The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-10-31

, governors first usutenants Ia the
fight for reform.
One OF Braden's first acts brought
On the inevitable fight between him
self and the lobbyists. He introduced
through one Of his reform Legislators
Q factory inspection bill. and beforr
the lobbyists had fairly got their ma
chinery of delay and suppression In
working order the bill swept through
both houses and was passed BY . big
margin. Next was announced the
preparation of q child labor bill. and
by that time the fight was one.
The lobbyists got their machinery
going then. They opened their check
books and went into action They
/ knew how the game was worked.
Presently the reform Legislators be-
gan to look less like reformers. One
By one they began to admit that there
might be some sense In the conten-
ton Of the manufacturers that the
passage Of such q bill might deal the
state an irreparable injury. One by
one they began to hesitate The first
I thing Braden knew he found himself
face to face with proposition like
this: He had to get that child labor
bill passed or admit that he had lost
his legislature-and It didn't look as
! II he could do It
! That was the situation when the
| Burns agency was called in on the
| Job. Braden numbered among his
friends an old, retired politician who
had read the signs with an expert
| enced eye. Braden insisted on max
ing his fight by calling on the people
for support; but this old fox slyly
slipped off to New York, and when he
returned to the capitol I was on the
same train with him. though in a diff
ferent car.
"Braden will fight above decks, ~
said he, but Wen be down among
the crew and get at the heart Of the
mutiny."
| / went to the old hotel where the
lobbyists had their headquarters and
registered from a small town up the
state.
whats the latest thing about that
| l
clerk casually as I signed the regis.
ter. Does that rube up at the top
Of the hill think be can put 1t over
or have We got him sewed up?"
The clerk gr1nned a little but said:
Il don't know thing about it, sir u
and gave me little wink.
Good enough" said. laughing. Il
L. -
all right"
looked over the ground for three
or four days, then went to Braden's
old friend and said:
'1s there a reform newspaper in any
town in the state that you can get con
troll Off"
| "Why?" he asked.
IF there Is, buy It," l said. BUY
1t, and let me appear as the new own
er, who Is hanging around that hoteI
down there waiting for the interests
to hand him his bit Of coin before
he begins his fight on the governor
He sat and thought for a long time
me boy" he said, at last. that's
a big idea you've got in your head
l do believe. Yes, there Is q paper
we can get control Of. It will take
$4,000. but I'm game II you car
show me how the thing Is going t.
work out"
WELL" I said. 1--WE got to get II
with that bunch and get in right OF
there will be nothing doing. They're
too wise and too old at the game t.
let any secrets slip except in theil
own bunch. could stay there a yea
and be no wiser than am now, unles.
I got In right. By playing the par
Of a crooked newspaper owner, will
ling to sell his soul for money, I'll b.
one Of their own kind"
The paper in question was q small
daily in nearby town. It was in bat
financial condition, and Braden's oil
friend soon raised the money for 1t.
purchase. I got down and out news
paper man from New York to com,
out and take charge Of 1t, and tn,
day the ownership changed hands ",
came out with a front page editoria
announcing change Of policy. Wher,
before the paper had sought only t
harm business-in a Pickwickia]
sense-and SO to harm all classes, 1
was now going to help business all l
could. We did not say SO In so man
. words, but We limited that We wer
, not at all in favor Of Governor Bra
den's drastic and unreasonable or
slaughts on the great interests tina
have made the prosperity of tn
state possible" My newspaper ma:
was a peach; he could write as II b
really meant anything he said.
I got some new cards printed a
publisher Of the "Cronkton Dali
;, News" and continued to live at tn
= hotel in the capitol city. l had boy
from the paper coming In to see m,
had letters and packages addresse
to me under my newly assumed It'll
delivered at the hotel. and soon m
identity was well established anon
the coterie that made the hotel II
home.