The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-11
Triumph Of a Photograph
BY D. A. Chauncey.
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Copyright, 1900, by the Authors syndicate) =

Why should he not vote for the bill
anyway? Its advocates certainly adj
vanced excellent reasons why ii
should become a law, and despite all
the newspaper talk of bribery and corr
ruption many citizens were at the
capital urging its 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
excellent reasons ready on their
tongues ends to justify their posi-
ton and il 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-
zeal ambitions in Mis- 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
Ubiquitous 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-
lature fille.l so full of earnest purpose
to stand for the things that were
right, regardless alike of popular
camor and self-interest and so re-
solved to prove that it was possible
even in these days to stand like
Spartan against everything upon
which rested the slightest suspicion of
wrong. He had made such q good
fight for cleanliness in politics and
by his youthful enthusiasm had rallied
the people so strongly against the
powers of corruption that the pre-.
vailing machine, reputed to be invul-
nerable, 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 for
his ideals. Every question presented
contained such 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 sold,y back of
him in his county against the gang
sters were so different here at the
capital. Their stand for good as
glitterng generality was i'll 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 soliloNuy there
roamed a pair OF flashing Back eyes
in whose depths there seemrC to Turk
n challenge and an invitation when
ever they looked into his. He knew
she was professional lobbyist and
had heard that she had "placed"
fabulous sum in the interest Of the
bill. He had seen her entertain at
her luxurious apartments all kinds of
legislators and win hearing for the
bill. He had noted the cheap manner
In which some were pleased and had
marveled at her consummate tact.
nut she had treated him in very
Iffnrpnf FROM, tbo he
had looked up to him with Difference
that was as 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 had
discussed history and literature and
the great political episodes of the past
and had done 1t so intelligently and
with so great an appreciation OF the
circumst anccs and all their relations
and bearings that he had been
charmed.
What reference she had made to
him so far as the bill was concerned
had consisted of the plausib, argu-
ments in its favor which were being
advanced by its advocates land these
she had put with much apparent cam
dor). and several ingenious and candid
suggestions that the bill was not one
in which the people as whole were
taking any great interest and that it
seemed pity for man on the
threshold Of SO promising a career to
ihcnr the anm:t? o; snrh powerful liz
tHrests and In IRE his retirement
from public life for mere within. He
knew the arguments in favor OF the
bill were false and sophlstical and
that the suggestions were those OF
the telnpter- but he listened to her
| glowing prophecies of future full OF
power and influence and plaudits and
glory and opportunity-and somehow
! that future seemed to be entwined
with her lii, and the strong sensuous-
ness that ever emanated from her
presence.
The past in the dull country town,
with the everlasting round OF com
| monplacc toll and uninteresting rou-