Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-25
XIV.
CRANKY Intrudes Again.

own esteem.
The adulation Of the free excursionists l
had poured in upon him. the eulogies in the
newspapers, the batteries Of those about
him, eager to make themselves solid" with
the man who might soon have the shaking
Of the huge. richly laden presidential
boughs of the plum tree-this combination
of assaults upon sanity was too strong for
a man with such vanity as his. traitor
within. He had convinced his last prudent
doubt that he was indeed a child OF des-
tiny" He was resentful lest might pos
sibly think myself more important than he
to the success of the campaign. And his
resentment was deepened by the probably
incessant reminders of his common sense
that all this vast machine, public and Sc
cret, could have been set in motion Just as
effectively for any one of a score or
Statesmen conspicuous in the party.
1 saw through his labored cordially; and
1t depressed me again-started me down to-
ward those depths of self condemnation
from which 1 had been held up for a few
days by the excitement of the swiftly
thronging events and by the necessity OF
putting my whole mind upon moves for my
game.
Il am heartily glad you were successful
he began when we were alone. THAT takes
q weight off my mind"
you misunderstood me. I see.'' said 1.
II haven't got anything from those people
they'll be begging me to take whatever l
need. Thwing's report will put them In
panic"
His face fell. Then I must be especially
courteous to Goodrich" he said, after
thinking intently. Your hopes might be
disappointed
Not the slightest danger" was my
prompt assurance. And If you take my
advice, you will ask Goodrich how his agent
found Senator Scarborough's health, and
then order him out of this house. Why
harbor deadly snake that can be Of no use
to your"
Is the master of at least the eastern wing
of the party. And you must now see that
he will stop at nothing, unless he is paci-
fed"
HE Is the fetch-and-carry Of an impu-
dent and cowardly crowd in Wall street"
retorted, that is all. When they find he
can no longer do their errands they'll throw
him over and come to u.s. And we can
have them on our own terms"
We argued, with growing irritation on
both sides, and after an hour or so, saw
that he was hopelessly under the spell OF
his pettiness and his moral cowardce. He
had convinced himself that I was jealous
of Goodrich and would sacrifice anything
to crafty my hate And Goodrich's send
ing an agent to Scarborough had only made
him the more formidable In Burbank's eyes.
AS l looked In upon his mind and watched
it's weak, foolish little workings, my irrita-
ton subsidized. DO as you think best said
l YEARLY But when he presents the
mortgage you are going to give him on
your presidency, remember my warning"
He laughed this off, feeling my point
only in his vanity, not at all in his judg-
ment. And how will you receive him, Har
vey? He will be sure to come to you next
must. as you are in charge of my cam
paign."
III tell him straight out that I'll have
nothing to do with him. said 1 blandy.
THE Wall street submission TO the party
must be brought to me by some other am
bassador. Ill not help him to fool his
masters and to hide it from them that he
has lost control
l could have insisted, could have de-
stroyed Goodrich-for Burbank would not
have dared disobey me. But the campaign,
politics in general, life itself. filled me with
disgust, a paralyzng disgust that made
me almost lose confidence in my theory of
practical life.
whats the use?' / said to myself Let
Burbank keep his adder. Let 1t sting him
If it so much as shoots fang at me l can
crush it
And so, Burbank lifted up Goodrich and
gave hostages to him; and Goodrich
warned that l would not deal with him.
made some excuse or other to his masters
for sending Senator Revell to me. Sc
Woodruff" said l to Revell, for l was in
no mood for such business He knows
best what we need"
''They give up too d-n cheerfuily.
Woodruff said to me, when l saw him
week or ten days later. and he gave me an
account of the negotiations. Il suspect
they've paid more before"
They have" said l. In two campaigns
where they had TO elect against hard times"
But I've notion he warned me. that
our candidate has promised them something
privately"
mo doubt" l replied, as indirerently as
l felt.
l had intended to make some speeches
l had always kept the public side of my
in the foreground and in this M
paign my enforced prominence as director
of the machine was causing the public to
dwell too much on the real nature of my
political activity. But l could not bring
myself to it. Instead | set out for home
to spend the time with my children and TO
do by telephone, as l easily could, such di-
recting of Woodruff as might be necessary.
My daughter Frances was driving me
in front of the horses, flung UP his arms
and began to Shrek curses at me. If she
had not been a skllful driver we should
both have been thrown from the cart AS
1t was, the horses ran several miles before
she got them under control, l sitting mac
tive, because / knew how ii would hurt her
pride If l should interfere.
When the horses were quiet she gave me
an impetuous kiss that more than repaid
me for the strain on my nerves. You are
the dearest papa that ever was!' she said.
Then--"Who was he? He looked like
crazy mani"
began complimenting her on her skill with
horses chiefly to prevent her pressing me
about the man. l had heard, and had done,
so much lying that l had horror of it,
and tried to make my children absolutely
truthful-my boy Ed. used to think up and
do mischief just for the pleasure Of pleas
ing me by confessing. To make my exam
pie effective, I was always strictly truth
full with them. ! did not wish to tell her
who the man was; but l instantly recog-
nized, through the drunken dishevement,
my mutineer. Granby-less than a year be-
fore one of the magnates of the state. My
orders about HIM had been swiftly and lit
orally obeyed Deserted by his associates,
blacklisted at the banks, beset by his cred
itors. harassed by the attorney general
his assets chained with injunctions, his Ia
bilities given triple fangs, he went bank
rupt, took to drink, became sot and a bar
room lounger. His dominant passion was
hatred OF me; he discharged the rambling
and frantic story of his wrongs upon who
ever would listen. And here he was in Ere
dOnia!
l had one OF my secretaries telephone the
police to look after him; they reported that
he had disappeared
The next morning but one, my daughter
and went for an early walk. At the turn
of the main drive just beyond view from
the lodge. she exclaimed, "Oh. father, ohv'
and chung to me- Something-like scare