Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-22


Wiley" &C.,.
| His father frowned. The mothers
amused smile came. The News editor
was an impossible person" who was
to be seen carrying his exchanges
from the postoffice, in shirt-sleeves,
and a derby hat much too small for
, his head.
wiley says it's a great scheme OF
Thad's to get the county to protect
his property from the spring floods
and the county pays him for doing
it,"
The Judge was plainly annoyed.
your friend, Wiley Curran, seems
the self-appointed watchdog Of coun-
ty affairs"
| HE and Mr.. Tanner are always af-
ter each other. But that's why said
the creek diversion will be matter of
politics. There sure to be a howl
raised about it, dad"
The Judge selected a cigar. The
mother nodded covertly to him.
Harlan, dear, you ADMIT the creek
ought to be diverted?"
"Why, yes. And it'll be good thing
for us, mother. Itll put all our north
tract on the market drained" .a
The judges frown came again. THAT
has nothing to do with it, my boy.
The natural bed Of the creek is down
the old Pocket where those squatters'
shanties are. The quarry gang beyond
Lindstrom's-" He paused, for he had
not intended to advert to the name
Lindstrom, the discard, he had sent to
Jail; Aurelie's foster-father.
There was a silence. Harlan looked
up to see his fathers eyes averted. He
had an idea the judge was suffering.
His mother shrugged. my dear, the
Pocket is no mans land-the river
made 1t years ago, and it's the natural
bed Of the creek. Those people haven't
sign of title!"
Il know" the son retorted. wiley
told me-"
Il wish, my boy, you didn't get so
much Of your knowledge Of county af-
fairs through Mr.. Curran!" The judge
watched him curiously. did you see
his scandalous editorial on the su-
preme courts decision in the labor in
junction case?"
Yes. That labor organizer from
Earlville, McBride-got Wiley excited
about it. 1t would smash the union
movement, Wiley said"
The Judge sighed. For the first time
he had seen a flash Of Harlan's old
cheerful eagerness-and it took Wiley
Curran's insurgency to bring it. This
man, Mcbride, is organizing the soft
coal miners on the upper creek-all
those foreigners that were brought In
there. And he denounced Congress
| man Hall last Sunday at the Earlville
Turn Verein meeting, hear.
They're after Hall, father-hard.
Old Jake Vance says that Wiley Cur
ran ought to run against him-he says
the governors crowd will get behind
any one to beat Hail."
The Judge laughed. wiley Curran
in congress? Harlan, I saw him last
week down on his knees digging up
| geraniums for that funny old lady
who keeps house for him-they were
throwing cupfuls of earth at each 9TH
er and shouting like children!"
Harlan smiled. 81 suppose! But
dad, this political move is getting big
Jake Vance says it's the young mems
movement. Look at the chaps like his
boy, Arne, who's come back from the
agricultural school chuck-a-block with
what he calls the Wisconsin idea. And
see how Governor Delroy won on it
he's the young mems governor"
1.-THE state" retorted the judge dry
ly, "is in an uproar over nothing. Wher
this Wisconsin senator got up to speak
at the last session the solid and rep
resentative men simply would not lis
ten-he talked to their empty seats. A
demagogue, a disturber-and as fol
Jake Vance, he has been the county's
original malcontent since granger days
and Greenbackism."
The young man listened quietly
Father, his son is different. Yor
ought to see how earnest he is. A stu.
dent-farmer come back from Wiscon'
sin whooping it up. for the initiative
and recall, and direct elections, out II
his fathers locality among the ole
mossbacks-and showing 'em how t.
raise better corn than they ever die
before! Pigs and politics-Arne says!'
81" smiled the judge, "am still fol
the Constitution-and my boy, Tn
glad you went to Harvard instead o.
our western colleges. If you're going
into politics" he grimaced, for poll
tics was distasteful to him, and ye
Harlan had grown up with the con-
sciousness that some day he shoult
enter politics. His mothers ancestr!
of Virginia had given it to him as tht
milk he drew. 1t had been the ont
grievance Of her married life that th'
Judge had not cared for a more mill
tant public life. She had an old-fash
ioned ideal for her boys future-sh'
was not sure Of it all, but it was to b'
career honoring the state, reaching
up, perhaps, well-one could never tel
how far such a son might go, one wh'
had the best of east and west in him
Despite their tradition the Van Hart
felt the Midlands to be the heart ant
soul of the republic, the seat of powe
and inspiration. Loyal to every incl
of the Atlantic seaboard, they knew
: the mighty valley would home the mil
lions of the best Americans, her
would be the breed of the soil, the de
, termining economism, the building an
enduring individualism.
The mother glanced brightly at him
"Of course Harlan's going into poll
, tics! And he'll never have the strug
, gle that Billy Lee will have. Here
, among his own people" and sh
, dreamed an instant, her eyes going ou