Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-25

money and don't get the benefit. It's
as II my wife or one OF nay employees
run my property
Much like that, / answered. Now.
why shouldn't you finance the ma
chine directly and do away with Dun
kirk who takes as his own wages
about half what you give him? He
takes ii and wastes II liz stock specn-
Iations-g gambling with your hard.
earned wealth gambling it away
cheerfully, because he feels that you
people VIII always give him more.
What do you propose?" he asked;
and ! could see that his acute bust
ness mind was ready TO pounce upon
my scheme and search IL hopefully If
mercilessly
A secret absolutely secret, combine
OF a dozen of the big corporations Of
my state-those that make the bulk
Of the political business-the com
bine to me under the management of
some man whom they trust and whose
interests are business, not political. I"
He would have enormous power"
said Roebuck.
knew that he would point first and
straight at that phase of my scheme,
no matter how subtly ] might dis
gnise It. So ! had pushed it into his
face and had all but pointed at it my
self so that ! might explain it away.
'Power2" said l. How do you make
that ont? ANY member of the com
bine that is dissatisfied can withdraw
at any time and go back to the old
way of doing business Besides, the
manager won't dare appear in ii at all,
hell have to hide himself from the
people and from the politicians, be-
hind some popular figurehead There's
another advantage that mustn't be
overlooked Dunkirk and these other
demagogues who bleed you are infiam-
ing public sentiment more and more
against big corporations-tha their
way of fighting you into yielding to
their demands. Under the new plan
their demogogery would cease Don't
you think it's high time for the lead
ers OF commerce and industry to com
bine intelligently against demagogery?
Don't you think they have eringed be
fore 1t and have financed and foster
ed it too long?'
This argument which had re-
served for the last, had all the effect
] anticipated. He sat rubbing his
broad, bald forehead, twisting his
white whiskers and muttering to him
self. Presently he asked: When
are you and Lottie Ramsay going to
be married."
I'm the fall" said l. In about
three months
We'll We'll talk it over again
after you are married and settled If
you had the substantial interests to
give you the steadiness and balla st.
think you'd be the man for your
scheme. Yes, something-some such
thing as you suggest-must be done
TO stop the poisoning of public opin-
ion against the country's best and
strongest men. The political depart
ment OF the business interests ought
TO be thoroughly organized as the 9TH
er departments are. Come to me
again after you're married"
] saw that his mind was fixed. that
he would be unable to trust me until
] was OF his class, of the aristocracy
OF corpulent corporate persons
went away, much downeast; but two
weeks afterward he telegraphed for
me, and when l came he at once
brought up the subject of the com
bine
Go ahead with IT," he said I've
been thinking it over and talking it
over. We sle1 need only nine others
besides myself and you. You repre-
sent the Ramsay interest"
He equipped me with the neces-
sary letters of introduction and sent
me forth on a tour of my own state.
When it was ended, my combine
was formed. And / was the com
bine-was master OF this political
blind pool. l had taken the first the
hardest step, toward the realization
OF my dream OF real political power
to become an Embossed boss, not the
agent and servant of plutocracy or
partizanship, but using both to fur
Their my own purposes and plans.
| had thus laid out for myself the
difficult feat of controlling two fiery
steeds. Difficult. but not impossible,
if ] should develop skill as a driver
for the skillful driver has a hand SO
light that his horses fancy they are
going their own road at their own
gait.
CEApTFp VI