The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-28

waiting came, and he went-almost re-
luctantly-to Join his father In the
room Of conference
HAS Mr.. Mcvickar goneT' he ask
ed, finding his father sitting alone.
Yes; he's gone-gone to order out
hts car and go back to Chicago" was
the slow spoken reply. Then, with the
quizz1cal smile wrinkhng at the eye
corners, "How does the political
wrestle strike you by this time, SOM"
TT strikes me that I haven't been
in tt-not even in the outer edges of it.
dad. Isn't that about the size of it,"
~Oh, no: you've been doing good
work-mtghty good work, for your
company. McVickar recognizes it.
You've helped out in the only way
that help could come in this campaign
You've worked up good. healthy pub
lie sentiment in favor Of a square
deal for everybody. McVickar was
fixing to lose 1t all; cooking the regis
tratton Lists and buying votes and
making deals right and left, the same
! as usual But it's all or now, and
he's gone, and we're going to have one
clean, straight up and down election,
son. The machine says So"
The machiner' queried the younger
man.
Eyes; you didn't know that a ma
chine organization could be put to any
really righteous use, did you, boy?
But this Is one time when it has gone
in to knock out the crookedness, big
and little. Listen, son. When you
wired me that you were coming out
here lay awake nights thinking how
I'd put you in training and then when
the time came I'd help you up into the
saddle and make you the boss Of the
roundup, as I'd been. Want to hear
the rest OF It
Blount nodded
Then 1t came over me all OF sud
den that I'd been as crooked as a dogs
hind leg; that we'd all been crooked.
Not that I'd ever taken a dollar for
my personal pocket. for 1 haven't, but
I've bought and sold and dickered and
Schemed with the best of 'em and the
worst OF 'em, just as McVickar's been
doing for the past two months. Then
I asked myself If I'd like to see you
wallowfng In the same mudhole, and
wen, Evan, you may have a son of
your own some day, and then you'll
know. I thought I'd try you a little
at first. and I did-that first day out
at Wartrace. When you ripped out at
me that day made up my mind right
then and there that I'd put the whole
power of the machine as you call 1t,
into one campaign for clean election
and square deal"
my heavens~ calculated the son.
! ''And I've been fighting you and your
organization at every turn
mo, you haven't" was the quick re-
toinder. you've been fighting graft,
and that was what you thought you
were hired to do. McVickar wasn't
playing just fair with you. He gave
you your job In the first place to take
you away from me, but you've been
IN the hands Of your friends right
from the start, Evan. It was the or
gantzation that gave you all these
chances to preach the new gospel of
the square deal. 1t was the organiza-
ton that pushed Hathaway up against
you, so that you'd know that the rail
road people were running around in
the same old circles, hollering for jus
tice and doing everything they could
to defeat the ends of justice muddy
ing the spring because, they say, they
don't know what else to do.
Lastly, it's the organization that's
going to see to it that your word to the
people Of this state is made good, son.
Maybe Wen never be able to do it
again, but this one time we shall do 1t.
Gordon is going in by the biggest ma
tority ever given to a governor Of old
Sagebrush, and the legislature win be
five to one In favor Of the square deal"
The younger man left his chair and
walked to one Of the windows to stand,
looking down upon the lights Of the
busy sheet When he turned again 1t
was to say, 81 don't see where am to
break in, dad"
you have already broken IN While
the legislature rs going to be anti-cor-
poration, It Is also going 10 be fair
when 1t finds out that all the railroad
deals have been called of and can
celed. You're the man to show the
lawmakers that this has actually been
done. McVfckar made hard and fast
point Of that when he consented to
wipe the slate clean and go away and
let US run our politics to suit our
serves. He made me promise TO put it
up to you fair and square, with hand