按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ut and whom it was truly designed to protect。
〃Yes；〃 he said； succinctly； 〃I see the lay of that land； but what do I get out of it？〃
〃Fifty thousand dollars for yourself if it's successful； ten thousand if it isn'tprovided you make an honest effort； two thousand dollars apiece for any of the boys who see fit to help you if we win。 Is that perfectly satisfactory？〃
〃Perfectly；〃 replied Senator Southack。
Chapter LV
Cowperwood and the Governor
A Public…service…commission law might； ipso facto； have been quietly passed at this session； if the arbitrary franchise…extending proviso had not been introduced； and this on the thin excuse that so novel a change in the working scheme of the state government might bring about hardship to some。 This redounded too obviously to the benefit of one particular corporation。 The newspaper menas thick as flies about the halls of the state capitol at Springfield； and essentially watchful and loyal to their paperswere quick to sense the true state of affairs。 Never were there such hawks as newspapermen。 These wretches （employed by sniveling； mud…snouting newspapers of the opposition） were not only in the councils of politicians； in the pay of rival corporations； in the confidence of the governor； in the secrets of the senators and local representatives； but were here and there in one another's confidence。 A piece of newsa rumor； a dream； a fancywhispered by Senator Smith to Senator Jones； or by Representative Smith to Representative Jones； and confided by him in turn to Charlie White； of the Globe； or Eddie Burns； of the Democrat； would in turn be communicated to Robert Hazlitt； of the Press； or Harry Emonds； of the Transcript。
All at once a disturbing announcement in one or other of the papers； no one knowing whence it came。 Neither Senator Smith nor Senator Jones had told any one。 No word of the confidence imposed in Charlie White or Eddie Burns had ever been breathed。 But there you werethe thing was in the papers； the storm of inquiry； opinion； opposition was on。 No one knew； no one was to blame； but it was on； and the battle had henceforth to be fought in the open。
Consider also the governor who presided at this time in the executive chamber at Springfield。 He was a strange； tall； dark； osseous man who； owing to the brooding； melancholy character of his own disposition； had a checkered and a somewhat sad career behind him。 Born in Sweden； he bad been brought to America as a child； and allowed or compelled to fight his own way upward under all the grinding aspects of poverty。 Owing to an energetic and indomitable temperament； he had through years of law practice and public labors of various kinds built up for himself a following among Chicago Swedes which amounted to adoration。 He had been city tax…collector； city surveyor； district attorney； and for six or eight years a state circuit judge。 In all these capacities he had manifested a tendency to do the right as he saw it and play fairqualities which endeared him to the idealistic。 Honest； and with a hopeless brooding sympathy for the miseries of the poor； he had as circuit judge； and also as district attorney； rendered various decisions which had made him very unpopular with the rich and powerful decisions in damage cases； fraud cases； railroad claim cases； where the city or the state was seeking to oust various powerful railway corporations from possession of propertyyards； water…frontages； and the like； to which they had no just claim。 At the same time the populace； reading the news items of his doings and hearing him speak on various and sundry occasions； conceived a great fancy for him。 He was primarily soft…hearted； sweet…minded； fiery； a brilliant orator； a dynamic presence。 In addition he was woman…hungrya phase which homely； sex…starved intellectuals the world over will understand； to the shame of a lying age； that because of quixotic dogma belies its greatest desire； its greatest sorrow； its greatest joy。 All these factors turned an ultra…conservative element in the community against him； and he was considered dangerous。 At the same time he had by careful economy and investment built up a fair sized fortune。 Recently； however； owing to the craze for sky…scrapers； he had placed much of his holdings in a somewhat poorly constructed and therefore unprofitable office building。 Because of this error financial wreck was threatening him。 Even now he was knocking at the doors of large bonding companies for assistance。
This man； in company with the antagonistic financial element and the newspapers； constituted； as regards Cowperwood's public…service…commission scheme； a triumvirate of difficulties not easy to overcome。 The newspapers； in due time； catching wind of the true purport of the plan； ran screaming to their readers with the horrible intelligence。 In the offices of Schryhart； Arneel； Hand； and Merrill； as well as in other centers of finance； there was considerable puzzling over the situation； and then a shrewd； intelligent deduction was made。
〃Do you see what he's up to； Hosmer？〃 inquired Schryhart of Hand。 〃He sees that we have him scotched here in Chicago。 As things stand now he can't go into the city council and ask for a franchise for more than twenty years under the state law； and he can't do that for three or four years yet； anyhow。 His franchises don't expire soon enough。 He knows that by the time they do expire we will have public sentiment aroused to such a point that no council； however crooked it may be； will dare to give him what he asks unless he is willing to make a heavy return to the city。 If he does that it will end his scheme of selling any two hundred million dollars of Union Traction at six per cent。 The market won't back him up。 He can't pay twenty per cent。 to the city and give universal transfers and pay six per cent。 on two hundred million dollars； and everybody knows it。 He has a fine scheme of making a cool hundred million out of this。 Well； he can't do it。 We must get the newspapers to hammer this legislative scheme of his to death。 When he comes into the local council he must pay twenty or thirty per cent。 of the gross receipts of his roads to the city。 He must give free transfers from every one of his lines to every other one。 Then we have him。 I dislike to see socialistic ideas fostered； but it can't be helped。 We have to do it。 If we ever get him out of here we can hush up the newspapers； and the public will forget about it； at least we can hope so。〃
In the mean time the governor had heard the whisper of 〃boodle〃 a word of the day expressive of a corrupt legislative fund。 Not at all a small…minded man； nor involved in the financial campaign being waged against Cowperwood； nor inclined to be influenced mentally or emotionally by superheated charges against the latter； he nevertheless speculated deeply。 In a vague way he sensed the dreams of Cowperwood。 The charge of seducing women so frequently made against the street…railway magnate； so shocking to the yoked conventionalists； did not disturb him at all。 Back of the onward sweep of the generations he himself sensed the mystic Aphrodite and her magic。 He realized that Cowperwood had traveled fastthat he was pressing to the utmost a great advantage in the face of great obstacles。 At the same time he knew that the present street…car service of Chicago was by no means bad。 Would he be proving unfaithful to the trust imposed on him by the great electorate of Illinois if he were to advantage Cowperwood's cause？ Must he not rather in the sight of all men smoke out the animating causes heregreed； over…weening ambition； colossal self…interest as opposed to the selflessness of a Christian ideal and of a democratic theory of government？
Life rises to a high plane of the dramatic； and hence of the artistic； whenever and wherever in the conflict regarding material possession there enters a conception of the ideal。 It was this that lit forever the beacon fires of Troy； that thundered eternally in the horses' hoofs at Arbela and in the guns at Waterloo。 Ideals were here at stakethe dreams of one man as opposed perhaps to the ultimate dreams of a city or state or nationthe grovelings and wallowings of a democracy slowly； blindly trying to stagger to its feet。 In this conflicttaking place in an inland cottage…dotted state where men were clowns and churls； dancing fiddlers at country fairswere opposed； as the governor saw it； the ideals of one man and the ideals of men。
Governor Swanson decided after mature deliberation to veto the bill。 Cowperwood； debonair as ever； faithful as ever to his logic and his conception of individuality； was determined that no stone should be left unturned that would permit him to triumph； that would carry him finally to the gorgeous throne of his own construction。 Having first engineered the matter through the legislature by a tortuous process； fired upon at every step by the press； he next sent various individualsstate legislators； representatives of the C。 W。 & I。； members of outside corporations to see the governor； but Swanson was adamant。 He did not see how he could conscientiously sanction the bill。 Finally； one day； as he was seated in his Chicago business