New Ulm review., 1901-01-23
Triumph Of a Photograph )
By D. A. Chauncey.
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Copyright, 1900, by tho Authors Syndicate)

Why should he not vote for the bill
anyway? It's advocates certainly ad-
vanced excellent reasons why it
should become law, and despite all
the newspaper talk of bribery and cor
ruption many citizens were at the
capital urging it's passage. Yes, among
them were some of the men from his
home county who stood the highest
in civic affairs, who were recognized
supporters of all movements for re-
form. OF course he knew there were
reasons why they wanted this par
ticular bill passed and that these rea-
sons were not wholly unrelated to
their business interests, but they had
excallent reasons ready on their
tongues ends to justify their posi-
tiort and if he ignored their desires
and voted against their wishes he was
promised that he would have plenty
of trouble in the pursuit of his polit-
1cal ambitions in his home county,.
But, argue as he would, he could
not stife the still small voice of his
conscience nor the knowledge, deep
down in his soul, that the bill was an
iniquitous one, designed to fill the
pockets of the powerful interests that
were moving heaven and earth to Sc
cure its passage.
And he had come down to the legis-
latare filled so full of earnest purpose
to stand for the things that were
right, regardless alike of popular
clanor and self-interest and so re
solved to prove that it was possible
even in these days to stand like a
Spartan against everything upon
which rested the slightest suspicion of
wrong. He had made such good
fight for cleanliness in politics and
by BIS youthful enthusiasm had rallied
the people so strongly against the
powers of corruption that the pre-
vailing machine, reputed to be invul-
ner,.ble, had gone down before him
and the first dream of his life had
been realized-he was sent to the
state capital to represent the people.
But how different he found it all
from what he had supposed. There
seemed to be no chance to make an is.
sue or get out in the open and fight fo1
his ideals. Every question presented
contained such a mixture of good and
evil that it seemed impossible to make
an open stand and try to rally the
friends of virtue against the cham
pions of vice. Then, too, the very
men who had stood so solidly back OF
him in his county against the gang.
sters were so different here at the
capital. Their stand for good as 9
glittering generality was in striking
contrast to their stand for specific
measures of questionable character
when their business or financial inter
ests seemed to be involved.
Through all his soliloquy there
roamed a pair of flashing black eyes
in whose depths there seemed to lurl
challenge and an invitation when
ever they looked into his. He knew
she was a professional lobbyist anG
had heard that she had placed" {
fabulous sum in the interest of the
bill. He had seen her entertain al
her luxurious apartments all kinds o.
legislators and win hearing for the
bill. Hs had noted the cheap manner
in whicil some were pleased and hae
marveleI at her consummate tact
Rut she had treated him in very
different manner from the rest. She
had looked up to him with deferenc.
that was US honey to his young soul
She had tried no cheap talk or meth
DDS with him. In fact she had scarce
ly mentioned the bill to him. She hae
discussed history and literature ane
the great political episodes of the pas
and had dene it so intelligently ant
with so great an appreciation Of TIL,
circumstances and all their relations
and bearings that he had beer
charmed.
What reference she had made t,
him SD far as the bill was sconcernet
had consisted of the plausible argu
ments in it's favor which were bein.
advanced by it's advocates (and thes
she hai put with much apparent can
dor), and several ingenious and candi,
suggestions that the bill was not on
in whica the people as whole wer
taking any great interest and that i
seemed o pity for a man on th
threshold of SO promising career t.
incur the enmity Of such powerful in