the titan-第115节

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！


cynic　or　bribe…taker。　　Men　were　robbed　of　every　vestige　of　faith　or　even　of　charity；　they　came　to　feel；　perforce；　that　there　was　nothing　outside　the　capacity　for　taking　and　keeping。　　The　surface　might　appear　commonplaceordinary　men　of　the　state　of　Illinois　going　here　and　theresimple　farmers　and　small…town　senators　and　representatives　conferring　and　meditating　and　wondering　what　they　could　doyet　a　jungle…like　complexity　was　present；　a　dark；　rank　growth　of　horrific　but　avid　lifelife　at　the　full；　life　knife　in　hand；　life　blazing　with　courage　and　dripping　at　the　jaws　with　hunger。

However；　because　of　the　terrific　uproar　the　more　cautious　legislators　were　by　degrees　becoming　fearful。　　Friends　in　their　home　towns；　at　the　instigation　of　the　papers；　were　beginning　to　write　them。　　Political　enemies　were　taking　heart。　　It　meant　too　much　of　a　sacrifice　on　the　part　of　everybody。　　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　bait　was　apparently　within　easy　reach；　many　became　evasive　and　disturbed。　　When　a　certain　Representative　Sparks；　cocked　and　primed；　with　the　bill　in　his　pocket；　arose　upon　the　floor　of　the　house；　asking　leave　to　have　it　spread　upon　the　minutes；　there　was　an　instant　explosion。　　The　privilege　of　the　floor　was　requested　by　a　hundred。　　Another　representative；　Disback；　being　in　charge　of　the　opposition　to　Cowperwood；　had　made　a　count　of　noses　and　was　satisfied　in　spite　of　all　subtlety　on　the　part　of　the　enemy　that　he　had　at　least　one　hundred　and　two　votes；　the　necessary　two…thirds　wherewith　to　crush　any　measure　which　might　originate　on　the　floor。　　Nevertheless；　his　followers；　because　of　caution；　voted　it　to　a　second　and　a　third　reading。　　All　sorts　of　amendments　were　madeone　for　a　three…cent　fare　during　the　rush…hours；　another　for　a　20　per　cent。　tax　on　gross　receipts。　　In　amended　form　the　measure　was　sent　to　the　senate；　where　the　changes　were　stricken　out　and　the　bill　once　more　returned　to　the　house。　　Here；　to　Cowperwood's　chagrin；　signs　were　made　manifest　that　it　could　not　be　passed。　　〃It　can't　be　done；　Frank；〃　said　Judge　Dickensheets。　　〃It's　too　grilling　a　game。　　Their　home　papers　are　after　them。　　They　can't　live。〃

Consequently　a　second　measure　was　devisedmore　soothing　and　lulling　to　the　newspapers；　but　far　less　satisfactory　to　Cowperwood。　　It　conferred　upon　the　Chicago　City　Council；　by　a　trick　of　revising　the　old　Horse　and　Dummy　Act　of　1865；　the　right　to　grant　a　franchise　for　fifty　instead　of　for　twenty　years。　　This　meant　that　Cowperwood　would　have　to　return　to　Chicago　and　fight　out　his　battle　there。　　It　was　a　severe　blow；　yet　better　than　nothing。　　Providing　that　he　could　win　one　more　franchise　battle　within　the　walls　of　the　city　council　in　Chicago；　it　would　give　him　all　that　he　desired。　　But　could　he？　Had　he　not　come　here　to　the　legislature　especially　to　evade　such　a　risk？　His　motives　were　enduring　such　a　blistering　exposure。　　Yet　perhaps；　after　all；　if　the　price　were　large　enough　the　Chicago　councilmen　would　have　more　real　courage　than　these　country　legislatorswould　dare　more。　　They　would　have　to。

So；　after　Heaven　knows　what　desperate　whisperings；　conferences；　arguments；　and　heartening　of　members；　there　was　originated　a　second　measure　whichafter　the　defeat　of　the　first　bill；　104　to　49was　introduced；　by　way　of　a　very　complicated　path；　through　the　judiciary　committee。　　It　was　passed；　and　Governor　Archer；　after　heavy　hours　of　contemplation　and　self…examination；　signed　it。　　A　little　man　mentally；　he　failed　to　estimate　an　aroused　popular　fury　at　its　true　import　to　him。　　At　his　elbow　was　Cowperwood　in　the　clear　light　of　day；　snapping　his　fingers　in　the　face　of　his　enemies；　showing　by　the　hard；　cheerful　glint　in　his　eye　that　he　was　still　master　of　the　situation；　giving　all　assurance　that　he　would　yet　live　to　whip　the　Chicago　papers　into　submission。　　Besides；　in　the　event　of　the　passage　of　the　bill；　Cowperwood　had　promised　to　make　Archer　independently　richa　cash　reward　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars。




