The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-29
CTo BE Continued).

"Oh, yes. You're to be on the tick
ct. The old mans going to send you
to the egislature-lower house, of
course"
1 did not cheer up. An assembly
man got only thousand a year
The pay amt much" confessed
Buck, but there amt nothing to do
except vote according to order. Then
there's a great deal to be picked up
on the side-the old man understands
that others have got to live besides
him Salaries in politics don't cut
no figure nowadays, anyhow It's the
chance the place gives for pick
ups"
At first I fatty refused, but Buck
pointed out that was foolish to
throw away the benefits sure to come
through the "old mans" liking for
me. He'll take care of you," he as
sured me- He's got you booked for
quick rise" My poverty was so
pressing that l had not the courage
to refuse-the year and half of fe-
rocious struggle and the longing to
marry Betty Crosby had combined to
break my spirit. 1 believe it is John
sou who says the worst feature Of
genteel poverty is its power to make
one ridiculous. / don't think So
No; its worst feature is its power to
make one afraid.
That night I told my mother of my
| impending "honors." We were in the
dark on our little front porch She
was silent, and presently 1 thought
heard her suppress a sigh You
don't like it, mother?" said 1.
mo, Harvey, butt see no light
ahead in our direction. and / guess
one should always steer toward
what light there is She stood be
hind my chair, put her hands on my
shoulders, and rested her chin light
ly on the top of my head. Besides
I can trust you. Whatever direction
you take, you're sure to win in the
end"
I was glad 1t was dark. An hour
after went to bed 1 heard some. oHe
stirring in the house-it seemed to me
| there was a voice, too. / rose and
went into the hall, and SO, softly to
my mothers room. Her door was
ajar. She was near the window
kneeling there, praying-for me.
I had not been long in the legisla
ture before l saw that my position
was even more contemplate than
anticipated. So contemplate, indeed
was it that, had l not been away from
home and among those as basely sit
uated as myself, it would have beer
intolerable-a convict infinitely pre-
fers the penitentiary to the chair
gang. Then, too, there was consola
ton In the fact that the people, my
fellow citizens, in their stupidity and
ignorance about political conditions
did not realize what public Office hat
come to mean. At home they be
lieved what the machine-controlleC
newspapers said of me-that | was
manly, independent young man.
that was making vigorous stant
for what was honest in public af
fairs" that l was the honorable ant
distinguished son Of an honorable an(
distinguished father" How often
read those and similar eulogies o
young men just starting in public
life! And is it not really amazing
that the people believe, that they
never say to themselves: But, If h'
were actually what he so loudly pro
fesses to be, how could he have go
public Office from q boss and a ma
chine?"
l soon gave up trying to fool my
self into imagining l was the serv
ant of the people by introducing o.
speaking for petty little popula
measures. I saw clearly that graf
was the backbone, the whole skele
ton of legislative business, and tina
its feshly cover Of pretended publ,
service could be seen only by tn,
blind. l saw, also, that no one il
the machine of either party had an.
real power. The state boss Of on
party. United States Senator Dunkirk
was a creature and servant of corpor
ations. Silliman, the state boss o
the opposition party, was the same
but got less for his services becaus
his party was hopelessly in the mi
nority, and its machine could be use
full only as a sort of supplement an
scapegoat.
With the men at the top, Dunkirl
and SiIliman, mere lackeys, I saw N,
own future plainly enough. saw my
self crawling on year after year
crawling one of two roads. Either
should become a political scu1lion,
wretched party hack, despising my
self and despised by those who use
me. or I should develop into a lacb
ey's lackey, or plain ackey
the lieutenant Of boss or
boss, so-called-a derisive name
really, when the only kind of boss
ship open was head political procure
to one or more rich corporations o
groups OF corporations. felt I shout
probably become a scullion, as
thought I had no taste or instinct 70