The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-06-06

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NAH, and al other times by express or
messenger.
These checks were always payable
20 bearer: and l made through Wood
RUIZ, for kept to the far background
all my combines affairs. an ar
rangement with several large banks
In different parts OF the state. includ-
ing one at the capital. that these
checks were to be cashed without
question, no matter who presented
them, provided there was a certain
flourish under the line where the
amount was written in figures. Some
times these checks were signed by
the corporation, and sometimes they
were the personal checks Of the pres
ident or some other high Official.
Often the signature was that Of per-
son wholly disconnected so far as
the public knew. Once, remember,
Roebuck sent me thousand-dollar
check signed by distinguished Chi
cago lawyer who was Just then coun-
sci TO his opponent I'm a case involv-
ing millions. a case which Roebuck
afterward wont
Who presented these checks?
could more easily say who did not.
From the very beginning OF my con-
troll kept my promise 10 reduce the
cost OF the political business to my
clients When got the machine thor
oughly IN hand. saw could make
II cost them less than a third OF
what they had been paying on the av-
erage, for ten years. ] cut on, almost
at a stroke. a horde OF lobbyists. law.
yers. threateners without influence.
and hangers-on OF various kinds
reduced the payments for Legislation
TO a system. instead OF the shameless.
scandal.creating and wasteful auc-
tioneering that had been going on for
years.
In fact, 80 cheaply did run the
machine that saw II would be most
imprudent 10 let my clients have the
full benefit. Cheapness would have
made them uncontrollably greedy and
exactlng. and would have given them
a wholly false idea Of my value as
soon as II had slipped their short
memories how dearly they used 10
pay
SO continued TO make heavy as.
sessments. and put the surplus In a
-eservc fund for emergencies.
thought. for example. that might
some day have trouble with one or
more members OF my combine: my re-
serve would supply me with the mum.
lions for forcing insurgents TO return
on their agreements.
This fund was in no sense part OF
my private fortune. Nowhere else.
think. do the eccentricltles OF con.
science show themselves more Inter
estingly than IN the various attitudes
Of the various political leaders to-
ward the large sums which the exig-
encics OF commercialized politics place
absolutely and securely under their
control have no criticism for any
Of these attitudes.
have lived long enough and practi-
cally enough 60 learn not 10 criticize
the morals OF men any more than I
'riticize their facial contour or their
lhysical build As many men. so
many minds"-and morals Wrong.
or practical rrrroses. Is that which
a man can caiole or compel his con-
science 10 approve.
Il so happened that I had A sense
that TO use my assessments for my
private financial profits would be
wrong. Therefore. my private for
tune has been wholly the result of
the opportunities which came through
my Intimacy with Rocbuok and such
others OF the members OF my cambine
as were personally agrceable-or
perhaps Il would be more accurate 10
say. not disagreeabie. for. In the cir
cumstancea naturally saw n side OF
hose men which n friend must never
see In n friend. could not help
having toward most OF these distin.
gulshed clients % mine much the
feeling his lawyer has for the guilty
criminal he Is defending.