Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-14
THE GRAFTERS
tcopyrigh.. 1904. BY The Bobbs.Msnill Company
FRAN CTS LYN D 3

| Rent, netJeQ llIIie ny h0i SooihcSo'
'Decadent Rome never lifted a baser
set Of demagogues into Office than we
have here in this state at the pres
ent moment"
He spoke warmly, and she liked him
best when he put her on the footing
Of all equal antagonist
T can't agree with your inference"
abe objected. Gas a people we are
neither obsequious nor stupid"
Perhaps not. But it Is one Of the
failures of a popular government that
an honest majority may be controlled
and directed by a small minority of
shrewd rascals. That Is exactly what
has happened in the passage Of this
bill. I venture to say that not one
man In the ten who voted for it had
the faintest suspicion that 1t was a
graft"
eff that be true, what chances there
are for men with the gift Of true lead
ership and a love Of pure justice In
their hearts," she said half-absently:
and he started forward and said: II
beg pardon?"
She let the blue-gray eyes meet his
and there was a passing shadow OF
disappointment in them.
81 ought to beg yours. I'm afraid
! was thinking aloud. But it is one
of my dreams. If I were man
should go into politics"
ITO purify them?"
"To do my part in trying. The
great heart Of the people is honest
and well-meaning: think we all ad-
nit that. And there is intelligence,
too. But human nature is the same as
1t used to be when they set up a man
who could and called him king. Gen.
tie or simple, 1t must be led"
"There is no lack OF leadership, such
IS 1t is" he hazarded.
mo; but there seems to be pitiful
lack of the right kind: men who will
put self-seeking and unworthy ambi.
tion aside and lift the standard Of jus.
tice and right-doing for its own sake.
Are there any such men nowadays?'
81 don't know" he rejoined grave
ly. Sometimes I'm tempted to doubt
1t. 1t is a frantic scramble for place
and power for tho most part. The
kind OF man you have in mind isn't
in 1t, sLuns 1t as he would plague
spot"
She contradicted him firmly.
!'No, the kind of man have In
mind wouldn't shun 1t; lie would take
hold with his hands and try to make
things better; he would put the sell
fish temptations under foot and give
the people a leader worth following
be the real mind and hand Of the
well-meaning majority"
Kent shook his head slowly.
"Not unless a motive stronger than
! the abstraction which we call patriot
| ism"
81 don't understand, "she said; mean
ing, rather, that she refused to under
stand.
81 mean that such man, however
exalted his views might be, would have
to have an object more personal to
him than the mere dutiful promptings
of patriotism to make him do his
best"
"But that would be self-seeking
again"
'lJot necessarily in the narrow
sense. The old knightly chivalry was
a beautiful tking in its way, and II
gave an uplift to an age which would
have been frankly brutal without It.:
yet 1t had its well-spring in what ap-
peals to us now as being rather FAN
tastic sentiment"
And we are not sentimentalists?
she suggested.
mo: and it's the worse for US In
some respects. You will not find your
ideal politician until you find man
with somewhat of the old knightly
spirit in him. And I'll 60 further and
say that when you do find him he
will he at heart the champion OF the
woman he loves rather than that OF a
political constituency"
She became silent at that, and for
a time the low sweet harmonies or
the nocturne Penelope was playing
filled the gap.
He turned upon her suddenly.
Did you mean to reproach me?' he
asked abruptly.
How absurd!"
mo, it isn't. You are responsible
for me, IN a certain sense. You sent
me out in to the world, and somehow
| feel as il had disappointed you."
but what went ye out for to
see?" she quoted softly.
Il know" he nodded, sitting down
again. You thought you were arous-
ing a worthy ambition. but It was only
Iavarice that was quickened. I've been
trying to be money-getter."
You can be something vastly bet
ter"
No, I'm afraid not; 1t is toe late. "
Again the piano-mellowed silence
supervened. and Kent put his elbows
on his knees and his face in his hands.
being very miserable. He believed
now what he had been slow to credit
before: that he had 1t in him to hew
his way to the end Of the line If only
the motive were strong enough to call
out all the reserves Of battle-might
and courage. That motive she alone.
of all the women in the world. might
have supplied, he told himself in keen
self-pity. With her love to arm him
her clear-eyed faith to inspire him
He sat up straight and
pushed the cup of bitter herbs aside,
There would be time enough to drain
1t farther on.