News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-03-17
CHAPTER TX.


Langdon and Haines did NO
find much favor among til
powers that are-at the capita
Senator Peabody peremptorily demand
ed an explanation from Stevens as t.
how he had allowed his senator" t,
engage as his secretary this inquisi
tive man Haines, a reporter who didn'
know his place"
Here we've put Langdon on nava
affairs because we knew he didn't I'm
derstand what's going on, and you
Stevens, supposed to be the finished
product of the political mill, y0w fal
asleep and let him take up maj
whom nobody can control. one who
KNOWS the inside workings of Wash
ington and who will take particular
pleasure in teaching your fellow Mis-
sissippian far too much for our good
Stevens reply. to effect that prob
ably Hanes would consent to be tax
GIL care Of if judiciously approached
was derided by the Observant Pea
body. "A young reformer grows fat
on notoriety," he laughed, and think
what a scandal he would have for his
newspaper if we took Il chance on dis
closing our hand to him. No. no, Ste
venS: we must have him watched and
try to discredit him in some way Per-
haps we can make Langdon believe
that his secretary is dishonest"
Congressman Norton was another
man who was dismayed at the forma-
tion of the firm Of Langdon and Hams
Young Randolph. too. could not forget
the defeat and humiliation he had pre-
viously suffered ut Haines' hands and
grew more bitter as the reporters in
fluence over his father grew stronger.
But Haines' most effective enemy had
arisen IL the person he would he the
l?ot ~ suspect. one whom he unceas-
in ! "irlired. one whose very words
had come TO cherish And possibly
ID was not all her own fault that Caro-
lima Langdon had enlisted her services.
subtle and quite overwhelming lowing
to Haines fervent worship of herr
against the secretary. Perhaps the So
cial system of which she had become
do with the craving to becomes leader
In that fascinating world whose daz-
zling variety and infinite diversion
seemed to fill her soul with all that it
yearned for. Love she had. for she
had now promised to wed Congress-
man Norton She loved him fondly:
she had confessed to him, and gradu-
IN t,1 toI,y
against Haines, who she had been
convinced by Norton and Randolph,
would prove a stumbling block to them,
to her father. to herself in her career
at the capital if his influence over the
senator should be'permittpd to exist or
to increase And so on the surface
Carolina Langdon was most amiaDle
to the secretary. encouraged him in his
attentions TO her led him surely into
her power, Norton having prevailed on
her to keep the knowledge of their en-
gagement secret from every one, even
her father
The days and nights became filed
with important work for Senator Lang
don and his secretary. Together they
went over the important measures, out
lined what appeared to be the best
course of procedure and carried it into +
effect as far as possible. Langdon be-
came a prominent figure in the senate, |
owing to his consistent support of
measures that fitted in with the pubic !
policy. or what should be the public /
policy, of the nation. He had learned !
no ~.
wit or to cope with the members of |
the dominating machine. made up. he
was surprised to see of members of I
both the parties-the only two in t
Washington-was to oppose what the |
machine wanted with enough power to /
force it TO grant him what he believed |
the public ought to have. He was de- !
Scribed by some of the hidebound lin
siders" on Capitol hill as the only |
brainy man who had fought the ma
chine in thirty years"
AT the home he had later established !
in Washington as preferable to the .
International hotel were frequently /
seen a small coterie of senators and !
congressman who had become known
w lnC patty DOSStS III bOlu
houses of congress as the "Langdon /
crowd" which crowd was admitted to !
be somewhat of factor when it final !
ly prevailed on the president to take |
over 11,000 postmasters from the APP !
pointment class and put them under
the control of the civil service commits /
sion. resulting in the necessity Of a
competitive examination for these
postmasters instead of their securing
positions through political favoritism.
Those who did not know Langdon
Intimately suggested that this fellow
ought to be taken care Of What in
Gods name does he want? A commit
tee craftsmanship? An ambassadorship
for some Mississippi charcoal burner?
A couple of federal judgeships for his
friends? Wen, whatever it is, give it
to him and get him in with the rest
of usr'
Again It was Peabody who had the
deciding say.
There's only one thing worse than