The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-03-28

20 what's going on. And thus, year
by year, 1t takes more and more
money to keep us in control"
you seem to have forgotten my
i point" said I. smiling. Why should
| you be kept in control7 II you go
out the others come in. They blus-
ter and threaten, in order to get them
selves In. but, once they're elected,
they discover that it wasn't the peo-
pies woes they were shouting about.
but their own And soon they are
docile conservatives tapping away at
the trough, With nothing dangerous in
them but their appetites"
"Precisely-their appetites," said
he
"A starved man has TO practice eat
ing a long, long time before he can
equal the performances of trained
glutton." / suggested.
His facial response TO my good-humor-
ed raiIlery was feeble indeed. And
1t soon died in a look of depression
that made him seem even older and
more decrepit than was his wont
The same story. wherever l 60 said
he sadly The business interests re-
fuse to see their peril. And when /,
in my zeal persist, they-several OF
them Sayler, have grinned at me and
reminded nae that the legislature to
bs elected next fall will choose my
successor, AS II my own selfish in
terests we're all / have in mind,
am old and feeble, on the verge of the
grave Do you think, Mr.. Sayier,
that / would continue In public hfe
IL it were not for what / conceive to
be my duty to my party? l have toll
ed too long for it"
Your record speaks for itself. SEN
ator" I put in, politely but pointedly.
You are very discouraging. Say
ler,' he said forlornly. But | refuse
to be discouraged The party needs
you, and I have come to do my duty.
and I won't leave without doing it."
"I have nothing to do with the COM
pany's political contributions" said l.
You will have to see Mr.. Ramsay, as
usual
He waved his hand. Let me ex-
plain, please Roover is about to re-
sfgn-as you probably know. he's
been chairman of the party's state
committee for II years. I've come to
ask you to take his place"
1t was impossible wholly to hide
my amazement, my stupefaction Had
he had the shadowiest suspicion Of
my plans. of the true inwardness Of
the utt-Dominick movement. he
would as readily have offered me his
own head. In fact, he was Offering
me his own head: for. with the money
and the other resources at my CON-
mand, 1 needed only this place OF ON
cial executive OF the party to make
me master And here he was, giving
me the place. under the delusion that
he could use me as he had been using
Roover
He must have misread my express
sion, for he went on: Don't refuse on
impulse, Sayler. I and the others will
do everything to make your duties as
light as. possible"
II should not be content to be a
mere igurehead, as Roover has been"
I warned him. He had come. in his
desperation to try to get the man
Who combined the advantage of be-
ing. as he supposed. Dominicks
nemy, and a member Of one Of the
3tates financially influential families.
de had come to cozen me into letting
him use me in return for a mockery
of an honor. And / was simply tum-
bling him, or rather, permitting him
to tumble himself. into the pit he had
dug for me- Still, felt that / owed
it to myself to give him chance. IT
/ take the place. / shall fill it to the
best of my ability"
Certainly, certainly-we want your
ability" Behind his bland cordial
mask I saw the spider eyes cleaning
and the spider claws twitching as he
felt his net culver under lowering |
wings. we want you've need you,
Sayler. We expect you to do your
best"
My best, What would my best"
have been, had / been only what he
thought-dependent upon him for sup
plies-surrounded by his lfeutenants. |
hearing nothing but what he chose to |
tell me, and able to execute only such /
orders as he gave or approved, j
Il am sure we can count on you"
he urged =
Il will try it, said 1, after fur
Their hesitation that was not altogeth-
err show.
He did not lingerie wished to |
give me no chance to change my
mind and fly his net / was soon
alone. staring dazedly at my uindfall |
and wondering if fortune would ever
give me anything without attaching to
1t that which would make me doub.
my gift had more of bitter.
or more OF sweet in 1t.
Dunkirk announced the selection OF
a new chairman that very afternoon
AS a forecast, of course. for there
was the formality Of my election" by
The SO members of the state commit
Tee to be gone through His PROPOSE.
ion was well received. The old-iine
politicians remembered my father;
The reformers recalled my fight
against Dominick. the business men
liked my connection with the Ramsay
company. assuring stability and re-
, ard Arr