The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-07-10

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IN the meantime the politicians Aads
been discussing Duncan's appearance
IN politics with more gravity than he
dreamed it warranted.
He's got to be headed on -er he'll
bust the combination assented Maj.
Buck, with profane emphasis.
"Well, you can't brighten him Of"
replied DR.. Jackson. 81 a
Nor beat him, apparently" added
Tom Lurch. s..ss..z. Is * L I.
."No," said Judge Belknap, the real
''boss'' of the county. We've got to
take care of him. Being a business
man gives him a standing that is
hard to knock. I've been thinking
that it would be good scheme to
have Dustin appoint him commission
er of public works. @>- d.
Heavens" exclaimed the major;
"that's too good job. It's worth
$500 year in salar::- and Ave times
that in graft in ordinary years, and
this year 20 times as much with the.
new water works to be built"
"That's. just it," replied the other
quietly. "I've studied the man. lie
won't take a cheap office. We've got
to sacrifice something to get him
and I'm convinced he can't be depend
ed on after we get him. He's too am
bilious. He'll take the commission
ership. He needs the money. Then
we'll see to it that he IL offered
enough on the water works job to
tempt him and then we'll raise !. row,
have an investigation and pose al
purists and reformers and he'll be
eliminated from politics forever ever
If he escapes the PEN"
"But it is BANKED shame to let &c
that water works graft after all the
work we have done to get it framed
up"
He accepted the appointment and
plunged into the added work with
enthusiasm.
Then came the great temptation.
When the bids for the new water
works came up he was dslicately
shown where he could clean up $780,
900 by favoring a certain contracting
concern in way that apparently no
hint OF crooked work could leak out.
Then indeed did Duncan wrestle
with the evil one. The price was 50
high, his necessity so great and hir
desire to achieve some sort of Jude
pendence so he could marry Alice and
begin career apart from. the bust
ness he despised so heartily; tint he
was swept off his feet. After long
wrestle with his conscience wherein
he succeeded in downing the trouble
some member, he went to call on
Alice. OF course he said nothing of
the matter to her, but when he left
the house he was all at sea again.
The conversation had turned on eth
les and the high stand she took and
the glimpse she gave him Of her
great soul brought it home to him
that he never could lay down to her
the spoils of corruption.
The next day the "gang" was as
tonished to learn of his refusal Of the
offer. The situation then became des-
perate, because the construction COM
pany played an important part in the
plans of the party leaders, that if the
contract went elsewhere their hold
on party workers would be weak
ened to an extent that their suprem-
acy would be weakened and even
party success imperiled. Another
card must be played and played
quick. So the mayor was again
called in and Taylor was summoned
to his Office and informed that the
contract must 60 to this company in
order to keep things together" Dun
can was told that whispers of the dis
graceful offer made him reached the
executive and he was complimented
on his integrity. The bid now to be
made, however, was to be absolutely
ION the square" the mayor had been
Informed, and must be accepted for
political reasons. And his honor
pointed out that Duncan's political
future was identified with that of the
administration and limited at high
honors ahead for the young man if
he were "wise."
But when Duncan thought it. over
he decided. that he would not be a
party to the deal and would run his
own Office. So he informed the mayor
in a note in answer to which he re-
ceived prompt request for his resig-
nation. This aroused his fighting
blood and he promptly published the
correspondence in the newspapers.
together with statement of the case
and his determination to retain the
Office until the water works were
built, unless he was removed. This
took the underpinning from the
gang" for they knew the council
would never dare approve of a
change under the circumstances.
Well, that's about all there is to it..
The water works were honestly built.
The powers behind the construction
company threatened the overthrow
of the party and the dominant fac
ton were so impressed that they