The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-01

1 had no yearning for puppetshfp,
however exalted the title or sonorous
the fame. but TO be the power that
selects the king-puppet of the political
uppet-hierarchy, to be the power that
selects and rules hfm,--that was the
logical development of my career.
In Burbank | thought | had found a
man worthy 10 wear the Duppet robes,
one who would glory in them He,
like most of the other ambitious men
T have known. cared little who was be-
hind the throne, provided he himself
was seated upon it, the crown on his
head and the crowds tossing the hats
that shelter their dim-thinking brains.
Also, in addition to magnetism and
presence. he had dexterity and d1stlnc-
ton and as much docility as can be
expected in a man big enough to use
for important work
In September / gave him our party
nomination for governor. IN our one
sided state that meant his election
AS had put him into the governor
ship not so much for use there as Tor
use thereafter. it was necessary TO
protect him from my combine, which
had DESTROYED his two immediate
predecessors by over-use-they had
become so unpopular that their pollt-
ical careers ended with their terms.
Protect him I must, though the task
would be neither easy nor pleasant
It involved a collision with my cllents
"a square test of strength between
us. What was to me far more re-
pelIent. it involved my personally tax
ing a hand in that part of my political
work which I had hitherto LETT to
Woodruff and his lieutenants-
One does not in person chase and
catch and kill and dress and serve the
chicken he has for dinner: he orders
chicken. and hears and thinks no more
about it until it is served Ihus, all
the highly disagreeable part of my
political work was done by others;
Woodruff admirably capable and most
careful to spare my feelings. received
the demands of my clients from their
lawyers and transmitted them TO the
party leaders in the legislature with
the instructions how the machinery
was to be used in making them into
law. AS | was financing the machine
of both parties, his task was not diff
cult. though delicate.
But now that 1 began to look over
Woodruff's legislative programme in
advance. | was amazed at the rapacity
of my clients, rapacious though
knew them to be. I had been think
ing that the independent newspapers
there were a few such, but of small
circulation and inf'uence-were ma
lignant in their attacks upon my
friends In fact, as | soon saw. they
had told only a small part of the truth.
They had not found out the worst
things that were done: nor had they
grasped how little the legislature and
the governor We're doing other than
the business of the big corporations,
most of it of doubtful public benefit,
to speak temperately. An hours
study of the facts and / realized as
never before why We are SO RAPIDLY
developing breed of multi-million-
aires in this country with all the OPP
portunities to wealth in their hands.
I had only to remember that the SyS-
tenn which ruled my own state was in
full blast in every one of the states
of the Union. Everywhere, no sooner
do the people open or propose to open
a new road into source of wealth,
than men like these clients of mine
hurry to the politicians and buy the
rights to set up toll-gates and to fix
their own schedule of tolls.
However. the time had now come
when | must assert myself. | made
no radical changes in that first pro-
gramme of Burbanks term. I con-
tented myself with cutting off the
worst items. those it would have
ruined Burbank to indorse. My clients
were soon grumbling, but Woodruff
handled them well, placating them
with excuses that soothed their an
noyance to disconnected silence. So
ably did he manage it that not until
Burbank's third year did they begin to
come directly to me and complain of
the way they were being thrown
down" at the capitol.
Roebuck, knowing me most init
and feeling that he was my
sistent I'VE got almost nothing at
the last session., ne protested ana
this winter-Woodruff tells me we
may not get the only thing we're ask
Ing"
I was ready for him, as I was for
each of the ten. ] took out the list of
measures passed or killed at the last
session in the interest of the Power
Trust 1t contained IS items. 81 of
them passed. I handed it to him.
"Yes-a few things" he admitted,
but all trifles,"
THAT little amendment to the Wa
terways law must alone have netted
you three or four millions already"
Nothing like that. Nothing like
that"
81 can organize a company within
"a hours that will pay you four mil
lions in cash for the right, and stock
besides
He did not take up my offer
You have already had Is matters
attended TO this winter" I pursued.
The one that can be done-Really.
Mr. Roebuck, the whole state knows