Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-03-06

down stream than up. Besides, who
wouldn't sooner drift all day than pull
an oar for an hour? In no sense was
he trouble-hunter. Both in politics
and trade he was guided by the
Scotch proverb, Better fleece a fool
than fight him" Which is why he
could always show you few wounds
and many dollars. He gave way to no
raptures, nursed no sentiment alisms.
Given lump of coal and Gala lily,
he would admire the coal. Were a
band to drift unsteady down the
street, his attention would be enlist
ed by the drum. He had but one fad
money; but one ambition to get it.
He had no loudness of manner, being
secretive; no violences of speech, be-
ing discreet. He never frowned and
always bgamed, and would strip the
coat. from your back, the bed from
beneath you, with kindly smile. He
delighted in a kind of pig-comfort
made up of the warm, the soft. the
sweet. If he was a member of any
trustworthy-to the extent of his own
interest. He was honest while it
paid. He was against all robberies-
in the proceeds of which he had no
share. He was a true friend-to him
self. By which you should at once
see that he was man after Mr.. Arch
bold's own Standard Oil heart, and
that it was no more than natural for
Mr. Archbold to wire Mr.. Clark ito
have John Starkey and D. F. Cornell,
foremen, work vigorously for the sue
cess of the Republican legislative
ticket in their districts" and for Mr..
Clark to reply, Everything will be
done to secure the influence of the
gentlemen you speak of in behalf of
Senator Elkins.'
Senator Cummins, before he became
senator, was given some slight taste
of Mr. Elkins. There was a Senate
railroad investigation. committee
sort of Clapp railroad committee and
ME- Cummins was Weak-minded
enough to attend and testify. This is
what he said Of his experience on the
lstand:
For four hours and a half not one
single question was put to me except
with the intent to overwhelm ME. l
was the only man in that large room,
crowded to the doors, who had not
gone there on the invitation of the
railroads and free pass. While the
chairman was probing me there sat
by his side the general attorney for
Lall the railroads in the United States.
And when I saw that attorney pass
ling to the chairman question after
question to embarrass me, and when
l observed the tender relationship ex-
listing between them, the hot blood
l ~ ron oh mo That
chairman was Stephen B. ElkinS. The
people of West Virginia did not put
him in the Senate. The railroads
placed him there He is there to dc
what the railroads want him to do
So much by way of showing the
kind of Senate man Mr.. Archbold and
Mr.. Clark were eager to assist; and
yet what did Mr.. Cummins look for;
HE was badly posted in the Senate
story of his times if he went before
that Elkins committee expecting tt
be given better chance than woulc
be granted hen-pheasant at mass
meeting of minks.
/ The Cummins reference To "tht
general attorney of all the railroads
sitting at the Elkins elbow to tel
Thin what questions to ask, recalls
how the other day Mr.. JONES' Ason o
ex-senator Jones Of Arkansas and tn
Washington representative OF MI
i, IArchbold and Standard OIL, was PEI
mitted. nay invited, to sit at tn,
tClapp- Committee elbow and tell MI
Clapp or Mr.. Oliver or Mr.. Paynte
what questions to ask a most lnstrue
Tive tableau truly! The Archbold
t standard Oil attorney framing tn
questions in an investigation concern
. ling the Archbold- Standard Oil corruI
| ton Of representatives and senators
: Criminal money having no primo
! Iples, has no politics. It is Repubiical
I Tor Democratic, as affairs shift thei
lh,A. Criminal Money would be popI
t Ilistic were the Populists IN contro
!, In 189S-an off year-a sudden flas
: lin the political wind laid the Yves
Virginia Republicans on their beam
.lends. 1t looked. for q moment q
: Though all were lost MT. Flemln
5 - NlnFIainI wa