Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-07-07
The Fittest Survives
BY ]. II.

been such a disastrous failure; tina
the advantage of education, upor
which he had so plumed himself, hat
been of no help to him, and that tn,
capital he s~olately despised becaus,
her father scored it now seemed IL
him enormous, since he no longer hat
1T. No, he affected to treat his mis-
fortunes lightly, TESTED over them
though with a very sore heart, and OF
course made no impression upon hel
other than the fear that he was prob
ably a rather unlucky chap, which die
not enhance his attractiYeness in hel
eyes. She inherited from her father
a prejudice against 'unlucky" per
sons.
"Oh, I dare say it will come all right
directly" she said lightly. "Papa,
know, makes a great deal of money in
Wall street, and / have heard him say
that he also lost it sometimes. No.
body. i suppose, either wins or loses
continually. You will have to wait
for a change of fortune that is ALL"
waiting would be bad enough sim
ply as a delay in winning fortune, but
its worst aspect is that it postpones
my winning you, my darling" he re-
piled.
Perhaps you might do better
= somewhere else than in Wall street
Speculation may not be your meter
You might do better in politics."
Il think / should like politics in the
abstract-that is, the pure science OF
craftsmanship, for which l believe !
have some natural qualifications-but
the thought of Being a politician
makes M shuddcr."
why SOP"
NThe associations and requirements
of the politicians existence have in
them so much that is positively re-
voting to a person of refinement,
The influence of a politician in our
form of government is entirely de-
pendent upon the number of votes he
can control. TO win votes he must
pander to the prejudices and ever
the vices of the ignorant and vulgar
masses, affect n community of inter
est with the herd and even cultivate
intimacies among them. Independ-
ent thought or conscientious adher-
ence to principle would be fatal to his
career. His mind, conscience, soul,
life-all belong to his party. Until
he rises to be the head, there is al
ways somebody above him, n leader
whom he must implicitly obey like an
abjcct slave or be disciplined and
when rises to the head he becomes
the slave of all below him, paradox
zeal as that statement may appear, or
they will turn upon him and rend him
If he ventures to call his soul his
own"
Irma laughed.
What morbid view you take Of the
politician! l have known only one,
and him not very well, but / must say
he did not seem TO me such a revolt
ing creature"
oh, well. He may be IN of the
amateurs who have a mission to puri-
fy politics and who furnish respecta-
bility and amusement for the real
politicians"
mo. l think he will have to be
classed as a professional. 1t is Mr..
Cyrus Pratt"
Cyrus Pratt! Well, yes. 1 should
say he would be classed as a profess
sional. / have heard of him, even in
Boston. Why, he is a 'boss!' How do
you come to know him?"
He comes frequently to see
papa"
II imagine from what have heard
Of him that he must be a very shrewd
fellow. That is shown by the skill
with which, himself keeping out of
office, he disposes of so many offices,
Yields their power and no doubt
shares their profits"
"Oh, Chester, he is the very man for
you! Why did / not think of it be-
fore? He might take a notion to give
you a good Office and so put you in the
way Of some day becoming a boss
yourself"
"Humph! Hardly likely"
"Oh, you can't tell. You don't know
how nice he is. / am sure he would
10 almost anything / asked him.
The man who, situated as Chester
Sewall was, could hear the lady of his
love express such confidence in COM
manding the favors of another man
and yet feel no twings of jealous sus-
picion would be n much more perfect
character than he. Yet he would have
been ashamed to give expression to
such a feeling upon so small provoca-
ton. He could simply relapse into
gloomy silence. But Irma did not
even notice that. She had much to say
just then. The idea of becoming the
architect of her lovers fortunes had
suddenly seized and fascinated her.
She amplifed and elaborated her pri-
mary suggestion.
Yes, she was sure of having sufi-
cient influence with Mr.. Pratt to
make him find for her protege some
prominent and lucrative Office. What
ever it might be, she knew that Ches-
ter would grace it, and his foot~once
ppon the steep and slippery stairway
of fame, he would surely climb to the
top, would be known of men and en-
We'd, and even heard of as far away~as
Boston. Next year perhaps it might
be polite for him to go to the legisla-
ture, and the year after, or perhaps
the second year, to congress. Then,
she did not doubt, her father would
welcome him as a son-in-law.
Its a long time to watt" sighed
Chester dolefully.