Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-18

Il should have understood this speech little
better, he said, if you had made it in Georgetown
speech as l expected you to make when l sent for
you. But you certainly gave me to understand in
Georgetown that you were willing to sign such re-
port as the directors might deem 1t eXpedlent to
publish / think you must have been aware that
that was my understanding of your position when
consented to come over here. l don't regard my
time as wasted; indeed, feel that have spent the
day very proftably, we'll as very pleasantly But
your pains, l am afraid, are wasted.
Il must repeat my demand for a report that will
not ieopardize the policy the directors of the
pany have decided upon, and think you had better
take a minute or two in which to forget that fine
rhetorical effuson with which you have just favored
me, and do little plain thinking instead Ill give
you five minutes, if you need many, to agree to
write that report as want it,
Il don't need five minutes, said Smith, " nor five
seconds. McCraCken made it quite clear what sort
of report you wanted. l did mislead you quite
deliberately there in Georgetown, into thinking
that would do it if could get my price. 1t may be
that every man has his price; but mine If it be
true is one that your means cannot compass Mr.
Beaumont"
THE big millionaire lighted fresh cigar and sighed
little ruefuy Well he said, Il nearly
made mistake had about come to the conclusion
that l had made find down here. l am getting
along in years, and have been looking lately for
man. l haven't any son, and l wanted to find a
young who could do big things in big way.
I've been entertaining the notion to-day that you
the man l was looking for. l thought could
take you off this little pcayune island and give you
something big to do As say l nearly made mis-
take. You showed yourself up in time, and for that
/ am he smiled rather grirnly,-"I am much
obliged to you And to even things up, III do you
favor
He shifted his position in his chair for of greater
ease and smoked for two three minutes in ref1ec-
tive silence. Il suppose" he said, you have
plan in your head for beating me- you would hardly
have laid down your cards SO frankly without it |
imagine that your plan is to go to New York with
this precious report of yours, circulate it among the
stockholders, and try to defeat my plan at the meet
ing that is to be held week from to-day. will tell
you frankly, you can't do it. In the first place, it,
only the common stock of the company that enjoys
vote. Itisquite true that do not control an abso
lutte majority even of that stock. A considerable
part of it still in the treasury of the company and
cannot, by the company's charter, be issued below
par still of it in the hands of these preachers
and school teachers you have been talking about,
whose names and addresses you can't get without
access to the books of the COMPANY and that most
certainly should refuse. OF course if you had
limited time or unlimited money,-if you had
some trouble But as things stand this minute,
the only thing you do is what you have already
done tonight: make speech
II tell you this-though doubt if you are shrewd
enough to appreciate t-wth other intention than
to do you favor. If you act my suggestion you
will be saved great deal of useless labor and
much more. Of course, l shall have you put out of
here, neck and heels,-your usefulness to has
termnated,-but if you will keep still and take it
quietly, III let it go at that, Mr.. Smith. On the
other hand if you insist on enjoying the luxury of
making another speech, - His voice rose as he
went on became bigger, deeper. and more raucous,
his face flushed, and his gray hair seemed to brStle
if you venture to 60 to New York and try to make
it hot for newly, III break you have broken
other, bigger men! You won't be able to find
corner nor a hole where my hand won't reach you'll"
He leaned back suddenly in his chair at that, and
resumed his earlier manner.
You've done all you can do already, Mr.. Smith,
absolutely all that you do,-and you have
still half minute left to say yes in"