Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-24

We called Woodruff into consulta- tion. Although he was not lawyer, he had a talent for taking situation by the head and tail and stretching 1t out and holding it so that every crease and wrinkle in 1t could be seen. And this made him valuable at any conference.
 In January we had our big batteries loaded, aimed and primed. We un- masked it, and Ferguson fired. had expected the other side to act stupid ly, but I had not hoped for such stu pidity as they exhibited. Burbank's year of bathing in presidential fiatter- les and of fawning on and cringing to the multi-millionaires and their agents hedging him around, had so wrought upon him that he had wholly lost his point of view. And he let his attorney general pooh-pooh the proceedings-this in the face of the great popular excitement and en- thusiasm It was not until Roe bucks lawyers got far enough into the case against him to see his dan ger that the administration stopped flying in the teeth of the cyclone of public sentiment and began to pretend enthusiasm. while secretly plotting the mistrial of Ferguson's case. And not until the United States attorney gen eral-a vain Goodrich creature whose talents were crippled by his con- tempt for "the rabble" and demo goguery"-not until he had 1t forced upon him that Ferguson could not be counter-minded, did they begin to treat with me for peace.
 I shall not retail the negotiations. The upshot was that I let the admin istration drop the criminal cases against Roebuck in return for the restoration of my power in the na- tional committee of the party to the smallest elected postmaster in the farthest state. The civil action was pressed by Ferguson with all his skill as lawyer and popularity.seeking politician; and he won triumphantly in the supreme court-the lower fed eral court with its Power trust judge had added to his triumph by decid- sng against him.
 Roebuck was, therefore, under the necessity of going through the cus- tomary forms of outward obedience to the supreme courts order to him to dissolve. He had to get at huge expense, and to carry out at huger. 6 plan of reorganization. Though he was glad enough to escape thus light ly, he dissembled his content and grumbled so loudly that Burbanks fears were reused and arrangements were made to placate him. The scheme adopted was, believe, suggested by Vice President Howard, as shrewd and cynical rascal as ever lived in the mire without getting smutch or splash upon his fine linen of re- spectability.
 For several years there had been Q strong popular demand for a revi- sion of the tariff The party had promised to yield, but had put of re- deeming its promise. Now. there arose necessity for revising the tar. if In the interest of the interests" Some of the schedules were too low: others protected articles which the in. terests wanted as free raw materials: a few could be abolished without of. fending any large interests and with the effect of punishing some small ones that had been niggard in contrib uting to the campaign fund" which maintains the standing army of po- litical workers and augments 1t when ever a battle is on. Accordingly, a revision of the tariff was in progress. To soothe Roebuck. they gave him a ,tarin schedule that would enable him to collect each year more than the total of the extraordinary expenses to which I had put him. Roebuck "forgave" me; and I really forgavs Burbank.
 But I washed my hands of his ad- ministration. Not only did actual ly stand aloof but also disassociated myself from it in the public mind. When the crash should come. as come 1t must with such men at the helm. l wished to be in a position success fully to take full charge for the work of repair.