The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-03-30

1Sidfure. NINE was Inc ituSi h4 pdtioh
age, also-all of it, IL chose. for Croft
fut was my dependent, though he did
not realize it; mine also were the IN
definitely vast resources OF the mem
-bers of my combine. Without my con-
sent no man could get office any
where in my state, from governorship
and iudgeship down as far as i cared
TO reach. Subject only to the check
of public sentirnent-so easily defeat
ed if it be not deted-I was master OF
the making and execution of laws.
Why Not because i was leader or
the dominant party Not because L
was a senator OF the United States.
Solely because / controlled the
sources of the money that maintained
the political machinery of both par
ties. The hand that holds the purse
strings is the hand that rules-if 1t
knows how TO rule; for rule is power
plus ability.
was not master because l had the
plum tree ! had the plum tree be
cause I was master.
The legislature attended to such of
the demands of my combine and such
of the demands of the public as i
thought it expedient to grant. and then
adjourned Woodruff asked a three
months leave. | did not hear from or
of him until midsummer. when he sent
me cablegram from London. He
was in a hospital there. out of money
and out of health. / cabled him 81 600
and asked him to come home as soon
as he could II was my first personal
experience with that far from uncom-
mon American type. the periodic
drunkard. had to cable him money
three times before he started
When he came to me at Washing
ton, in December. he looked just as
before-calm, robust. cool cynical and
dressed in the very extreme OF the
extreme fashion. | received him as
II nothing had happened. 1t was not
until the current of mutual liking was
again flowing freely between us that
I said: doc. may / impose on your
friendship to the extent of an In
trusion into your private affairs?
He started and gave me quick
look, his color mounting. Yes, he
said after a moment.
When heard from you" | went on.
81 made some inquiries. | owe you no
apology You had given me shock
one of the severest of my life. But
they told me that you never let-that
--that-that popularity OF yours In
terfere with business.
His head was hanging. Il always go
AWAY" he said Nobody that knows
me ever sees me when-at that time.
I laid my hand on his arm. Doc,
why do you do-that sort of thing
The scar came up into his face to
put agony into the reckless despair
that looked from his eyes. For an in
slant l stood on the threshold of his
chamber of remorse and vain re-
gret-and well / knew where | was.
why not?" he asked, bitterly.
There's always a-sort of horror-in
side me. And it grows until l can't
bear IL. And them drown it-why
shouldn't 70
That's very stupid for a man Of
your brains" said l. There's nothing
nothing in the world, except death
that cannot be wiped out or set
right. Play the game. Doc Play it
with me for five years. Play it for all
there is in it, Then-go back, if you
want to-"
He thought a long time. and I did
not try to hurry him AT length he
said. in his old offhand manner:
well. I'll go you, senator; I'll not
touch drop"
And he didn't Whenever I thought
I saw signs of the savage internal bat
tie against the weakness, / gave him
oh biru
to do. and / kept him busy until |
knew the temptation had lost its pow
er for the time
This is the proper place to put it on
the record that he was the most
Eerupulously honest man | have ever
known He dealt with the shadiest
and least scrupulous of men|those
who train their consciences to be the
eager servants of their appetites; he
handled hundreds of thousands OF
dollars. millions first and last. all of
II money for which he could never
have been forced to account He had
at one time as much as half million
dollars in checks payable to bearer
I am not confiding by nature or train
Ing. but / am confident that he kept
not penny lot himself Lib
salary and his fixed commission.
put his salary at the outset, at ten
Thousand a year: afterward. at IF
teen. finally at twenty. His cimmis-
sions. perhaps. doubled it.
There are many kinds of honesty
nowadays. There is corporate hon
essy." not unlike that proverbial
"honor among thieves which secures
n fair or fairly fair division of the
spoils. Then there is personal hon
esty," which subdivides into three
kinds-legai, moral and instructive.
Legal honesty needs no definition
Moral honesty defies definition-how
untaugle its interwinings of motives
OF fear pride. insufficient temptation,
sacrifice of the smaller chance in the
hope of a larger? Finally. there is in