The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-01
Che MeBoir:s Of /
Al4hgEiCazlflltflZNl
Robert HERR1Ck
CQPYRl1UT. 1905 by
1H1 MAcflIZLAX c0fzRANY

pied his goods and not seeing the face
I was looking for. l was moving to-
ward the door when l was arrested by
the voice of man who began to speak
over In one corner.
That's so. know him. he shouted
and the attention Of the room was his
The men around him moved back, and
I could see that the speaker was VIII.
He was dressed In q long waterproof
coat, and his hat was tipped back on
his head. An untrimmed black beard
covered the lower half of his face. 81
ran tell you all about him." he contin-
ued In a thin, high voice. Hes the
man who got q bill through congress
giving himself and his partners a slice
of land out Of the Indian Territory.
He's the man who kept the Texas leg
islature in his hire the same as q serv.
ant"
Generally when I hear this kind Of
saving air l 60 about my business.
The discontinued always growl at the
other fellows bone Give them 4
bites they would make. It's hopeless
to try and winnow out the truth from
the mass Of lies they talk about the
trusts, capital, the tariff. corruption
and the rest Of it. But it hurt all the
same to have VIII say such things
about me.
"He's the man who sold scraps and
offal to the government for canned
beef"
That's lier' spoke out promptly.
Don't l know what l am saying7
Didn't try to live on the rancid, rot
ten stuff? My God. I've got some home
now could show you"
viii turned to see who had contra
dicted him and recognized me.
You ought to know better than
that" I replied. directly at him. "Some
Of it was rotten, but not the Meat
Products goods. We lost on our con-
tract, too, what's more"
Will was a little startled. but he
steadied himself soon and said again:
That's the same thing. You were
all the same crowd"
mo, that wasn't so," l remonstrat-
ed, land you ought to know it."
The men in the room had stopped
their talking and were craning their
heads to look at US. Will and l eyed
each other for a time; then turned
to the crowd and made the first and
last real public speech Of my life.
That's all ID lie about the beef
we sold the government. l know 1t, be-
cause l inspected it myself. And I
gave my own money. too. to support
men at the front, and that is more
than any of you fellows ever did. And
the rest Of the talk these gentlemen
have been giving you is just about as
wrong too. Let me tell you one thing
If you folks were honest. If you didn't
send rascals to Springfield and to con-
gress. If you weren't ready to take a
dollar and club a man If he didn't hand
it over, there wouldn't be this bribery
business. l know it, because I've got
the club over and over again. And
one thing more. it's no more use for
you and ! to kick about the men who
put their money into trusts than 1t
would be to try to swallow all the wa
ter in the lake. That's the way bust
ness has got to be done nowadays, and
starve. and your wives and children
would starve"-
who are your" some began to shout.
| interrupting me.
Il am E. V. Harringtonv' I called
| back.
Then they booted: Hello. senator:
| Put him out.'
| turned toward Will and called to
him:
Come on. I want to have a word
| with you. WiIl-'
He followed me downstairs into a
| saloon. Some Of the loafers who had
! heard our talk upstairs came in and
! crowded up to the bar. and I set up the
| drinks all around several times. VIII
| wouldn't take any whisky. Then the
bartender let US into little room at
the end Of the bar. where we could be
| by ourselves.
| WILL" l exclaimed. whatever has
! happened TO you:'
| 1t wrun- my heart to see what a
| wreck he was He had let his beard
i grow to cover up his wasted face
| His eyes were sunk and bIoodshot
| The old waterproof covered a thin
| flannel coat
I'm all right" he replied gloomily
| What do you want Of me:'
Il want you to come out and &c,
some dinner with me first" said.
But he shook his head, saying he
must go home to May.
TT amt no use. van." he added In
a high, querulous voice. I'VE DOM
belong together. May and I are Of the
| people-the people you fatten on
| Quit that rot am one Of the PEG
| pie too"
/ "Oh. you're senator. expect, by this
time" he sneered. What did It coot
| you. van?"
| Il don't wan. to talk politics"
That's all care to talk. I want t.
get q chance to show you fellows up
| one Of these days, I'm considering 9