my memories of eighty years-第34节

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rtunity　of　showing　how　creeks　and　trout　streams　were　to　be　turned　by　the　magic　of　the　money　of　the　Treasury　into　navigable　rivers；　and　inaccessible　ponds　were　to　be　dredged　into　harbors　to　float　the　navies　of　the　world。

The　speech　was　very　rich　in　anecdotes　and　delightful　in　its　success　by　an　adroit　attack　of　tempting　a　supporter　of　the　measure　into　aiding　the　filibuster　by　indignantly　denying　the　charge　which　Carter　had　made　against　him。　　By　this　method　Carter　would　get　a　rest　by　the　folly　of　his　opponent。　　The　Senate　was　full　and　the　galleries　were　crowded　during　the　whole　night；　and　when　the　gavel　of　the　vice…president　announced　that　no　further　debate　was　admissible　and　the　time　for　adjournment　had　arrived；　and　began　to　make　his　farewell　speech；　Carter　took　his　seat　amidst　the　wreck　of　millions　and　the　hopes　of　the　exploiters；　and　the　Treasury　of　the　United　States　had　been　saved　by　an　unexpected　champion。

The　country　does　not　appreciate　the　tremendous　power　of　the　committees；　as　legislative　business　constantly　increases　with　almost　geometrical　progression。　　The　legislation　of　the　country　is　handled　almost　entirely　in　committees。　　It　requires　a　possible　revolution　to　overcome　the　hostility　of　a　committee；　even　if　the　House　and　the　country　are　otherwise　minded。　　Some　men　whose　names　do　not　appear　at　all　in　the　Congressional　Record；　and　seldom　in　the　newspapers；　have　a　certain　talent　for　drudgery　and　detail　which　is　very　rare；　and　when　added　to　shrewdness　and　knowledge　of　human　nature　makes　such　a　senator　or　representative　a　force　to　be　reckoned　with　on　committees。　　Such　a　man　is　able　to　hold　up　almost　anything。

I　found　during　my　Washington　life　the　enormous　importance　of　its　social　side。　　Here　are　several　hundred　men　in　the　two　Houses　of　Congress；　far　above　the　average　in　intelligence；　force　of　character；　and　ability　to　accomplish　things。　　Otherwise　they　would　not　have　been　elected。　　They　are　very　isolated　and　enjoy　far　beyond　those　who　have　the　opportunity　of　club　life；　social　attentions。　　At　dinner　the　real　character　of　the　guest　comes　out；　and　he　is　most　responsive　to　these　attentions。　　Mrs。　Depew　and　I　gave　a　great　many　dinners；　to　our　intense　enjoyment　and；　I　might　say；　education。　　By　this　method　I　learned　to　know　in　a　way　more　intimate　than　otherwise　would　have　been　possible　many　of　the　most　interesting　characters　I　have　ever　met。

Something　must　be　done；　and　that　speedily；　to　bridge　the　widening　chasm　between　the　Executive　and　the　Congress。　　Our　experience　with　President　Wilson　has　demonstrated　this。　　As　a　self…centred　autocrat；　confident　of　himself　and　suspicious　of　others；　hostile　to　advice　or　discussion；　he　became　the　absolute　master　of　the　Congress　while　his　party　was　in　the　majority。

The　Congress；　instead　of　being　a　co…ordinate　branch；　was　really　in　session　only　to　accept；　adopt；　and　put　into　laws　the　imperious　will　of　the　president。　　When；　however；　the　majority　changed；　there　being　no　confidence　between　the　executive　and　the　legislative　branch　of　the　government；　the　necessary　procedure　was　almost　paralyzed。　　The　president　was　unyielding　and　the　Congress　insisted　upon　the　recognition　of　its　constitutional　rights。　　Even　if　the　president　is；　as　McKinley　was；　in　close　and　frequent　touch　with　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　relation　is　temporary　and　unequal；　and　not　what　it　ought　to　be；　automatic。

Happily　we　have　started　a　budget　system；　but　the　Cabinet　should　have　seats　on　the　floor　of　the　Houses；　and　authority　to　answer　questions　and　participate　in　debates。　　Unless　our　system　was　radically　changed；　we　could　not　adopt　the　English　plan　of　selecting　the　members　of　the　Cabinet　entirely　from　the　Senate　and　the　House。　But　we　could　have　an　administration　always　in　close　touch　with　the　Congress　if　the　Cabinet　members　were　in　attendance　when　matters　affecting　their　several　departments　were　under　discussion　and　action。

I　heard　Senator　Nelson　W。　Aldrich；　who　was　one　of　the　shrewdest　and　ablest　legislators　of　our　generation；　say　that　if　business　methods　were　applied　to　the　business　of　the　government　in　a　way　in　which　he　could　do　it；　there　would　be　a　saving　of　three　hundred　millions　of　dollars　a　year。　　We　are；　since　the　Great　War；　facing　appropriations　of　five　or　six　billions　of　dollars　a　year。　　I　think　the　saving　of　three　hundred　millions　suggested　by　Senator　Aldrich　could　be　increased　in　proportion　to　the　vast　increase　in　appropriations。

