Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-18
1continued from last week.

there's a great deal to be picked up
on the side-tbe old man understands
that others have got TO live besides
him. Salaries in politics don't cut
NO figure nowadays, anyhow It's the
chance the place gives for pick
ups"
At first | fatty refused, but Buck
pointed out that | was foolish to
throw away the benefits sure to come
through the old mans" liking for
me. He'll take care OF you" he as
sured me. He's got you booked for
quick rise" My poverty was so
pressing that ! bad not the courage
to refuse-the year and a half OF fe-
docious struggle and the longing to
marry Betty Crosby had combined to
break my spirit | believe II is John
son who says the worst feature OF
8enteel poverty is Its power to make
one ridiculous. don't think so
No; its worst feature is its power to
make one afraid.
That night ! told my mother OF my
impending "honors." We were In the
dark on our little front porch. She
WAS silent, and presently ! thought !
heard her suppress sigh You
don't like 1t, mother?" said l.
mo, Harvey, butt see no light
ahead In our direction, and ] guess
Zone should always steer toward
what light there is" She stood be-
hind my chair, put her hands on my
shoulders, and rested her chin light
ly on the top of my head. Besides,
j can trust you. Whatever direction
you take, you're sure to win in the
end"
! was glad 1t was dark. An hour
after went to bed heard some one
stirring in the house-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,
.kneeling there, praying-for me.
!; WITxvzn-s ST - saaEE.
y ] had not been long in the legisla-
ture before ! saw that my position
was even more contemplate than i
anticipated. So contemplate, indeed,
was il that, had | not been away from
home and among those as basely sit
uated as myself, IL would have been
intolerable-a convict infinitely pre-
fers the penitentiary to the 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 to mean. At home they be-
Iieved what the machine,controlled
newspapers said Of me-that | was a
manly, independent young man.
that | was making a vigorous stand
for what was honest in public af-
fairs that ! was the honorable and
distinguished son of an honorable and
distinguished father" How often |
read those and similar eulogies OF
young men just starting in public
life! And is it not really amazing
that the people believe, that they
never say to themselves: "Rut, If he
were actually what he so loudly pro-
fesses to be, how could he have got
public Office from boss and a ma
chine sssgZ We = s-~
o. soon gave mp trying to fool my
self 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 1eshly 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 Dunkirk,
was creature and servant of corpor-
ations. Silliman, 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 it's machine could be use
ful only as a sort of supplement and
scapogoat.
With the men at the top, Dunkirk
and Silliman, mere lackeys, ] saw my
own future plainly enough ! saw my
self crawling on year after year
1
should become a political scullion.
wretched party hack, despising my
self and despised by those who used
me, or ! should develop into lack
ey's lackey, or a plain ackey,
The lieutenant of a boss or
boss. so-called-a derisive 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 ] should
probably become a scullion, as
thought ! 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
II she knew the truth about her son,