胡適留學日記卷十五二、希望威爾遜連任

卷十五二、希望威爾遜連任

　　（十一月九日）

　　此次美國總統選舉，我自始至終望威爾遜連任，以其為美國開國以來第一流總統之一也。此次共和黨候選人休斯（Charles E. Hughes）於選舉競爭期內毫無所建白。其所主張無一非共和黨之陳腐口頭禪。故休氏之舊交如The N. Y. Evening Post主者O. G. Villard（《紐約晚郵報》主編維拉德）初袒之，後皆變而與之為敵。國中明達之士如President Charles W. Eliot，John Dewey（查爾斯·W·埃裡爾特校長，約翰·杜威）皆助威氏而攻休氏。吾前語人，若此次休斯得勝，則此邦人士之政治知識，真足使我失望矣。前見《晚郵報》中之Simeon Strunsky亦作此語，喜其與餘所見略同，故作書投之。

　　A Hughes Victory and Cynicism

　　To the Editor ofThe Evening Post:

　　Sir: As an absolutely disinterested student of American politics, I cannot refrain from writing you that in tonight's Post—Impressions. I find the most satisfactory argument in favor of President Wilson's reelection that has ever appeared during the whole campaign. The argument is as follows: "The reason why I want to see Mr. Wilson reёlected by an overwhelming majority is that I dread the thought of going cynical. If Mr. Hughes is the winner next Tuesday, I shall be driven into acknowledging that the world must be taken as you find it, and that habit is bound to triumph over the idea."

　　Having had the unusual privilege of witnessing two presidential campaigns during my student years in this county, I feel warranted to believe that the unexpected success of the Progressive Party in 1219 seems to indicate that Mr. Simeon Strunsky and those who hold the same views may yet be saved from "going cynical".

　　"SINAE"

　　New York, November 4

　　〔中譯〕

　　休斯的勝利和犬儒主義

　　《晚郵報》主筆：

　　先生，作為一個對美國政治絕無偏見的學生，我忍不住要寫信給你。因為在貴報「今晚印象」欄中我發現了在整個總統競選運動中表示贊成威爾遜總統連任的最令人滿意的論點。其語云：「我之所以希望威爾遜先生以壓倒多數再次當選的原因，就在於我畏懼犬儒主義。如果休斯先生在下週二獲勝，我將不得不承認世界就是這樣了，那種玩世不恭的習慣肯定會占上風。」

　　我在美國留學期間已經歷兩次總統大選，這種不尋常的經歷使我有理由相信：進步党1912年出人意料的成功看來將表明S·斯特拉斯基和那些持同樣觀點的人也許將倖免於「玩世不恭」主義罷。

　　胡　適

　　於紐約，11月4日

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