There　has　been　much　discussion　about　restricting　unlimited　debates　in　the　Senate　and　adopting　a　rigid　closure　rule。　　My　own　recollection　is　that　during　my　twelve　years　unlimited　discussion　defeated　no　good　measure；　but　talked　many　bad　ones　to　death。　　There　is　a　curious　feature　in　legislative　discussion；　and　that　is　the　way　in　which　senators　who　have　accustomed　themselves　to　speak　every　day　on　each　question　apparently　increase　their　vocabulary　as　their　ideas　evaporate。　　Two　senators　in　my　time；　who　could　be　relied　upon　to　talk　smoothly　as　the　placid　waters　of　a　running　brook　for　an　hour　or　more　every　day；　had　the　singular　faculty　of　apparently　saying　much　of　importance　while　really　developing　no　ideas。　In　order　to　understand　them；　while　the　Senate　would　become　empty　by　its　members　going　to　their　committee　rooms；　I　would　be　a　patient　listener。　　I　finally　gave　that　up　because；　though　endowed　with　reasonable　intelligence　and　an　intense　desire　for　knowledge；　I　never　could　grasp　what　they　were　driving　at。



XVI。　　AMBASSADORS　AND　MINISTERS

The　United　States　has　always　been　admirably　represented　at　the　Court　of　St。　James。　　I　consider　it　as　a　rare　privilege　and　a　delightful　memory　that　I　have　known　well　these　distinguished　ambassadors　and　ministers　who　served　during　my　time。　　I　was　not　in　England　while　Charles　Francis　Adams　was　a　minister；　but　his　work　during　the　Civil　War　created　intense　interest　in　America。　It　is　admitted　that　he　prevented　Great　Britain　from　taking　such　action　as　would　have　prolonged　the　war　and　endangered　the　purpose　which　Mr。　Lincoln　was　trying　to　accomplish；　namely；　the　preservation　of　the　Union。　　His　curt　answer　to　Lord　John　Russell；　〃This　means　war；〃　changed　the　policy　of　the　British　Government。

James　Russell　Lowell　met　every　requirement　of　the　position；　but；　more　than　that；　his　works　had　been　read　and　admired　in　England　before　his　appointment。　　Literary　England　welcomed　him　with　open　arms；　and　official　England　soon　became　impressed　with　his　diplomatic　ability。　　He　was　one　of　the　finest　after…dinner　speakers；　and　that　brought　him　in　contact　with　the　best　of　English　public　life。　　He　told　me　an　amusing　instance。　　As　soon　as　he　was　appointed；　everybody　who　expected　to　meet　him　sent　to　the　book　stores　and　purchased　his　works。　　Among　them；　of　course；　was　the　〃Biglow　Papers。〃　　One　lady　asked　him　if　he　had　brought　Mrs。　Biglow　with　him。

The　secretary　of　the　embassy；　William　J。　Hoppin；　was　a　very　accomplished　gentleman。　　He　had　been　president　of　the　Union　League　Club；　and　I　knew　him　very　well。　　I　called　one　day　at　the　embassy　with　an　American　living　in　Europe　to　ask　for　a　favor　for　this　fellow　countryman。　　The　embassy　was　overwhelmed　with　Americans　asking　favors；　so　Hoppin；　without　looking　at　me　or　waiting　for　the　request；　at　once　brought　out　his　formula　for　sliding　his　visitors　on　an　inclined　plane　into　the　street。　　He　said：　　〃Every　Americanand　there　are　thousands　of　themwho　comes　to　London　visits　the　embassy。　　They　all　want　to　be　invited　to　Buckingham　Palace　or　to　have　cards　to　the　House　of　Lords　or　the　House　of　Commons。　　Our　privileges　in　that　respect　are　very　few；　so　few　that　we　can　satisfy　hardly　anybody。　　Why　Americans；　when　there　is　so　much　to　see　in　this　old　country　from　which　our　ancestry　came；　and　with　whose　literature　we　are　so　familiar；　should　want　to　try　to　get　into　Buckingham　Palace　or　the　Houses　of　Parliament　is　incomprehensible。　There　is　a　very　admirable　cattle　show　at　Reading。　　I　have　a　few　tickets　and　will　give　them　to　you；　gentlemen；　gladly。　　You　will　find　the　show　exceedingly　interesting。〃

I　took　the　tickets；　but　if　there　is　anything　of　which　I　am　not　a　qualified　judge；　it　is　prize　cattle。　　That　night；　at　a　large　dinner　given　by　a　well…known　English　host；　my　friend　Hoppin　was　present；　and　at　once　greeted　me　with　warm　cordiality。　　Of　course；　he　had　no　recollections　of　the　morning　meeting。　　Our　host；　as　usual　when　a　new　American　is　present；　wanted　to　know　if　I　had　any　fresh　American　stories；　and　I　told　with　some　exaggeration　and　embroidery　the　story　of　the　Reading　cattle　show。　　Dear　old　Hoppin　was　considerably　embarrassed　at　the　chafing　he　received；　but　took　it　in　good　part；　and　thereafter　the　embassy　was　entirely　at　my　service。

Mr。　Edward　J。　Phelps　was　an　extraordinary　success。　　He　was　a　great　lawyer；　and　the　Chief　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States　told　me　that　there　was　no　one　who　appeared　before　that　Court　whose　arguments　were　more　satisfactory　and　convincing　than　those　of　Mr。　Phelps。　　He　had　the　rare　distinction　of　being　a　frequent　guest　at　the　Benchers'　dinners　in　London。　　One　of　the　English　judges　told　me　that　at　a　Benchers'　dinner　the　judges　were　discussing　a　novel　point　which　had　arisen　in　one　of　the　cases　recently　before　them。　　He　said　that　in　the　discussion　in　which　Mr。　Phelps　was　asked　to　partici