-sighteddevotiontothecountry’sgood。Iwasbroughtintointimatecontactwithhimonlyduringthetwoandahalfyearsimmediatelyprecedinghisdeath。
IwasthenPresident,andperforcewatchedallhisactionsatcloserange。Duringthattimeheshowedhimselftobeamanofruggedsincerityofpurpose,ofgreatcourageandloyalty,andofunswervingdevotiontotheinterestsoftheNationandthepeopleashesawthoseinterests。Hewasassincerelydesirousofhelpinglaboringmenasofhelpingcapitalists。Hisidealswereinmanywaysnotmyideals,andtherewerepointswherebothbytemperamentandbyconvictionwewerefarapart。Beforethistimehehadalwaysbeenunfriendlytome;andI
donotthinkheevergrewtolikeme,atanyratenotuntiltheveryendofhislife。Moreover,IcametothePresidencyundercircumstanceswhich,ifhehadbeenasmallerman,wouldinevitablyhavethrownhimintoviolentantagonismtome。HewasthecloseandintimatefriendofPresidentMcKinley。HewasMcKinley’sdevotedallyandfollower,andhistrustedadviser,whowasincompletesympathywithhim。Partlybecauseofthisfriendship,hispositionintheSenateandinthecountrywasunique。
WithMcKinley’ssuddendeathSenatorHannafoundhimselfbereftofhisdearestfriend,whileI,whohadjustcometothePresidency,wasinhisviewanuntriedman,whosetrustworthinessonmanypublicquestionswasatleastdoubtful。Ordinarily,ashasbeenshown,notonlyinourhistory,butinthehistoryofallothercountries,incountlessinstances,overandoveragain,thissituationwouldhavemeantsuspicion,illwill,and,atthelast,openandviolentantagonism。Suchwasnottheresult,inthiscase,primarilybecauseSenatorHannahadinhimthequalitythatenabledhimtomeetaseriouscrisiswithdignity,withpower,andwithdisinteresteddesiretoworkforthecommongood。Withinafewdaysofmyaccessionhecalledonme,andwithentirefriendlinessandobvioussincerity,butalsowithentireself-respect,explainedthathemournedMcKinleyasprobablynoothermandid;thathehadnotbeenespeciallymyfriend,butthathewishedmetounderstandthatthenceforward,oneveryquestionwherehecouldconscientiouslysupportme,Icouldcountuponhisgivingmeasloyalaidasitwasinhispowertorender。Headdedthatthismustnotbeunderstoodascommittinghimtofavormefornominationandelection,becausethatmattermustbelefttotakecareofitselfaseventsshoulddecide;butthat,asidefromthis,whathesaidwastobetakenliterally;inotherwords,hewoulddohisbesttomakemyAdministrationasuccessbysupportingmeheartilyoneverypointonwhichheconscientiouslycould,andthatthisIcouldcountupon。Hekepthiswordabsolutely。Heneverbecameespeciallyfavorabletomynomination;andmostofhisclosefriendsbecamebitterlyopposedtomeandusedeveryefforttopersuadehimtotrytobringaboutmydownfall。Mostmeninhispositionwouldhavebeentemptedtotrytomakecapitalatmyexpensebyantagonizingmeanddiscreditingmesoastomakemypoliciesfail,justforthesakeofmakingthemfail。SenatorHanna,onthecontrary,dideverythingpossibletomakethemsucceed。Hekepthiswordintheletterandthespirit,andoneverypointonwhichhefeltconscientiouslyabletosupportmehegavemetheheartiestandmosteffectivesupport,anddidallinhispowertomakemyAdministrationasuccess;andthiswithnohopeofanyrewardforhimself,ofanygratitudefromme,orofanyappreciationbythepublicatlarge,butsolelybecausehedeemedsuchactionnecessaryforthewell-beingofthecountryasawhole。
MyexperiencewithSenatorQuaywassimilar。IhadnopersonalrelationswithhimbeforeIwasPresident,andknewnothingofhimsavebyhearsay。SoonafterIbecamePresident,SenatorQuaycalleduponme,toldmehehadknownmeveryslightly,thathethoughtmostmenwhoclaimedtobereformerswerehypocrites,butthathedeemedmesincere,thathethoughtconditionshadbecomesuchthataggressivecourageandhonestywerenecessaryinordertoremedythem,thathebelievedIintendedtobeagoodandefficientPresident,andthattothebestofhisabilityhewouldsupportmeinitmakingmyAdministrationasuccess。Hekepthiswordwithabsolutegoodfaith。
HehadbeenintheCivilWar,andwasamedalofhonorman;andI
thinkmyhavingbeenintheSpanishWargavehimattheoutsetakindlyfeelingtowardme。Hewasalsoaverywell-readman——Iowetohim,forinstance,myacquaintancewiththewritingsoftheFinnishnovelistTopelius。NotonlydidhesupportmeonalmosteverypublicquestioninwhichIwasmostinterested——including,Iamconvinced,everyoneonwhichhefeltheconscientiouslycoulddoso——buthealsoatthetimeofhisdeathgaveastrikingproofofhisdisinteresteddesiretorenderaservicetocertainpoorpeople,andthisunderconditionsinwhichnotonlywouldheneverknowiftheservicewererenderedbutinwhichhehadnoreasontoexpectthathispartinitwouldeverbemadeknowntoanyotherman。
QuaywasdescendedfromaFrenchvoyageurwhohadsomeIndianbloodinhim。HewasproudofthisIndianblood,tookanespecialinterestinIndians,andwheneverIndianscametoWashingtontheyalwayscalledonhim。OnceduringmyAdministrationadelegationofIroquoiscameoverfromCanadatocallonmeattheWhiteHouse。Theirvisithadinitsomethingthatwaspatheticaswellasamusing。TheyrepresentedthedescendantsoftheSixNations,whofledtoCanadaafterSullivanharriedtheirtownsintheRevolutionaryWar。Now,acenturyandaquarterlater,theirpeoplethoughtthattheywouldliketocomebackintotheUnitedStates;andtheserepresentativeshadcalleduponmewiththedimhopethatperhapsIcouldgivetheirtribeslandonwhichtheycouldsettle。AssoonastheyreachedWashingtontheyaskedQuaytobringthemtocallonme,whichhedid,tellingmethatofcoursetheirerrandwashopelessandthathehadexplainedasmuchtothem,butthattheywouldlikemetoextendthecourtesyofaninterview。Atthecloseoftheinterview,whichhadbeenconductedwithallthesolemnitiesofcalumetandwampum,theIndiansfiledout。Quay,beforefollowingthem,turnedtomewithhisusualemotionlessfaceandsaid,“Good-by,Mr。President;thisremindsoneoftheFlightofaTartarTribe,doesn’tit?”Ianswered,“Soyou’refondofDeQuincey,Senator?”towhichQuayresponded,“Yes;alwayslikedDeQuincey;
good-by。”Andawayhewentwiththetribesmen,whoseemedtohavewalkedoutofaremotepast。