Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-04

my trump card I massed together a
lot of facts in such shape that it's pub
LEGATION would surely blow the enemy
sky-high, and / notified Whitney
that proposed letting it go at the first
opportunity. So he might know what
to expect, allowed him to inspect my
bomb. At noon the same day the COM
mittee adjourned until the following
Monday. Late that night, Rogers call
ed me up and in voice charged with
tremendous feeling, said: Lawson. you
must come over tonight. cannot tell
you what for on the wire. but the gas
people are here and there is a situa-
ton with which neither you nor I can
afford to trif1e, and which no one but
70 uand me can possibly do anything
to relieve. 1t is a matter of life and
death for some one, and after tomor-
row 1t may be--yes, will be- too late.
I can only say If you are too late you
will never forgive yourself"
Next morning I was in New York
In a few straight sentences Rogers
made ME see the situation 1t was
tragic. II l forced the fight an inch
further certain people would be in
will not mention names, nor can en-
ter further into details, but clear as a
cameo he painted a picture-it was
dark and terrible; it involved a dread
full deed-wouid take the responsible
ity? | looked at his picture, and it took
me but minute to decide, no-that I
would not take the responsibility. 1t
carried me further than 1 cared to go
in any business affair. Were a pub
lie official, sworn to certain duties,
there would be no choice, but in this
l had only my own conscience to sat
isfy. Justice said-Proceed: Mercy
For Heavens sake desist No, the re-
suit would be too narrowing, too ter
rible for innocent people who had had
no part in any of the deviltry
threw up my hands.
was wrong. I should have driven
home the steel. Mercy at times is
more criminal than cruelty. He who
takes on himself to WELD the sword of
retributive justice must not weaken
when the accused weeps at his feet.
If l had recalled some. of the lessons
of my own life-remembered that "it's
the scotched snake that strikes in the
heel" that there is no enemy SO bit
ter as him one has forgiven-perhaps
should have pressed by advantage
But. my too vivid imagination was
dwelling on the horrors of the picture
Rogers had conjured up: ruthless my
mind was making my foes plight my
own, and to relieve the tension would
have made any sacrifice.
too 11yr
beHrance!
1 reiterated that I would not take
the responsibility. A thousand times
NC
Then what would I do?
Anything-the one thing possible
I'd abandon my fight before the legis-
lature for that year if the other side
agreed to retire also. I might have
made any terms as the price of my
compliance might have demanded
that they abandon the whole scheme
but at the moment l was emotionally
disarmed. I could not calculate nor
traffic over terms. I'd just call it off
if they would Then follows the
sequel of Lawsons forbearance and
generosity. 1t was whispered around
w wan SLlEel l@dMSOH IeGSiNcu
one million dollars for his kindness in
not thwarting the schemes of the sys-
tenn TO make this story plausible
Rogers sent Lawson's brokers several
thousand shares of Bay State Gas
stock to sell. Whiting bought it as
offered. Then came the story again
that the stock Lawson's brokers We're
selling. was a part payment of the mil
lion dollar blackmail. Truly when a
man gives way to sentiment, works for
the public as it were, said public is
,unappreciative and is willing to be-
lieve any cock and bull story. And
to think of this shrewd Wall street
operator, being so easily emotionaliz-
ed, and 80 easily led into the trap