Arizona republican., 1907-03-03
House BW No. 20
Copyright

My offer for your county votes,
 said Mason the attorney for the trolley
 roads. looking quietly at Tompkins the
 little member from TompknSyili,. ou.
 of the corner of his eye. 'is one thous- and dollars"
 Tompkius his little weak. watery
 eyes blinking al the thronE passing
 back and forth in front of him in the House corridor. tilted back in his chair acainst the marble ballusJrade of the lobby. All about him Wrr, members of the House. standing in corners. leau- ing agiust the wall. some. their hands in their pockets. tiipping the ashes from their cigars: others. smoking with lazy ease listening to neTr ruuS individuals. whose eyvs dIrtrd to other groups as they talked. their finger tapping the chests of the men in front of thcm over all hung a blue haze of cigar smoke. through all rose d rising hum of mems voices.
 You know. of course. Mir. Mason said Tompkins. looking ,houshtfully at the end of his cigar. that the county is already pledged to Williams to vote for the Interstate Railroad bill"
 .I understand that" said Mason.
 And that its going to be a pretty hard matter to get any of them to vote for you and the trolley opposition now
 The other nodded.
 Tompkins pulled 9 ring of smoke at the ceiling and took his cigar from his mouth
 How much" he said. staring shreUdly at the lobbyist for the tTolly roads beside him. how much did you say you would give if l were to bring my county around from Williams and the Interstate Railroad Co yod.2''
 "Oue thousand dollars said Mason.
 ''I will think it oyer." said Tompkins.
 And he was thinking it over as hv. went to his seat in the House. and later on left the capitol for his hotel and sat in his hotel corridor smoking a cigar. l. Was the fourth day of the last de- bate of the seSsion-the contest in' which he had taken sides at the start with a promise to Williams. the Boss of the Lobby ,who made his fifty thou sand a session carrying through the Interstate Railroad bills). to support with his county vote the bill 10 equip the B line of the railroad with a third rail. And he had carried out his prom ise Through all the excitement of the session. through all the attempts of the trolley roads to bring his county into line against the bill until now he had remained firm. true to the twenty mem bers of his county who had agreed to vote with him for Williams and his bill. true to Williams. who had prom ! ised him 5000 when it passed.
 And y5t-for weeks he had wished that he had not jumped SD quickly at Williams offer He might have waited. . seen what the trolley road would do. : might have asked Williams for a little more. And now Mason. the leader of ! the trolley lobby. had come to him with his offer of a thousand dollars-just . twice as much as he could hope to get from WilIiamS-if he would bring his county around against the bill
 Why couldn't he2
 His little. Shifry eyes blinked rapidly as ha sat in the hotel lobby intervening staring al the floor He could do it. He had not risen to be a county leader for nothing. He knew his county to a man. They would do what he asked them. what he paid them to do. Why should he. with twenty of his county votes in his control. as they had always been.. let Williams pull him of with less than other members of the House were getting The figure of the Boss of the Lobby. the powerful attorney for the Interstate Railroad Company, came un before him. thinfaced. silent. with steel-gray eyes and square jaws that were always working. While he had promised to vote his county for the .rn Hrg. hat q him with the shrewd. cunning hate Of the little man who feels the iron grip of the strong one in his soul
 He got up from his chair and walked rapidly up the winding stairs 10 his room. There he rang the call bell i'm patiently. II
 aTeu NIT. Mason" he said to the hall |, boy. "ro come to my room at once
 Mason" he said. when the trolley lobbyist had shut the door and stood before him. with quick. questioning eye. you spoke this morning at the capitol Of a certain agreement which ! you would make If l would bring my county over to the trolley roads from Williams"
 Yes" said Mason.
 Tomrkins blew a ring of smoke at the ceiling and paused. Things are a t; little different now from what they we're this morning" he said. He looked again at Mason. with his little. shifty eyes.
 Well" said Mason again. What is your proposition2
 "I have decided" said Tompkins. studying the ash end of his cigar that I can hand my county over Co you. twenty votes. and my own. day after tomorrow. if you care Jo pay for them. s
 Mason turned sharply and looked the little county leader in the face.
 How much do you want:' he said. { His voice was cold.
 "i want" said Tompkins. "$2.0oo.'
 "ThaCs a good deal of money Tomp- { .lins.' said the trolley lobbyist, slowly. "You must see that it is a good deal ! more than I am prepared to pay
 Tompkins grinned shrewdly and flip I ped the ash from his cigar
 els ito'' he asked. r How do I know you'll do what you - say you'll do2"
 Nason's voice was suddenly angry, T low. cutting.
 Tompkin ignored the question. "I repeat" he said coolly. that 1T you want my county to leave Williams and the Interstate Railroad and come i