The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-02


voters Of our party. They, I'm con-
vinced are pretty well aware of his /
hypocrisy-but it doesn't matter
much what they think They vote like
sheep and accept whatever leaders
and candidates our machine gives
them. They are almost stone blind
in their partizanship and they can al
ways be fooled up to the necessary
point And we can fool them our
selves, If we go about 1t right, just
as well as Dunkirk does 1t for hire"
but Dunkirk is their man isn't
he?" he suggested.
Amy man is their man whom you
choose to give them, replied l, And
don't you give them Dunkirk? He
takes the money from the big BUSH
ness interests, and with it hires the
men to sit in the legislature and
finances the machine throughout the
state 1t takes big money to run a
political machine. His power be-
longs to you people, to a dozen of you,
and you can take it away from him;
his popularity belongs to the party,
and it would cheer just as loudly for
any other man who wore the party
uniform"
Il see," he said refectively; "the
machine rules the party, and money
rules the machine and we supply the
money and don't get the benefit It's
as If my wife or one OF my employees
run my property"
stAFuoh
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 it and wastes it in stock specu-
lations-gambling with yosV hard
earned wealth, gambling 1t away
cheerfully, because he feels that you
people will always give him more"
What do you propose?" he asked;
and l could see that his acute bust
ness mind was ready to pounce upon
my scheme and search it hopefully ii
mercilessly.
"a secret absolutely secret, combine
of 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
He would have enormous power,
said Roebuck
l knew that he would point first and
straight at that phase of my scheme
no matter how subtly l might dis
guise it. So had pushed it into hit
face and had all but pointed at it my
self so that | might explain it away
"Power?" said I. How do you make
that out? Any member of the com
bine that is dissatisfied can Withdraw
at any time and go back to the oil
way of doing business. Besides, TIL
manager won't dare appear in it at all
he'll have to hide himself from tn
people and from the politicians, be
hind some popular figurehead. There
advantage that mustn't b
,oked. Dunkirk and these othe
demagogues who bleed you are infian
' ing public sentiment more and NOR
, against big eorporations-that's thei
. way of fighting you into yielding t
their demogogery would cease. Don
8 you think it's high time for the leat
+ ers of commerce and industry to con
d bine intelligently against demagogery
Don't you think they have cringed b.
?. fore it and have financed and foste
ed 1t too long?"
g This argument which / had r
n served for the last, had all the effet
X / anticipated He sat rubbing hi
Il broad, bald forehead, twisting b
q white whiskers and muttering to hin
j self. Presently he asked: "Whe
=! are you and Lottie Ramsay going |
S, be married."
If In the fall" said I. "In aboV
n three months"
n well we'll talk it over again
1t after you are married and settled.
re you had the substantial interests
% give you the steadiness and ballas
d I think you'd be the man for yol
L scheme. Yes, something-some SUI
s. thing as you suggest-must be dol
:! to stop the poisoning of public OPT
ion against the oountry's best al
/, strongest men. The political depal
I'd ment of the business .-4oorcsts Dug
te to be thoroughly organized as the OF
Id er departments are Come to I
81 again after you're married"
saw that his mind was fixed, tn
rs he would be unable to trust me IN
|. I was of his class, Of the aristocra
ou Of corpulent corporate persons.
On went away, much downcast; but T.
n. weeks afterward he telegraphed I
es me, and when / came he at on
brought up the subject of the co
bine.
N. go ahead with it." he said. IT
nd been thinking it over and talking
til over. We shall need only nine otht
on besides myself and you. You rep
nv sent the Ramsay interest"
&c He equipped me with the nee
sary letters of introduction and ST
cs me forth on a tour OF my own sta
Wbo1 II audcd ICON, hir