Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-15

I as he had shown me and re-shown himself
| that his motives were pure.
l saw that Burbank's last winter was TO
be crucial. Ny clients were clamorous, and
were limiting at all sorts OF dire doings If
they were not treated better. Roebuck
was questioning, in the most Indignantly
| friendly manner whether, after all. Har-
vey, the combine isn't a mistake, and the
old way wasn't the best On the other
hand, Burbank was becoming restless. He
had SO cleverly taken advantage Of the
chances to do popular things, which had
either made for him or pointed out to him,
that he had become something of ma
tional figure. When he got eighty-one
votes for the presidential nomination in
our party's national convention his brain
was dizzied. Now he was in tremor lest
| my clients should demand of him things
| that would diminish or destroy this sap
ling popularity which. in his dreams. he
already saw grown Into a mighty tree OBJ
securing the national heavens.
gave many and many an hour to anx-
| ious thought and careful planning that
summer and fall. 1t was only a few days
dona with the winters legislative program
that l saw my way straight to what 1
hoped was broad day. The program he
brought was outrageous that it was
funny. There was nothing in 1t for the
Ramsay interests, but each of the other ten
had apparently exhausted the ingenuity of
its lawyers in connecting demands that
would have wrecked forever the party
granting them.
Our friends are modest" said l.
Ihey We gone clean crazy replied Wood
ruff. And If you could have heard them
talk! It's impossible to make them see
that anybody has any rights but them
selves"
We'll, let me have the details" said T.
Explain every Item this list; tell me
Just what 1t means and just how the law
10
won't catch on
When he finished, 1 divided the de-
mands into three classes-the lmpossi-
BILE, the possible and the practica Bile
Strike out all the impossible" l directed
,S Su' down the possible 20 the ten
that are least outrageous Those ten and
the practicable must be passed"
lie read off the ten which were beyond
the limits of prudence, but not mob-and-
hanging matters. I'VE can pass them, OF
course. was his comment. I'VE could pass
a law ordering the state house burned,
but"
Precisely" said 1. II think the conse-
quences will be interesting" l cross mark
ed the five worst of the ten possibilities.
Save those until the last weeks of the
session"
Early In the session Woodruff began to
push the five least bad of the bad meas
ures on to the calendar of the legislature
one by one. When the third was intro
duced Burbank took the limited for Wash
and my little daughter Frances and me at
breakfast. He was SO white and sunken-
eyed and his hands were so unsteady that
Frances tried in vain to take her solemn,
wondering, plying gaze from his face. AS
soon as my study door closed behind US,
he burst out striding up and down.
Il don't know what to think, Sayler," he
cried, Il don't know what to think! The
demands of these corporations have been
growing, growing, growing! And now
You have seen the calendar?'
Yes" said I. Some of the bills are
pretty stiff, aren't they? But the boys tell
me they're for our best friends, and that
they're all necessary"
mo doubt, no doubt" he replied, but 1t
Will be impossible to reconcile the people"
Suddenly he turned on me, his eyes full or
fear and suspicion. Have you laid plot
to ruin me. Sayler? 1t certainly looks that
way. Have you secret ambition for the
presidency
Don't talk rubbish, James," interrupt
ed. Those few meaningless votes in the
national convention had added his COM
mon sense. "Sit down-calm yourselt-teIl
me all about It,"
He seated himself and his fingers up
and down his temples and through his wet
hair that was being so rapidly thinned and
whitened by the struggles and anxieties OF
his ambition. MY God"' he cried out,
"how 1 punished! When 1 started
and saw just this time-when l should be
the helpless tool in the hands of the power
l sold myself to. Governor" He almost
shouted the word. rising and pacing the
floor again. "Governorn'-and he laughed
in wild derision.
l watched him, fascinated. l. too, at the
outset of my career had looked forward
and had seen the same peril but avoided
IT. Wretched figure that he was! What
more wretched, more ptiable than a man
groveling and moaning in the mire of his
own self-contempt? "Governor!' / said
to myself, as | saw awful thoughts fitting
La n IL nc fon k,,I
l shuddered and pitied and rejoiced-shud-
dered at the narrowneSs of my own escape;
pitied the man who seemed myself as
might have been, and rejoiced that l had
had my mother with me and in me to impel
me into another course.
Come come, Burbank" said I, you're
not yourself; you've lost Sleep
Sleep" he interrupted Il have not
closed my eyes since | read those cursed
bills
Tell me what you want DONE" was my
suggestion. I'll help in any way l can;
any way that's practicable"
'Oh, / understand your position Sayler"
ne answered, when he had got control of
himself again, but l see plainly that the
time has come when the power that rules
me-that rules US both--has decided to use
me to my own destruction. If l refuse to
do these things it will destroy me- and
hundred are eager to come forward and
take my place If l do these things the
people Will destroy me. and neither is that
of the smallest Importance to our master"
His phrases. the power that rules us
both,' and our master" Jared on me
So far as he knew, indeed, so far as our
master" knew. were not he and l In the
same class? But that was no time for
personal vanity. All said was: The bills
must go through. This Is one of those
crises that test a mans loyalty to the
party"
For the good of the party! he muttered
with bitter sneer. Crime upon crime
yes, crime. say-that the party may keep
the favor OF the powers! And to what
end? To what good? Why. that the
party may continue in control and SO
may be of further use to its rulers" He
rested his elbows on the table and held his
race between his hands. He looked terribly
old. and weary beyond the power ever to be
rested again. II stand with the party
what am I without it?' he went on in a
dull voice The people may forget. but. II
! offend the master-he never forgives or
forgets. I'll sign the bills. saylereif they
come to me a party measures
Burbank had responded to the test
A baser man would have acted az scores
OF governors. mayors and judges have acted
In the same situation-would have accented
popular ruin and would have compelled the
powers to make him rich in compensation.
a Drawer man would have defied It and the