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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