The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-05-24

er OF morality nor OF intelligence, lead
political theorists far astray. AS II
honor or honesty could win other
than sporadic and more or less hypo.
critical homage-praotioal homage, I
mean-among a people whose perma.
nent ideal is wealth. no matter how
great or how used. That is another
way OF saying that the chief charac.
teristic OF Americans is that we are
human, and. whatever we may pro.
iess, cherish the human ideal uni.
yersal In world where want II mans
wickedest enemy and wealth his most
winning friend. But as | was relat
ing, was elected. and my majority.
on the face OF the returns. was be-
tween 1000 and LOO II must act.
ually have been many thousands. FOR
never before had Dominick doctor
cd" the tally sheets 80 recklessly.
Financially was now on my way
TO the surface. supposed that had
become a political parsonage also.
Was l not In possession OF the most
powerful Office IN the county, l was
astonlshed that neither pomlnlok nor
any other member OF his gang made
the slightest effort 90 conclllate me
between election day and the date OF
my taking Office dld succeed
In forcing from reluctant grand juries
Indictments against a few OF the
most notorious. but least important.
members OF the gang: and ! got one
conviction-whieh was reversed on
trial-errors by the higher court.
The truth was that my power had
no existence. Domlnlck still ruled.
through the judges and the newspa'
pers. The press was silent when Il
could not venture to deprecate or 70
condemn me.
But ! fought on almost alone ibid
not fail TO make Il clear 10 the people
why | was not succeeding. and what
a sweep there must be before Jackson
county could have an real reform. I
made an even more vigorous cam.
palgn for reelection than | had made
four years before. Tho farmers
stood by me fairly well. but tho
town went Overwhelmingly against
me. why1 Because I was bad for
business" and. n reelected. would be
still worse The corporations with
whose law.breaklng I interfered were
threatening 10 remove their plants
from Pulaski-thAt would have meant
the departure OF thoussnds Of the
merchants best customers and the de-
struction OF the towns prosperity.
1 think the election was fairly honest
Dominick's man beat mo by about the
same majority. by which ! had been
elected.
bad for buAlncsal"-the most po-
tent OF political slogans. And IL will
inevitably result some day In the con.
centration Of absolute power political
and all other kinds. In the hands OF
the few who are strongest and clever.
est. For they can make the people
bitterly regret and speedily repent
having tried 10 correct abuses. and
the people. 10 save their dollars. will
sacrifice their liberty. doubt n they
will. In our time at least. learn 20
see far enough 10 realize that who
captures their liberty captures them.
and. therefore. their dollars. too.
BY my defeat In tina, typical con-
test ! was dIsheartened. emblttsred--
and ruined. For. In my enthusiasm
and confidence had gone deeply into
debt for the expenses Of the reform
campaign. AZ midnight Of tho cleo
ton day descended into tho black
cave OF despair. For thrcs weeks
I explored II. When I returned 20
the surface. vas . man ready 10
deal with men on tho terms Of hu.
man nature. ! had learned my les
son.
For woman the cost OF attainmens
OF vomanhood's maturity 10 the bsas.
tffui. the divine freshness Of girihood.
For man. the cost Of the attainment
q msnhood's full strength and pow.
OF 10 equally great. and equally sad
his divine faith IN human nature. his
divine belief that abstract justice and
night and truth rule tho world.
Even now. when life 10 rcdecmins
some OF those large promises 20 pay
which had long ago given up az
hopeless bad debts: even now. u
gives me q wrench 10 remember the
cruelest chapter In that bitter iesson.
50 certain had ! been Of rcsiection
that had arranged 10 90 10 Boston
the day after my triumph at the
polls. For knew from friends Of the
Crosbys In Pulaski that Elizabeth
was still unmarried. was not engaged
and upon that had built high a TO
mantle hope.
made up my mind that mother
and ] must leave PULASKI. that I mus,
give up the law and must. In Chicago
or Cleveland. get something 10 dc
that would bring IN n living az once
Before found courage 10 tell hei
that which would blast hopes wrap
ped round and rooted In her very
heart, and. fortunately. before I had
10 confess 10 her the debts I had
made. Edward Ramsay threw me q
lifeline.
lie came busting into my once ono
afternoon. big and broad. and obvious