The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-05-23
Continued from ] bird Page.


hind my chair, put her hands on my
shoulders, and rested her chin light
ly on the top OF my head, Besides,
can trust you, Whatever direction
you take, you're sure TO win in the
end"
| was glad Il was dark. An hour
after went to bed ! heard some one
stirring In the honse-it seemed TO me
there was voice, too. rose and
went into the hall, and so, softly to
my mothers room Her door was
ajar. She was near the window,
kneellng there. praying--for me.
had not been long IN the Iegsia.
ture before saw that my position
was even more contemplate than
anticipated. SO contemplate, indeed.
vas II that, had not been away from
home and among those as basely sit.
uated as myself, II would have been
intolerable--a convict infinitely pre-
ters the penitentiary to tho chain
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 had
come 20 mean. At home they be-
lleyed what the maohine-contfolled
newspapers said OF me-that | was a
manly, independent young man"
that | was making a vigorous stand
for what was honest In public NJ.
fairs" that was the honorable and
DISTINGUISHED son OF an honorable and
distinguished father" How often I
read those and similar eulogies OF
young men just starting In public
life, And Is II not really amazing
that the people believe. that they
Fever say TO themselves: But. II he
were actually what he so loudly pro.
fesses 10 he. how could he have got
public office from boss aud ma.
~hi~a9"
soon gave up trying TO fool my.
sell into imagining | was the sery.
ant Of the people by introducing or
speaking for petty little popular
measures. saw clearly that graft
was the backbone. the whole skele.
ton OF legislative business. and that
its feshly cover Of pretended public
service could be seen only by the
blind. saw. also. that no one In
the machine OF either party had any
real power. The state boss Of our
party. United States Senator Dunklrk.
was a creature and servant OF corpor.
ations Sllllman. the state boss OF
. the opposition party. was the same.
but got less for his services because
his party was hopelessly In the mi.
nority. and its machine could be use
ful only as a sort OF supplement and
scapegoat
With the men at the top. Dunkirk
and sllliman. mere lackeys. saw my
own future plainly enough. saw my.
self crawling on year after year
crawling one Of two roads. Either I
should become a political scullion. a
vretched party hack. desplsing my.
self and despised by those who used
me. or I should develop into a lack.
ey's lackey. or plain lackey.
the lieutenant Of boss or a
boss. so-callcd-a derislve name,
really. when the only kind OF boss.
ship open was head political procurer
TO one or more rich corporations or
groups OF corporations felt I should
probably become a scullion. an
thought I had no taste or instinct for
business. and as was developing
some talent for mixing" and for dis.
pensing hot air" from the stump.
turned these things over and over
IN my mind with an energy that
sprang from shame. from the knowl.
edge OF what my mother would think
n she knew the truth about her son.
aud from a realization that I was
no nearer marrying Betty Crosby than
before. A. last wrought myself
into asullon fury beneath a calm sur.
face. Tho lessons In schrcstraint
and selfhidinE learned In tina, first
OF my two years a. assembiyman
have been invaluable.
When I entered upon my second
and last winter was outvardly a.
serene as-as q volcano on the verge
Of eruption.
cHApTFa mn