Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-06-02

pauy's business liz this state can learn
It for the asking and at first hand
Secrecy and all the various brands OF
political skulduddery that have been
admitted in the past are to be shown
the door This IS the intimation that
was made t. me. Wasn't it made TO
YOU"
Gantry did not reply directly to the
direct demand. on the other hand. lie
very carefully rcfraincd from answer
ing II IN any degree whatsoever.
You have your Job to hold down
and l have mine" he returned. what
you say goes as II lies. Of course, hut
! shouldn't be too hard on the little
brothers II l We're you"
IF by the little brothers you mean
the pie eaters I'm going TO fire them
out neck and crop, Richard. They
make me excessively weary"
Gantry's playful mood fell away
from him like q CaStoff garment.
Il don't quite believe I'd do that II
were you. Evan. There are pie eat
ers on both sides in every political CON
test. and. while they cant do any cause
any great amount OF good, they can
often do good bit Of harm.
wouldn't be too hard on them If | were
you"
What would you do, or, rather,
what did you do when you We're man
| aging the state campaign two years
. ago." inquired Blount pointedly
Il cut the pie" said the traffic man
ager simply.
"In other words. you let this riff
raft blackmail you and incidentally
put big black mark against the com
pany's good name"
"Oh. no; wouldn't put it quite that
strong. Not many of these little fel-
! lows ask or expect money. \ free ride
now and then on the railroad is about
all they look for
but You can't give them that un-
der the interstate commerce law" pro-
| tested the purist.
Not outside Of the state. OF course
But inside OF the state boundaries it's
our own business
You mean it was our own bust
ness previous to the passage of the
state rate law two years ago" cor
rectcd Blount
! 1T Is our own business To this good
| day-in effect. That part OF the law
| has been II complete dead letter from
| the day the governor signed II. Why,
| bless your innocent heart, Evan. the
very men who argued the loudest and
voted the most spitcfully for 1t came
| TO me for their return tickets home at
! the end OF the session. OF course we
kept the letter of the law. 1t says
| that no free passes shall bc given
We didn't issue passes. We merely
gave them tickets out of the case and
charged them up to expense
"Faugh" said Blount. You make
me sick. Gantry. its that same child
ish whipping Of the. devil around the
stump by the corporation. an expe-
dent that wouldn't deceive the most
| ignorant voter that ever cast ballot
its that very thing that has stirred
| the whole nation up to this unreason
! able fight against corporate capital
| Don't you see it,"
Gantry shrugged his shoulders
II guess l take the line of the least
resistance-like the majority of them"
was the colorlcss reply. when 1t
comes to practical politics.
Don't say practical politics to me-
Dick" rasped the rcformer. We've
| got the strongest argument in the
world in the fact that the present law
Is an unfair one, needing modification
, or repeal. We mustn't spoil that argu
ment by becoming lawhreakers our
selves and descending TO the methods
| Of the ErafterS and the machine poll
| ticians the country over. If you have
| been sending these pie eaters to me,
don't do 1t any more. | have no use
| for them. and they won't have any
use for me after open up on them"
II don't believe Id do anything
rash," said Gantry.
Dating from this little heart to heart
| talk with the traffic manager, Blount
| began TO carry out the new policy
''the starvation policy" as it soon came
to he known among the would be
henchmen. The result was not alto
| gether reassuring.
Many Of the small grafters were on
| the payrolls Of the railroad company.
| and Blount was soon definitely assured
OF what he had before only suspected
that they were merely nominal en-
ployees. given payroll standing SO
that there might be an excuse for Civ
Ing them free transportation and re-
tainer in the form Of wages. II need
full
In many cases the qualifications OF
| the petty graft were exasperatingly
Intricate. For example. one Thomas
Gryson. who was on the payrolls rs
machinists helper In the repair shops,
demanded free transportation across
the state for eight members Of his
family" Questioned closely, he ad-
mitted that the family" was his only
by figure OF speech: that the rela-
tionship was entirely political
Blount promptly refused to recon-
mend the issuing Of employees passes
FOR the eight. and the result was an
immediate call from Bentley, the d.
vision master mechanic.
About that fellow Gryson," Bentley
began. Cant you manage some way
| to get him transportation for his Jones'
boro crowd? He is going to make
trouble for us If you don't"
Blount was justly indignant Cry
son Is on your payroll" he retorted.
"Why don't you recommend the passes
, on account Of the motive power depart
ment. II he Is entitled to them?"
II can't" admitted the master me-
chanic. II am held down to the issu-
ing Of passes to employees travelling
on company business only. We can
stretch 1t little sometimes, Of course,
but we can't make 1t cover the whole
earth"
Neither can l." BlOunt eynlOdatl