The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-08
CTo BE COntlnued).

Insults, DlOWS even, were exchanged.
And down at the Capital City hotel
Dunkirk crawled upon a table and de-
nounced me as an Infamous migrate,
traitor, serpent he had warmed in
his bosom. But the people of the state
accepted it as natural and satisfactory
that 1.-THE vigorous and fearless young
chairman of the party's state commit
tee" should be agreed on as a com
promise. An hour after that last bal
lot, he hadn't a friend left except
some calling sympathizers from whom
he hid himself. Those who had been
his frmest supporters were paying
court to the new custodian of the plum
tree
The governor was mine, and the leg
1slature. Mine was the federal patron
age, also-all of it, If chose, for Croft
fut was my dependent, though he did
not realize it.; mine also we're 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 judgeship down as far as I cared
to reach. Subject only to the check
of public sentiment-so easily defeat
ed If 1t be not def1ed-I was master of
the making and execution of laws.
Why? Not because l was leader Of
the dominant party. Not because l
was a senator of the United States.
Solely because I 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
l was not master because I had the
plum tree. l had the plum tree be-
cause l was master.
The legislature attended to such of
the demands of my combine and such
of the demands of the public as
thought 1t 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 a 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
experience with that far from uncom-
mon American type, the periodic
drunkard I 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
If nothing had happened. 1t was not
until the current of mutual liking was
again flowing freely between us that
] said: DOC, may l 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 l heard from you. l went on.
az 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 II always go
away" he said Nobody that knows
me ever sees me when-at that time"
/ 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 stood on the threshold of his
chamber OF remorse and vain re-
gret-and well | knew where I was.
Why not?" he asked. bitterly.
There's always a-sort of horror-in-
side me. And 1t grows until I can't
bear it. And them drown it-why
shouldn't II"
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 1t for all
there is in it. Then-go back, if you
want to-"
He thought q long time, and I did
not try to hurry him. At length he
said, in his old offhand manner
Well. I'll so you, senator; I'll not
touch q drop"
And he didn't Whenever / thought
saw signs of the savage internal bat
tie against the weakness, I gave him
something important and absorbing
TO do, and I 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
scrupulously honest man l 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
It 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