The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1907-04-20

them from the state capital. 1t Is
hardly necessary 10 say that my leg
isiature and governor yielded 10 this
cIamor. And so the semi-independ-
ent petty princes, the urban bosses,
lost their independence and passed
under my control; and the "collec-
tions" which had gone directly TO
them reached them by way Of Wood
ruff as grants from my machine, in
stead of revenues of their own right.
Before this securing of my home
power was complete, ] had my coun-
ter-attack upon the Burbank Goodrich
combine well under way. Immediate
Iy on my return TO Fredonia from the
disastrous dinner l sent for the at
torney general OF the state, Fergu-
son. He was an ideal combination
of man and politician. He held to
the standards OF private morality as
nearly as it is possible for a man in
active public life to hold to them
far more nearly than most men dare
or, after they have become Injured.
care to hold He always maintained
with me a firm but tactful 1ndepeno-
ence. he saw the necessity for the
sordid side of politics, but he was
careful personally to keep clear OF
smutching or besmutching work. He
had as keen an instinct for popular
ity as a bee has for blossoms; he
knew how to do or TO direct unpopu-
lar things on dark nights with dark
lantern, how to do or to direct popu-
lar things in full uniform on white
horse Ihave never ordered any man toa
task that wasuot morally congenial. and
/ was careful to respect Ferguson's
notion of seIf-respect ] sent for him
now. and outlined my plan-to bring
suits. both civil and criminal, in the
federal courts in the name of the
state against Roebuck and his asso-
ciates of the Power trust
When he had heard. he said: Yes,
Mr.. Sayler. we can break up the Pow
er trust, can cause the indictment and
conviction of Mr.. Roebuck | can
prevent the United States attorney
general from playing any of the usual
tricks and defending the men whom
the people think he is vigorously pros
ecuting. But
Butt" said ], encouragingly.
rs this on the level? If I undertake
these prosecutions, shall l be allowed
to push them honestly? Or will
there be private settlement as soon
as Roebuck and his crowd see their
danger?'
No matter what happens" / re-
piled. you shall prosecute at least
the civil suits to the end I give you
my word for that
He thanked me warmly, for he ap-
preciated that j was bestowing upon
tional fame.
And you?" asked I. IF you succeed
in this prosecution, will you remain
in the public service or will you ac-
cept the offers the interests will make,
and remove to New York and be-
come a rich corporation lawyer
He reflected before answering.
THAT depends" said he. IF you are
going to stay on in control of this
state l shall stick to public life, for
believe you will let me have what
call a career But, if you are go
ing to get out and leave me at the
mercy OF those fellows. l certainly
shan't stay where they can fool the
people into turning on me-.
Il shall stay on" said i; "and
after me. there will be Woodruff-un-
less, of course. there's some sort of
cataclysm."
"A man must take chances" he an
swered. I'll take that chance
We called Woodruff into consulta-
tion. Although he was not lawyer,
he had talent for taking a situation
by the head and tail and stretching
It out and holding it SO that every
crease and wrinkle in it 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 1t, and Ferguson fired. I had
expected the other side to act stupid
ly, but 1 had not hoped for such stu
pidity as they exhibited. Burbank's
year of bathing In presidential flatter-
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-thisf in the face of the
great popular excitement and en-
thusiasm. 1t 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
oublic sentiment and began to pretend
while secretly plotting the
.nistrial of Ferguson case. And no
until the United States attorney ger
vain Goodrich creature who's
alents were crippled by his cor
empt for the rabble" aud demo
oguery'-not until he had It forced I
pom him that Ferguson could not
9 counter-minded, did they begin to .
reat with me for peace.
| shall not retail -Ae negotiations
Che upshot was that I let the. admin
stration drop the criminal cases
ggainst Roebuck IN return for the |
estoration of my power in the na
lonal committee Of the party TO tbs |
mallest elected postmaster in the I
or Tho civil ootior 4