New-York tribune., 1909-06-13
His Decision
Confirmed fv2~ 21gg

very dangerous type Df boss politician. FRANCIS
never shocks a man by asking HIM what his vote
IS worth but he makes friends with the man, ana
gets HIM IN annual pass. puts hm IN the way OIL
little stock and then asks a little favor OF
him for which perchance he gives him a little
more stock. and then. before the man. unSo-
phisticated not originally dishonest at heart
quite knows what II al means, he finds himself
listed as a Francis man. and. not knowing Just
what % do about IT, he falls into line
His own experience bore out the summary
When elected 10 office 4S State Senator. ne had
cherished old fashioned ideas OF serving ms con
stitucnts and doing his duty But the hrSt
week Francis had asked one oi those niue
favorS of him. and wishing To show his appre-
citation IF support gwen him in the election, he
had granted II And then-well the newspaper
man had said II about right
Francis knocked the ashes from his cigar
Fools " he rnuttcred. amateurs, idiots
Ievfnans" ventured the Governor
Yes Lcvnan and all his crowd
And vet " the Governor could not resist ~
IN another hour this same fool VIII be Gov
crnor If the State II looks = Htti- As thougn
the fool had won
France, rose impatcntiy Temporary. rust
temporary / tell you. the more | 90 INTO II the
more I see that politics Is like all other pro
f.~,ipns One learns It and pricriSeS Il. In law
the man with no training may WIN one case.
but its brains and training make the ldWFe
tui It's brains and training for the politician
No Ievman Will never be reelected In fact
I'm counting on that contract business we We
,,vcd up for HIM iolng good share ot the
work Well he had moved toward the door
- III see YOU up stars | presume II Is up 20 "
70 put IN our smiling faces At the show. tnd
with "a laugh and -hrug he went away
THE Governor looked at the clock ItPontcI
now TO twenty-five minutes past eleven he
last hour vas going fast In q very short time
he must JON the party IN the anter'"m OF the
House But WEAKNESS had come over NlIn
He. leaned back IN his chair and closed ms eye>
He was close upon seventy tnd to-day
looked even older than hrs yearS II was q face
that held nothing of the vicious. but Httle OF
the strong People who wanted 10 say nice
things Of the Governor called him pleasant or
genial or kindly Even the men m the ap-
pointive offices ilt not venture - say he had
much force
He felt It to-day AS he never had before He
had LETT no mark. hc had done nothing stood
for nothing Never once had his personality
made itself felt He had signed the documents
Harvey Francis had always suggested the
term was that mans owu-the COURSE % he
pursued And the suggestions had ever
dictated The policy that would throw most ~
the influence or money 20 that Sp.endidiF
organized machine that France r'0trolled
MYTH an effort he shook hnsrit tree from
w I'M, cherries retrospect There was q
thing or two ne wanted to get from his desk
and ms time was growing very short tie found
what he wanted and then. juSt 4s he wa~ about
20 close the drawer his eye fell ON a large yellow
euvelop He stared strangely. with couvul-
slye nlotlpu pf ms hand he grIpped the en-
y.lop fight his head sank little lower The
line, lt his face seemed to deepen
He closed the drawer but only t' reopen Il
take out the envelop remove the documents
!. contained and spread them 'ut betorr hum
On the desk
He sat there looking down AZ them wonder
,us whether a man had ever before stepped INTO
ofiec with As many pitfalls i1Ii for hlm IS
Frank LeymIn During the last month they
had been busy about the old State House set
ting trap, tor the new Governor The machine
was specially jubtlanr over the situation l~ re-
gardci those contracts the Governor now hat
spread out before hum The convict labor 4ue~-
ton Wa being fought rut with the STATE Just
then-orgdu,zc labor demanding IT'S repeal
country taxpayers insisting that 1t be- mann
tanned Under the system the peu'-enttIry ha1
become entirely self supporting In Novembr-
the contrasts had come up for renewal but
on the request II Harvey Francis the matter had
been ptt ptf from tune to time and FtIil rem t'rt
open lust the week before Francis had pu-
II before the Governor something Ike tins
Don't sign those contracts W" eIu give
some reason for holding them pt tud save
them UP for Levrulu Then we an see that the
question !, 1gitatri. AMI whatever he ioc~