Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-07-13

4 Att~ 49, &AQAEr@ VA t8E GkAHkE&C H<E A+tt
untitled me to use the victory True.
there are the many and heavy polit.
ical debts I've had to contract in get
ting Burbank the presidency; and as
we must have second term 10 round
out our work, we shall be compelled
to make some further compromises
| We must still deal with men on the
terms which human nature exacts
but IN the main we can and we will
do what is jua and right, what helps
to realize the dreams of the men and
women who founded our country
the men and women like my father
and mother.
| And my mothers grave, beside my
fathers and among the graves OF my
sisters and my grandparents, rose be
fore me. And | recalled the pledge
had made there In the boyish begin.
nings Of my manhood and my career
My chance and Burbank's," said l,
comes just In time We are now at
the age where reputation is fixed.
and our children are growing up and
will soon begin to judge rs and be
judged from us"
Years OF patient sowing. thought |,
and at last the harvest And what
harvest 1t win bel For under the
teachings Of experience | have sown
not starlight and moonlight, but
seeds.
The next morning | could not rise;
| II was six weeks before ! was able
to leave my bed During that saw
age illness / met each and every one
OF the reckless drafts had been
drawing against my reserve vitality
Four times the doctors gave me up:
once even Frances lost hope. When
] was getting well she confessed to me
how she had warned God that he
| need never expect TO hear from her
again If her prayer for me we're not
answered--and ] saw she rather sus-
pected that her threat was not unas-
, sociatsa With my recovery.
Eight weeks out Of touch with af
fairs. and they the crucial eight weeks
of all my years OF thought and action,
At last the harvest, indeed; and was
reaping what / had sown.
In the second week of January | re-
volted against the doctors and nurses
and had my political secretary.
Wheelock. telephone for Woodruff
the legislature had elected him to
the senate three days before When
he had sat with me long enough to
Il hal
he said: Goodrich and Burbank have
formed combination against you"
How do you known" said /, show
ing no surprise. and feeling none.
"Because"-he laughed-"I was In
lit. At least, they thought so until
they had let me be safely elected. As
nearly as can make out, they be-
gan the plot about ten days after
you fell sick. At first they had 1t
on the slate to do me up. too. But
the day after Christmas Burbank sent
for me-"
wait a minute" interrupted And
I began to think. 1t was on Christmas
day that Burbank telephoned for the
FIRST time in nearly three week. in
curing about my condition. / remem-
bered their telling me how minute
his questionings were And l had
thought. his solicitude was proof Of
his friendship! Instead, he had been
inouiring to make sure about the re
ports in the papers that / was GER
tain to recover, in order that he
might shift the factors in his plot ac-
cordingly. When did you say Bur
bank sent for you?" l asked
"On Christmas day" Woodruff re-
piled.
/ l laughed; he looked at me inquir-
ingly. Nothing" said l. only an
old joke--as old as human nature. Go
on
Christmas day." he continued; Il
didn't get to him until next morning.
] can't figure out just why they In
vited me into their combine"
But could figure IL out, easily. II
/ had died. my power would have dis
| integrated and Woodruff would have
been no use to them. When they
we're sure was going to live, they
| Lou u nave HItu DcSdusc nc might Ue
able to assassinate me. certainly
could so cripple me that would
as they reasoned-be helpless under
their assaults But ii wasn't neces-
sary to tell Woodruff this. ] thought.
| wen" said l, land what hap
pened?'
Burbank gave me dose Of his
great and gracious way'-you ought
to see the side he puts on nowl--
and turned me over to Goodrich. He
had been mighty careful not TO give
himself away any further than that
Then Goodrich talked TO me for three
| solid hours, showing me 1t was my
| duty to the party as well as to myself
to join him and Burbank in eliminat
ing the one disturber OF harmony
| that meant you"
And did they tell you they'd de-
stroy you If you didn't?"
"Oh, that Of course" he answered,