The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1909-04-28
CHAPTER XXI.
IF you CAN'T BUY A SENATOR, THREAT.
EN- HIM"

| - LOT senator ITOln MISSISSIPPI
state that no one was to enrich him
self out of the government naval base
project
He heaped a mental anathema or
the head of Stevens for saddling such
man on the senate machine" fol
Langdon would of course never had
been put on naval affairs" Gust now
very important to the machine) with
out the so. X" of Stevens, who had
won a heretofore thoroughly reliable
reputation as n judge of men, or of
what purported to be men. The
| thought that at this time, of all times,
| there should be a man on the commit
tee on naval affairs that could not be
handled" was sufficient TO make him
who reveled in the title of boss of the
senate" determine that he must get
another chief lieutenant to replace Ste
vens, who had proved so trustworthy
in the past. Stevens had lost his cum
ming,
AS the vote of Langdon could not be
secured by humbug or in exchange for
favors and as it could not be 'deliv-
ered," Peabody, of course, was willing
to pay in actual cash for the vote.
This was the final step, but one in po-
litical conspiracies of this nature-cash.
But Langdon would not take cash. so
Peabody had to resort to the last
agency Of the trained and corrupt ma
nipulator of legislation.
He would threaten
Moreover, he knew that to make
do so, they must be led up to systemat-
ically-that is, they should be made at
the right time. The scene must be set,
as in a play.
Senator Peabody glared at Langdon
as though to convince the latter that
to stand in his way would mean polit-
ical destruction.
$50 nobody is going to make a cent.
eh? Well, suppose you want all the
profits for yourself" Turning to Ste
vens, who had just entered, the Penn
sylvanian cried:
"Do you but listen to our suddenly
good friend Langdon He wants to be
the only man to make money out of
the naval base. He won't listen to any
other member of the naval committee
making a cent out of it. Why. he
Great God, sirr' exclaimed Langdon.
you are going too far, Peabody. You
state what is false, and you know it,
yOu-you"-
Then You are willing that others
should have their rightful share?' put
in Stevens. "Oh. | understand now,
senator"
mo. no. nor cried Langdon. you
do not understand, Senator Stevens,
and must say am ashamed to speak
of you 10y the honorable title Of sena-
tor, sir. I will not listen TO any person
enriching himself at the government
expense, and | am your enemy. you,
Peabody. and you, Stevens. beyond re-
call You both know you misrepresent
me-"
Langdon walked over TO Stevens and
faced him directly.
"Do you remember, Stevens, Lorimer
Hawkslee, back in wartimeT
YES" said Stevens, puzzled, Il re
member him-a very fine gentleman"
The old planter sneered.
Eyes, very fine gentleman! You
remember he got rich out of contracts
for supplies furnished to the Confed-
crate government when ii wasn't any
too easy for the Confederate govern
ment to pay and when he was in that
government himself l never quite
thought that the act of a gentleman,
Stevens. 1t seemed to me to be very
like dishonesty. refused to speak
to Lorimer Hawkslee in the Carroll
hotel at Vicksburg, and when the peO-
pie there asked me why / told them.
/ want to warn you, Stevens, that I'm
likely to meet you some time in the
Carroll hotel at Vicksburg."
Stevens backed away angrily. Il
catch your insinuation, but"-he re-
ceived a warning glance from Pea
body and broke into a pleasant smile
calculated to deceive the old planter
'this once l will overlook it because of
our old friendship and the old days in
Mississippi"
lou are Il me ldlkeT, l4duSuOu,
said Peabody, coming to Stevens res
cue, "but / can readily see what you
are driving at. You want an investi-
CATION. You think you will catch some
of us with what you reformers call
the goods but forget evidently the
entirely simple facts that your family
has invested In Altacoola lands more
heavily probably than any one else
among us. You want to raise a scan
dal, do you? Well go on and raise 1t,
but remember that you will have to
explain how 1t happened that there is
$4,000 invested In the name of your
son and $4,000 In the name Of your
daughter, Miss Carolina, not to men
ton few thousands put in by the
gentleman who, 1 am given to under
stand, is to be your son-in-law, Con-
gresham Norton.
"How about that. NortonT Peabody
asked, turning to the congressman,
who had followed Stevens.
81 confederate all you've said" re-
Ynorkad Marion at cou et0to r,0oifivolv