The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-11-21

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
a factory inspection bill, and before
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 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 bill might deal the
state an irreparable injury. One by
one they began to hesitate. The first
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 ae
if 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 maxi
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 / was on the
same train with him, though in 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 small town up the
state.
Whats the latest thing about that
fool child labor bill?" asked the
clerk casually as signed the regis
ter docs that rube up at the top
of the hill think he can put it over,
or have we got him sewed up?"
The clerk grinned a little but said:
Il don't know a thing about it, sir,
and gave me little wink.
Good enough" said, laughing. 81
guess we've fixed his clock this time,
all right"
looked over the ground for three
or four days, then went to Braden's
old friend and said:
IFS there reform newspaper in any
town in the state that you can get con-
troll Off"
why" he asked.
'If there is, buy it," / said. BUY
it, and let me appear as the new own
er, who is hanging around that hotel
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 long time.
"Me boy" he said, at last, that's
big idea you've got in your head,
l do believe. Yes, there is paper
we can get control Of 1t will take
$4,000, but I'm game if you can
show me how the thing is going to
work out"
"Well," l said, 1--WE got to get in
with that bunch and get in right or
there will be nothing doing. They're
too wise and too old at the game to
let any secrets slip except in their
own bunch. could stay there year
and be no wiser than am now, unless
I got in right. BY playing the part
of crooked newspaper owner, will
ling to sell his soul for money, I'll be
one Of their own kind"
The paper in question was small
daily In a nearby town. It was in bad
financial condition, and Braden's old
friend soon raised the money for its
purchase. got down and out news
paper man from New York to come
out and take charge Of it, and the
day the ownership changed hands we
came out with a front page editorial
announcing change Of policy. Where
before the paper had sought only to
harm business-in a Pickwickian
sense-and so to harm all classes, it
was now going to help business all it
could. We did not say so in so many
words, but we limited that we we're
not at all in favor of Governor Bra
den's drastic and unreasonable on
slaughts on the great interests that
have made the prosperity Of the
state possible" My newspaper man
was a peach; he could write as if he
really meant anything he said.
l got some new cards printed as
publisher Of the "Cronkton Daily
News" and continued to live at the
hotel in the capitol city. I had boys
from the paper coming in to see me,
had letters and packages addressed
to me under my newly assumed title
delivered at the hotel, and soon my
identity was well established among
the coterie that made the hotel its
home.
One morning we published a clever,
yelled attack on Governor Braden.
That afternoon big, genial looking
man stopped me in the hotel lobby
and said: Mr.. Cornell, I've never had