Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-07
The School Of Life-as-It-Is

A day or so after lost the only case of
consequence / had had in more than a
year. Buck Fessenden came into my Office
and, after dosing me literally with those
friendly protestations and assurances which
please even when they do not convince
said: Il know you won't give me away,
Sayler, and 1 can't stand 1t any longer 10
watch you going on this way. Don't you
see the old mans after you, hammer and
tongs? He'll never let up. You won't get
no clients and, if you do, you won't win
no cases"
Those last five words spoken in Buck's
most significant manner revealed what my
modesty-or, If you prefer, my stupidity
had hidden from me. had known all along
that Dominick was keeping away and driv-
ing away clients, but | had not suspected
his creatures on the bench. To this day,
after all these years of use. only with
the greatest reluctance and with a NOR
al uneasiness which would doubtless amuse
most political managers, do | send ''sugges-
tons" or "intimations'' to my men In tu-
dicial offlce-and l always do 1t, and always
have done 1t, indirectly. And feel relieved
and grateful when my judges. eager to
serve the party" anticipate me by sending
me reaSsuring hint
l did not let Buck into my mind.
Nonsense l pooh pCo hed; I've no cause
to complain OF lack of business: but even X
l had I'd not blame Dominick or any one
else but myself" Then / gave him q
straight gOOQ-nufnOreQ look. Drop II,
Buck" said I. What did the old man send
you to me for? What does he want?'
He was too crafty to defend an indefen-
sble position. ''Ill admit he did send me-"
said he. with grin. but 1 came on my
own account, too. Do you want to make It
up with him2 You can get back under the
plum tree If you'll say the word
/ could see my mother as / had seen her
two hours before at our poor midday meal
an old, old woman, so broken, worn!
And all through the misery this Dominick
had brought upon Us. Before could con-
troll myself to speak Buck burst out, a look
Of alarm in his face: Don't say 1t, Mr..
Sayler-I know-I know. / told him it'd DO
no use. Honest he amt bad you
think-he don't know no better, and It's be-
cause he liked and stll likes you that he
wants you back" He leaned across the
desk toward me in his earnestness-and I
could not doubt his sincerity. "Sayler," he
went on, take my advice, get out of the
state. You amt the sort that gives in, and
no more is he You've got more nerve than
any other man l know, bar none. but don't
waste 1t on fool fight. You know enough
about politics to know what you're up
against.
THANK YOU" said I. but I'll stay on
He gave over trying to persuade me. Il
hope" said he, you've got card up your
sleeve that the old man don't know about"
I made some vague reply and he soon
went away. l felt that had confirmed his
belief in my fearlessness. Yet. If he could
have looked into my mind, how he
would nave laughed at MS creouiItyi
Probably he would have pltied me. too.
for it Is one of the curious facts of HUI
man nature that men are amazed and
even Disguised whenever they see-in others
the weaknesses that universal.
doubt not many who read these memoirs
will be quite honestly Pharisaical, thanking
heaven that they not touched with any
Of my infirmities.
1t may have been coincidence, though I
think not that a few days after Fessen-
denis call a reform movement against Dome
mick appeared upon the surface OF jack
son county politics. l thought at the time
that 1t the first streak Of the dawn l
had been watching for-the awakening OK
the sluggish moral sentiment of the rank
and file of the voters. l know now that 1t
was merely the result of quarrel among
the corporation that employed Dominick.
He had been giving the largest Of them,
Roebucks Universal Gas and Electric Com
pany, called the power trust, more than its
proper tonal share of the privileges and
spells. The others had protested in vain,
and as a last resort had ordered their law.
yers to organize q movement to purify"
Jackson county Domnick's stronghold.
ITO be continued tomorrow