Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-13

4 powers that are-at the capital
Senator Peabody peremptorily demand
cd an explanation from Stevens as to
how he had allowed Ibis senator" to
engage as his secretary this inquisi
tive man HaineS, n reporter who didn't
know his place"
Here we've put Langdon on naval
affairs because we knew he didn't TIN.
derstand what's going on. and you,
Stevens, supposed to be the finished
product Of the political mill. you fall
asleep and let him take up "A man
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 Haines would consent to be TAX
en- care Of II judiciously approached
was deridcd by the obscrvant Pea
body. "A young reformer grows fat
on notorlety." he laughed. and think
newspaper II we took n chance on dis
closing our hand TO him. No. no. Ste.
vcns We must have him watched and
try to discredit him in some way. Per
haps we can make Lancdon believe
that his secretary Is dishonest"
Congressman Norton was another
man who was dismayed Mt the forma
tion of the firm Of Langdon and Hams
Young Randolph, too. could not forget
the defeat and humllia ton he had pre-
viO,lsly suffered at Haincs' hands and
| grew more bitter as the reporters in
| fuence over his father grew stronger
But Haines' most effective enemy had
arisen in the person he would be the
last TO suspect, one whom he unceas
ingly admired. one whose very words
! he had come to cherish. And possibly
It was not all her own fault that Caro-
| lima Iang,lon 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 a
| part IN Washington had something to
| do with the craving to become leader
In that fascinating world whose daz-
cling 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 10 him, and Gradu-
| ally she came to work desperately
against Haines. who. she had been
convinced BY Norton and Randolph,
would prove q stumbling block to them,
to her father. to herself in her career
at the capital. II his influence over the
senator should be permitted to exist or
to increase. And 80 on the surface
Carolina LanRdon was most amiable
to the secretary, encouraged him In his
attentions to her, led him surely into
her power, Norton ha wing 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 1t 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 public
policy. or what should he the public
policy, OF the nation. He had learned
that the only practicable way to out
wit or to cope with the members Of
the dominating machine. made up he
was surprised to see. of members of
both the parties-the only two in
Washington-wa to oppose what the
machine wanted with enough power to
force 1t TO grant him what he believed
the public ought to have. He was de-
scribed by some of the hidebound in.
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 small coterie Of senators and
congressman who had become known
to the sarcastic party bosses in both
houses of congra as the "Langdon
crowd" which crowd was admitted to
be somewhat Of a factor when It final
" prevailed on the president to take
over 11,0O0 postmasters from the ap-
polntment 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 Lansdon
intimately suggested that this fellow
ought to be taken care or 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? Well. whatever 1t is. give 1t
to him and get him In with the rest
Of u.s.
Again 1t was Peabody who had the
deciding say.
There's only one thing worse than
a young reformer. and that's an old
one" he laughed bitterly at secret
conclave at his apartment in the lux
urious Louis Napoleon hotel. THE
young one thinks he Is going to live
and wants our future profits for him
self. The old one thinks he's going
to die, and he's sore at leaving SO
much graft behind him"
Heads and hearts thinking and throb
bling together. Langdon and his secre'
tary, Haines, plodded along. They