The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-24

NaRsID sea in one, preparing with
dogged energy to begin new campaign
against the state machine.
The campaign that followed was but
a weary repetition of other years, with
out the stimulus of hope. The spasm
Of enthusiasm past. the people had
sunk back into habitual lack Of inter-
est. The only notable political feature
! of that year was the quiet contest
within the organization between the
old boss and the new, a struggle in
| which Murchell was forced to yield.
When a man sees the best years of
I his life slipping away with no accom-
plshment, when he has suffered not
| only denunciation and misrepresenta-
ton, which are not easy to bear, but
also treachery and ridicule, which are
harder, and misunderstanding and in
difference from the people he is trying
to serve, which are hardest of all, he
cannot be greatly blamed for wanting
| sometimes to "chuck the game" as
Haig put it to John one evening in
early winter. The bantering friend
ship between them, grown deeper aA
the years passed, had been worth more
| to John than he quite realized.
"Why don't you chuck the game?
You're further back than you were four
years ago. The novelty's worn off; the
dear pee-puls tired of hearing you, and
they believe that somehow you're worse
than an anarchist. And you're even
going to be kicked out of Office here
next spring. Do you know that
You're breaking down your health.
You're doing the work of three men
and a small boy-for nothing. This
county is growing. There's going to be
plenty of law business. And you could
be the biggest lawyer around here.
You are that now in point of ability,
though the Lord knows where you find
time to study your cases. Why don't
you chuck it? Serving the people is the
most worthless, thankless job in the
world"
you besotted cynic!' John laughed.
"What if we don't get any farther for
ward? We can't let 'em have the state
by default, can we? And it isn't alto
gether thankless. Once in a while
run into men like Cranshawe or Girls
well or Sykes. When l see how they
depend on me, II have to stick it out.
1t isn't necessarily worthless, either.
I've generally found that if you hold
on to the breaking point and then hold
on little longer things get easier all
of sudden"
Sunday school aphorisms. What's
to be the next slaughter of the inno-
cents?'
1--WE elect a governor next year"
"And where'll you find a candidate?'
"Well," said John cheerfully, 81
could run myself, you know"
'And offer 'em more bread pills,
eh?' Haig was trying to decide
whether he was a Socialist or not
hence was critical of all remedies and
theories.
81 suppose you are thinking of your
brotherhood as a substitute"
"Not my brotherhoodw Haig snort
ed 81 wouldn't have the dolts you
call the people as my brothers. They're
interesting to me only as a study il
asininity. What can you expect Of a
people whose very ideal is concentrat
ed selfishness"
"But the people don't understand
that's all"
"Not understand! You can say that
Do you suppose there's an intelligent
man in the state who doesn't know thai
you have as much brains and capacity
for government, and far more charac
ter, than either Murchell or Sherrod ol
any of their tribe? Yet they turn yor
down for them every time. Why? Be
cause the Murchells and the SherrOds rep
resent the people. You don't. Ninety
nine out of a hundred men, all ovel
the nation, have pretty clear notion
of what's going on in politics and gov
} ernment, and they have a rudimentary
social instinct that tells them it is
wrong Sometimes that incipient senst
} gets them interested in a reform, bu
the interest lasts only for about ont
, campaign. Just as you have found it
We don't really care. We don't wan
things changed"
But
| "Here, l have the floor. Things ar,
rotten-yes! There's a stink in ever.
plane Of our national life. You thinl
, you have a purpose in life to cleal
l up this state. Well, then play tn
game as you find it, make of yourself
despot. And when you have you
p power, use it to win compromises iron
the other strong ones, and to give tn
? people just as much as they are abb
. to use and enjoy. Among a selfsl
t people only a supreme, practical egois
can lead"
f Haig sat back, relighting his pipe
| Gossip he grinned. "Reminds me o
my college debating society. But
, mean it," he added earnestly.
John smiled family. He leaned fol
| ward and caught I'D the poker absent