River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-21
Copyright By The Bobbs- Merrill Company


cry vivid detail Of the call Baldwin
had made upon him, how he entered
his private Office without troubling
the pale, pimpled Office boy to an
| nounce him, how he lifted from his
carefully parted hair his straw hat
with it's youthful band of blue, and
laughed out, John, my boy, how are
you? Hot, isn't it," He could see
Baldwin as he sat in the solid oak
chair that stood intimately beside his
roll-top desk, tanning his rudy face
with the hat, which had impressed a
broad red band on his forehead. I'm
derwood had been glad enough to
close Cooley on Taxation" and re-
volve his chair to face Baldwin, just
as if he had been client, for Bald
win was the most important politician
who had ever called upon him profess
sionally.
Underwood remembered clearly how
Baldwin's excellent teeth glistened
when he smiled, how he lighted a
Turkish cigarette and, fitting up his
chin, blew long, airy stream of blue
smoke through the thick hairs Of his
mustache. He could even remember
how carefully Baldwin sheltered the
! flame of the match for Underwood s
cigarette, in that curious spirit Of
economy men always practice with re-
! gard to matches, much as If there
were only one match left in the whole
world. And then he could recall al
II
ton Baldwin had frankly told him
that Conway had him handicapped, be-
cause he had the city hall with him
and controlled the Fifth ward. Sim
mons, Baldwin had said, didn't cut
much ice; he had some labor leaders
with him, and would get a bunch of
delegates from his own ward, but that
was about all. In fact, said Baldwin
/ concluding his judicial summing up,
! Conway could win out, hands down, if
| it were not for his recent quarrel With
Malachi Nolan. Underwood remem-
bered that during all this frankness
! he had ref1ectively drawn rude little
! geometrical figures on an envelope
and had been somehow afraid to look
had sat there transfixing him with an
eye that could read the mind of man
when it was fmpinged on politics.
/ that is, practical politics-as easily as
| it could a poker hand across a table
stacked with blue chips.
He knew BALDWIN, had come with
! some practical proposition, and when
the lobbyist suggested that he was too
respectable, and would run better in
some residence district, that the boys
! looked upon him as a reformer, and
| that the silk stockings were not prac-
teal enough to help him, Underwood
had felt that at last it was coming.
1t was simple enough. Baldwin had
/ been talking that very morning about
| UnderWood's candidature to Mr.. Weed
of the Metropolitan Motor System
and to Mr. Peabody, president of the
| Gas company, and they had been very
/ much interested. They had an anxiety
! to see good men nominated that year
! for they had large business interests
that were more or less affected by
legislation, and had feared they would
had experience in legislative matters,
and had been friendly enough in the
city council, yet they felt they could
hardly trust him-he was such
CRATER, and in such things, Baldwin
blandly assured Underwood, they had
to depend upon a mans honor alone,
and so they had sent Baldwin to sug-
gest that Underwood meet them at
luncheon, and talk matters over. Bald
win, with his love of ease and luxury,
had preferred dinner over at the
Cardinals in the evening, but Mr.. Pea
body had something on hand with the
trustees of his church and couldn't
meet them then. Baldwin had taken
out his watch at this point, with the
air of man who suddenly remembers
some important engagement-the de-
tails all came back with fidelity that
was painful and stood awaiting I'm
! derwood's reply, with the open watch
! ticking impatiently in his palm.
! Of course, Underwood had under
stood-and he wished ardently to be
nominated and elected. He could see
!
| behind a walnut desk in the senate
/ chamber just as an actor sees him
/ self, with an artists ecstatic, half
/ frightened gasp, in some new part he
! is about to study. The position would
! give him much Importance, he would
! be riding back and forth between Chi
| cage ana Springfield on pass, it
would be so pleasant to be addressed
as senator, to be consulted, to head
| delegations in state conventions and
cast the solid vote for any one he
! pleased; besides, it would be a good
training for Washington. he could
practice in oratory and parliamentary
law just as he practiced on friendless
! paupers over in the criminal court
when his father influenced some
! judge to appoint him to defend an
INDECENT prisoner. 1t meant only one
little word, he could be wary of prom
ises. His heart had expanded, he had
turned half around in his chair to- face
Baldwin, when suddenly the reformer
within him rose to object, pointed to
his ideals. rehearsed the speech on
The Tendencies of Modern Politics.
recalled all the good words the indie
pendent papers had spoken of him,
urged the beauty of great sacrifices
for principle. At the idea of self-sac-
rifice, Underwood had felt a melting
self-pity, he admired himself in this
new role of self-sacrificing reform