第47章

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。

Mytroubleswerenotatanend，however。Thebillputthetaxationinthehandsofthelocalcountyboards，andastherailwayssometimespassedthroughseveraldifferentcounties，thiswasinadvisable。Itwastheendofthesession，andtheLegislatureadjourned。Thecorporationsaffected，throughvariouscounsel，andthedifferentpartyleadersofbothorganizations，urgedmenottosignthebill，layingespecialstressonthisfeature，andaskingthatIwaituntilthefollowingyear，whenagoodmeasurecouldbeputthroughwiththisobnoxiousfeaturestruckout。Ihadthirtydaysunderthelawinwhichtosignthebill。IfIdidnotsignitbytheendofthattimeitwouldnotbecomealaw。IansweredmypoliticalandcorporationfriendsbytellingthemthatIagreedwiththemthatthisfeaturewaswrong，butthatIwouldratherhavethebillwiththisfeaturethannothaveitatall；andthatIwasnotwillingtotrusttowhatmightbedoneayearlater。Therefore，Iexplained，IwouldreconvenetheLegislatureinspecialsession，andifthelegislatorschosetoamendthebillbyplacingthepoweroftaxationintheStateinsteadofinthecountyormunicipality，Iwouldbeglad；butthatiftheyfailedtoamendit，oramendeditimproperly，Iwouldsigntheoriginalbillandletitbecomelawasitwas。

WhentherepresentativesofMr。Plattandofthecorporationsaffec