Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-07-07

side-step, NOrcrOss."
The boss refused to be panic
stricken; or. anyhow, he looked that
way.
1--WE have heard that kind Of talk
many times in the past" he said. "The
way to make 1t effective is to produce
the goods"
THAT'S just what we're here to dot"
snapped the Red Tower president vim
dlctively. "You, and the Big Fellows
In New York, want lot of the state
railroad laws repealed or amended,
If you can't get that string united,
you can't gamble any more with your,
stock. Well and good. You came
here six months ago and set out to
manufacture public sentiment in favor
OF the railroad. You ran up YOU,
'public-be-pleased' flag and beat the
tom-tom and blew the hewgag until
you got a lot Of dolts and chuckle-
heads and easy marks to believe that
you really meant it."
swell, go on"
with all this humbug and hula
halloo you still couldn't be quite GER
tain that you had made your point;
that your measures would carry
through the incoming legislature.
After the primaries you counted noses
among the candidates and found 1t
was going to be tight squeak
ID tight squeak. Then you did what
you railroad people always do; Won
slipped out quietly and bought a few
men-just to be on the safe side."
So 1t was sprung at last. Hatch
was accusing us of the one thing that
we hadn't done; that the boss knew
we hadn't done.
I'm afraid you'll have to try again,
MIR. HATCH" he said, with a sour little
smile. Then he added: Anybody can
make charges, you know"
Hatch jumped to his feet and he
was almost foamipg at the mouth.
"Right there is where we've got
you!" he shouted. you were too eau
tious to put one of your own men in
the field, so you sent outside for your
briber. He was stranger, and he
had to have help in finding the right
men to buy. Dedmon, here, was out
OF job-thanks to you and your
meddling-and the steering stunt Of
fered good pay. Do you want any
more?" &
The boss shook his head.
1T Is a matter of complete indiffer.
ence to me. don't know in the least
what you are talking about, and you'll
pardon me. I hope. If say that II
doesn't greatly interest me-"
by heavens-Tll make It interest
you! The easy-mark candidates were
found and bought and ps:d or-and
maybe they'll stay bought. and maybe
they won't. But that isn't the point
For little more money-my money
this time-each Of these men has made
an affidavit to the fact that railroad
money was offered him. They DOM
say whether or not they accepted it
mind you, and that doesn't cut any
figure. They have sworn that the
| money was rendered. That lets then
out and lets you In. You don't believe
it, TIL show you," and Hatch whipped
| list Of names from his pocket an,
slapped it upon the. boss desk. &C,
to those men and ask them; If W,
want to carry it that far. They'll tel
you.''
could see that the boss barrel,
glanced at the list. The glib stor.
of the bribery was like the bite O
a slipping crane-hitch-slow to taxi
hold. So far as we were concerned
Of course. the charge fell fiat; ant
upon any other hypothesis 1t wa.
blankly incredible, unbelievable, alb
surd. t
"The affidavits themselves would b,
much more convincing" I heard tn,
boss say, Though even then should
wish to have reasonable proof thai
they were genuine
Hatch was sitting down again ant
his grin showed his teeth unpleas
antly.
do you think for minute that II
bring the papers here and trust then
in your hands?" he raped out insult
ingly. "Not. much! But we've go
them all right, as you'll find out If 70,
balk and force us to use them"
At this point could see that some
thing in the persistent assurance O
the man was getting under the boss
skin and giving him cold chill. VIVA
if it were not the colossal bluff it hat
looked like in the beginning? Wha
If =. Like blaze of lightning ou
Of a clear sky a possible explanation
hit me under the fifth rib, and l CUES!
it hit the boss at about the same in
slant. What If President Dunton ant
the New York stock jobbers, believ
ing as they did that nothing but ,legis
lative favor would give them thei
trading capital in the depressed stock
had cut in and done this thing with
out consulting US?
The boss stirred uneasily in hi,
chair and picked up the paper-knife
a. little unconscious trick Of his whe1
he wanted time to gather himself. /