The Washington herald., 1912-01-07
CHAPTER v.
The weakest Link.

There are two types Of reformers IN
our politico-economic affairs. One is a
reformer for the love Of decency, truth,
ana his fatherIand. He u very rare. The
other Is, as a character IN humorous fic-
tion once put IT. .-for reform when he's
out and for politics when he's fn-that's
why he's in so seldom" He is strong 70
reform anything and everything that Will
rebound to his political or financial cred
II, and he Is unalterably opposed to re-
forming anybody who has the power to
injure him in his ambitions or his pocket
This counterfeit may for years deceive
every one-but his wife. II she is an in
teligent woman. and Catherine Darwin
was that.
James Darwin bore a national reputs,
promising school. As district attorney
for the Southern district Of New York
he had gained fame in the insurance
prosecutions. This was a war of fnsur-
ance companies where a couple Of the
biggest ones were trying to drive 10 the
were on the eve OF consolidation. He
sent Johnson-a wealthy but harmless old
man-to jail, and had written countless
magazine articles extolling his own abiI-
ity and integrity. He didn't carry his
Investigations into the camps OF the big
leaders.
At the time wilbur Emerson and his
partners borrowed S5.OO0,0Oo OF their own
capital on their own notes he had been
out Of the district attorneys Office a lit
tie more than a year. He had a large
practice, but 1t was generally understood
that he would soon abandon II to accept
the position OF the Attorney General in
the Cabinet of the President He was a
strong-tawed, aggressive, gray-haired
n Iva
fner, and relentless prosecutor-on oc-
casion.
He bitterly hated the Emersons. For
this there were two good reasons In
the frst place. old John Emerson had
established him financialIy-had given
him his start in life; and there is no
hatred to equal that OF q man for his
benefactor. His presence on earth is q
constant reproach-a reminder that there
was once a time when he needed helm
His hatred OF Wilbur Emerson was
deadly and personal II the father pol
soned his self-respect the son poisoned
his heart Like a true woman. Catharine
had told him after their marriage that
she had once loved the young man. Being
intelligent, Darwin realized that his wife
had appraised him and ceased to love
him within two years after their mar
riage. His vanity would not permit him
to understand that she had never loved
him. He resented her intimacy with Isa-
bel Emerson, but he dared not interfere,
and the fact that she was always to be
found at the Emerson home when she
was not in her own. fed his jealousy. He
feared that she was going 10 see Wilbur.
not Isabel
This was the state OF his feelings to-
ward the house OF Emerson when he was
suddenly summoned to Washington for
several conferences with the Attorney
NA al h.. %
was that he was appointed special prose-
cutor TO investigate the Emerson Bank
ing Company.
The raid OF the money trust on the
Emerson chain OF banks that plunged the
country into a frightful panic and dis
turbed the industry OF the world had
failed. Thanks to the French loan. the
Emerson banks had kept their doors open
and paid their depositors dollar for dol
lar. In less than a week the reaction
began to set in. Depositors came back
to them Many smaller bank went to
the wall. and instead OF running Emerson
and his partners. the leaders OF the money
trust saw that the standing OF the new
house would be stronger than before
But they had one effective move left.
Their foresight had been too clear. their
plans too well laid. their blow too well
timed to be parried. inside the law. They
xnews or course, about the French loan
within four hours after II had been
made. In another twenty-four hours
hey knew how the collateral had been
secured.
Again they waited until they knew
hat 50 much OF the money had been sent
'ut that there would be no chance to re-
leem the collateral for weeks at least.
md then they struck again. One morn
ng a man whose picture you can sec
Ilnost any day in the pages of the
H.
unior partners into his private ONCE and
alked TO him for twenty minutes TWO
lours later the Junior partner was on
lis way to Washington, and two days
ater James Darwin received the tele-
nam from the Attorney General sum-
noning him to Washington.
10 Re CONTINUED NExr sI1NnAH