The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1904-02-25
ArOuSing a
Conscience
By CLYDE MONTAGUE

( 80
s BY CLYDE MONTAGUE Z
Observation-Disclosures 1tk&1ratk1prq
Copyright 1908. BY Daily asosy Pub. O.,
CHUNTED into the world unwelcome
y and unprovided for; nourished
grudgingly and meanly; thrown out in
to the current and strife of human en-
deavor while still an infant; pushed
along under the spur Of necessity and
compelled to hold his own; miniature
man at S, child at 26; gifted with some
marvellous heritage from the misty
mirrors of the past; unknown, un-
claimed, unframed and uncared for
this was the history and antecedents OF
Robert Melbourne.
Where he got his name was mystery
Is profound as that of his birth and
parentage. Everybody knew him as
Rob and 1t was tradition that prodi-
gal Australian doing" America gave
him the surname.
Anyway he grew up in the street with
no schooling and only the education
which comes from the training OF ne
cessity, supplemented by the force OF
his own personality. At he was
nuisance. at 10 a terror, at IL leader.
at IA king. While always boy OF the
streets, he showed at all times and
places a character and quality smack
ing Of another sphere. A typical street
arab, he deliberately broke into night
school-and thrashed the boy who
jeered He worked hard selling papers
and blacking boots, but he always read
the papers and talked with his boot
backing patrons.
So eventually he got his feet on
higher round of the ladder and started
in new life. He became lawyers as
sistant-to dig up evidence on the
street; then law student; then full
fiedged lawyer.
And finally at Is he found himself
fairly well educated, ultra worldly wise
and self-confident, power in city poll
tics, lawyer of recognized ability and
man of more than ordinary perception
and education.
This was at Is. At IS he had made his
mark He was a gentleman of presence
and address, a lawyer much sought for
ana a politician whose knowledge OF
, human nature and the conditions IN
the great cities was the marvel of the
party leaders from New York to San
Francisco. Incidentally he was mem
Der OF congress and an orator whose
clean logic, ready Imagination and con-
vincing rhetoric always filled the GAL
: leries and drew tardy members to their
seats when he held the floor
Never had Robert Melbourne made q
more brilliant or convincing speech
than the one on the Bracken bill, and
when he finished colleagues and op-
ponents alike crowded around him with
congratulations. 1t had been a bold po-
sition to take and required courage to
defy criticism and censure, as well as
ability to sustain his point. His effort
accomplished the purpose. Despite the
fact that public sentiment was opposed
to the bill and party leaders were afraid
of 1t because a corporation was its i'm
mediate beneficiary, Melbourne had
thrown the great ultimate benefit to the
people and the country in contrast with
a mere present sentiment so strongly
that 1t stiffened the backbones of the
wavering members and the bill had
passed Immediately after his argument.
The bill was for the reclamation OF a
vast arid territory. 1t gave extraordi-
nary powers and privileges to corpo-
ration formed for the purpose on condi-
tion that a mammoth system of irriga-
tion be established and maintained.
A great opposition had developed
from two sources. On one hand the
natural hostility of the public to grants
to private corporations and the inev-
liable screaming of demagogic politf-
clans and newspapers had aroused a
clamor From another source came a
cry that had enlisted a more reputable
and intelligent protest. In the plans to
reclaim the wilderness 1t was necessary
to wipe out the claims to title Of an in
considerable number Of small settlers
These claims to title were very shaky
and the value of the property involved
was almost nothing. 1t was necessary
to have clean title to the entire tract
and the bill provided clearly for the
wiping out of the vague shadows of
claims held by the squatters. This
aroused a protest which helped out the
demagogic anti-corporation wall until
the opposition had become SO formida-
BILE and the talk Of doodle" SO great
that many members who we're really in
favor of the bill dared not vote for it.
He had assured himself that there were
favorable votes enough ii the members
dared vote. So he had taken the floor
at the last moment and met the opposi-
tion face to face-granted that q pri-
vate corporation would be the bene-
6ciary and that hundreds of settlers
would be obliged to move on or perfect
their title under the new conditions
which presumed tribute to the new
company. Then he turned and pic
tured with master hand the trarspor-
tation of wilderness almost uninhab-
tied into garden spot teeming with
life and over1owing with milk and
-