The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-03-23
Jchneider's Conscience.



extra money i'm his envelope. His con.
tributions TO the Commentator gradual
~ changed from long articles TO half a
dozen terse, cutting paragraphs-all the
| bottlcd-in editorializlng OF his report.
| ing. Then she would blithely write up
the regular report in words OF such
I hyperbolic fiattery and enthusiasm
that Tammany was fascinated. though,
once or twice the city editor gfinned al
| schneider next day and asked him IL
he wasn't laying IL on rather thick.
His WORK was so acceptable that the
| sphere kept him on politics the whole
campaign. He became well acquainted
with the head Tammany speakers Null
| queen took n great fancy TO him. and
after while Schneider on his side ac-
/ tpally began 10 like this low Irish poll
nclan, VINO had as much idea OF any
higher motive I'm politics as n hog has
before the swill trough. Schneider never
| pretended TO the slightest sympathy for
the machine and accepted no favors
from ". once, when the boss himself Of
fered him cigar such as he only
dreamed OF. he refused IL. taking out
MS own cigar case. and coolly an
nouncing: II smoke my own cigars. and
pay FOR my own drinks. and never take
prlDes This surprised Ihe gang, but
on the whole. they liked him for IT,
He's "a crank" they said; but he was
what ne lett out. that they were quite
frank before him as to their methods.
They did not understand that the rea-
son for the excellence of his work was
ms artistic sense. or what would have
been called such had he been a literary
man and not a reporter. And his pro-
fessional pride was aroused as / have
rarely seen IL. He wrote with no secret
shrug OF the shoulder at his own words.
as he usually did when writing hes The
opportunity offered his conscience by
the commentator seemed to- leave all
his faculties unhampered for his oppo-
sftion work on the Sphere. and there
arose curious rivalry between him
self as Tammany reporter and himself
as public spirited citizen. In Sunday
school literature, IL would probably bS
called bitter contest between his good
and evil natures. Every hit he made in
the one paper seemed to spur him on TO
fresh endeavor in the other. Very late
one night-even for a reporter-he
came into my room with a copy OF next
mornings Sphere in his hand. He
turned 10 his own story and told me 10
read IL. 1 hoped into bed, being un-
dressed, and read part OF IL. IL was
good. there was no denying Il; and
Schneider seemed almost exalted in the
thought OF it-fhe impersonal, unego-
tistic JOY In perfection. This" he said,
lis about the best piece OF work have
ever done,
IF you leave out OF account that the
whole things damned lie," / said.
He came down from the clouds and
laughed. Except where / said that
Tammanys was straining every nerve 10 |
win-I didn't specify what Tammany |
nerve covered. though"
Tammany usually pays little atten- |
ton TO the weekly papers. They are OF |
the silk-stocking stay at home |
play-golf element IL fears little; but |
the shafts OF the Commentator did /
pierce its hide. They were widely copied |
being not merely the usual pious appeal |
TO the higher motives that affect US so
little. Their ridicule and insight made
even Tammany squirm. Sentences from
them began to be posted on the bill
boards by the Republicans. and Sohnei-
der had the unique pleasure of seeing
his epigrams appear in rivalry on op-
posing fences and ash cans. And look
ng at them impartially. he was unable |
10, decide which was best-except that
~ the father of lies.
Dne was inspired by truth and the other
Tammany even tried to- find out who
he Commentator writer was; but the
'ditors preserved the inviolability of
he ring around Schneider's name.
which denoted tnat IL was not for pub
ication.
The campaign ended, and is now
natter OF history. and Schneider's con-
20 the Commentator ceased.
We never knew how the owner OF the |
sphere learned OF Schneider's author
hip of them. Rose busied himself more
bout the details OF his paper than
most owners and he was popularity
to keep spies among the re-
this may be slander:
Il any rate. a few days after Schnei- I
er's last article in the weekly. Rose
allied him into his private Office.
You wrote those articles is the Com
1entator during the campaign, he said.
urtly. I
Il did," Schneider answered. !
You haven't even the decency to
eny H." Schneider's frankness angered ,
'ose more an attempted evasion. !
"Oh, don't know about decency. Ly- s
lg and decency aren't synonymous"
answered, placidly. I
Roses face was white with anger.and I
is eyes blazed against the palHd back S
round. He hardly needed Schneider's a
ords, but went on with his own Y
ioughts II wanted Tammany to win {
lis fight-you don't know what n '
very chance" Z
And didn't / do my work weli?" h
chneider broke in, his professional n
'ide touched n
Weur L thought you did II con- v
Well. / thought you were 2
st about holding your own against u
e Commentator-holdins your own b
'ainst yourselfl" he added I'm disgust. e.
might as well have given you a va u
tion and let you go fishing" II
"A man's private opinions" began | p
hneider lamely; for with sudden vi u
dness he saw Roses side OF the ques- a
IN. 0
Private oplnion-nonsensei" Rose
lied in tone that reused Schneider's m
hitting blood. II paid for you-body ic
III soul" D..
Indeed" Schneider roared back. "Tt's III
ly the owner OF this paper that's for es
10 body and soul" al
schneider marched out to the elevator al
d went down IL for the last time. &C
Il sight OF him for two weeks after VI
nj. He went off on a spree, as ~
terward found out. In next weeks v
however, I saw tucked Is
'ay at the bottom OF a column the pf
vertisement, Wanted, Schnelder." ps
d the week after a notice that "If ~
/ .