The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-04-15

him repeat the name, for it was that
of one of the foremost attorneys in the
city-a man who now sits on the
bench.
To me the alderman's story was both
painful and pleasant. 1t was painful
because it proved that one Of the most
prominent and influential of our peo-
pie was a ~scoundrel. 1t was pleasant
because it showed me that the gang did
not have enough votes. l looked with
much interest at the alderman. l knew
him to be honest, but timid and weak,
and l wondered if he would stand fire.
I hastily ran over the list of aldermen
in my mind and concluded that the
gang would lose unless it got the very
man who sat before me. Then I deter
mined to fight the devil with his own
fire.
Asking the alderman to remain
where he was I hurried to the tele-
phone on my desk in the other office
and called up a staunch friend, a
banker. | urged him to hurry to- my
office, and in a few minutes we were
in the private room with the alderman.
An hour later the lawyer who had
threatened to fOreclose the alderman's
mortgage stood in my Office. I had
sent him word that I wanted to con-
suit him about the ordinance, intimat-
ing that If it were amended I might be
induced to sign it instead of vetoing
it.
When I saw him I asked him to step
into my private office and as soon as
he had entered I closed the door and
he found himself shut in with the
alderman. my friend the banker and
myself. Without Il preliminartes
said:
Have you got the mortgage and
note Of the aldermen with your"
What right have you to ask" he
retorted, for he saw he had Been
trapped.
only this" 7 answered. "You will
get that note and mortgage hers in.
side OF half an hour. or I'll send YOU
to the p~enitentlary for attempting tt
bride an alderman and to black1nai
him at the same time
The lawyer stepped back as il hat
struck him. His face became as white
as his collar. He put his hand on my
desk to support himself. For a few
seconds it seemed to me as though
none of us breathed. Then withour
saying a word he left the office. W.
waited hopefully and our hope wa!
well founded, for in a short time h,
returned and laid the papers we want
ed on the desk. Then the alderman
handed him the money which tn,
banker had obtained before l la sen
for the lawyer, paying the principa
and interest in full, and, turning, CAV,
the note and mortgage to the banker.
Then l stepped forward and said t
the lawyer:
You will remember I said l woul
send you to the penitentiary unless w
had those papers in half an hour, bu
l did not say I would not send you t
the p~enitentiary for attempting t
bride an alderman il your fellows pas
that ordinance over my veto. I ca,
blackmail as we'll as you can"
The board of aldermen sustained N
veto. l won, but to this day I am no
certain that I did not bride that alder
man.
When I stood beside my successor
few days later, ready to hand over t
him the reins of municipal govern
ment. | saw in the great room Wher
, the inauguration took place sever
Well-known citizens. Most of them ha
openly or secretly opposed me. l sa'
them keenly examining the face of tn
:, new mayor and I knew they wer
weighing their chances with hin
This thought was uppermost when
= rose to go through the little ceremon
of introducing my successor and hant
ing to him his certificate of election
When I closed my speech and wit
only a few seconds more to live as
- mayor, l turned to him and gave hi
, the certificate, saying:
, "And now, sir, in turning over
you this great responsibility | wis
- you from my heart every success
and then while the ceiling shook wit
the applause which greeted the ne
ruler, | muttered land may the Lol
nave mercy or you.'
Copyright, 1904, by Joseph e. Bowles.)