Chapter　LIX



Capital　and　Public　Rights

Between　the　passage　on　June　5；　1897；　of　the　Mears　billso　christened　after　the　doughty　representative　who　had　received　a　small　fortune　for　introducing　itand　its　presentation　to　the　Chicago　City　Council　in　December　of　the　same　year；　what　broodings；　plottings；　politickings；　and　editorializings　on　the　part　of　all　and　sundry！　In　spite　of　the　intense　feeling　of　opposition　to　Cowperwood　there　was　at　the　same　time　in　local　public　life　one　stratum　of　commercial　and　phlegmatic　substance　that　could　not　view　him　in　an　altogether　unfavorable　light。　　They　were　in　business　themselves。　　His　lines　passed　their　doors　and　served　them。　　They　could　not　see　wherein　his　street…railway　service　differed　so　much　from　that　which　others　might　give。　　Here　was　the　type　of　materialist　who　in　Cowperwood's　defiance　saw　a　justification　of　his　own　material　point　of　view　and　was　not　afraid　to　say　so。　　But　as　against　these　there　were　the　preacherspoor　wind…blown　sticks　of　unreason　who　saw　only　what　the　current　palaver　seemed　to　indicate。　　Again　there　were　the　anarchists；　socialists；　single…taxers；　and　public…ownership　advocates。　　There　were　the　very　poor　who　saw　in　Cowperwood's　wealth　and　in　the　fabulous　stories　of　his　New　York　home　and　of　his　art…collection　a　heartless　exploitation　of　their　needs。　　At　this　time　the　feeling　was　spreading　broadcast　in　America　that　great　political　and　economic　changes　were　at　handthat　the　tyranny　of　iron　masters　at　the　top　was　to　give　way　to　a　richer；　freer；　happier　life　for　the　rank　and　file。　　A　national　eight…hour…day　law　was　being　advocated；　and　the　public　ownership　of　public　franchises。　　And　here　now　was　a　great　street…railway　corporation；　serving　a　population　of　a　million　and　a　half；　occupying　streets　which　the　people　themselves　created　by　their　presence；　taking　toll　from　all　these　humble　citizens　to　the　amount　of　sixteen　or　eighteen　millions　of　dollars　in　the　year　and　giving　in　return；　so　the　papers　said；　poor　service；　shabby　cars；　no　seats　at　rush…hours；　no　universal　transfers　（as　a　matter　of　fact；　there　were　in　operation　three　hundred　and　sixty…two　separate　transfer　points）　and　no　adequate　tax　on　the　immense　sums　earned。　The　workingman　who　read　this　by　gas　or　lamp　light　in　the　kitchen　or　parlor　of　his　shabby　flat　or　cottage；　and　who　read　also　in　other　sections　of　his　paper　of　the　free；　reckless；　glorious　lives　of　the　rich；　felt　himself　to　be　defrauded　of　a　portion　of　his　rightful　inheritance。　　It　was　all　a　question　of　compelling　Frank　A。　Cowperwood　to　do　his　duty　by　Chicago。　　He　must　not　again　be　allowed　to　bribe　the　aldermen；　he　must　not　be　allowed　to　have　a　fifty…year　franchise；　the　privilege　of　granting　which　he　had　already　bought　from　the　state　legislature　by　the　degradation　of　honest　men。　　He　must　be　made　to　succumb；　to　yield　to　the　forces　of　law　and　order。　　It　was　claimedand　with　a　justice　of　which　those　who　made　the　charge　were　by　no　means　fully　awarethat　the　Mears　bill　had　been　put　through　the　house　and　senate　by　the　use　of　cold　cash；　proffered　even　to　the　governor　himself。　　No　legal　proof　of　this　was　obtainable；　but　Cowperwood　was　assumed　to　be　a　briber　on　a　giant　scale。　　By　the　newspaper　cartoons　he　was　represented　as　a　pirate　commander　ordering　his　men　to　scuttle　another　vesselthe　ship　of　Public　Rights。　　He　was　pictured　as　a　thief；　a　black　mask　over　his　eyes；　and　as　a　seducer；　throttling　Chicago；　the　fair　maiden；　while　he　stole　her　purse。　　The　fame　of　this　battle　was　by　now　becoming　world…wide。　　In　Montreal；　in　Cape　Town；　in　Buenos　Ayres　and　Melbourne；　in　London　and　Paris；　men　were　reading　of　this　singular　struggle。　　At　last；　and　truly；　he　was　a　national　and　international　figure。　　His　original　dream；　however；　modified　by　circumstances；　had　literally　been　fulfilled。

Meanwhile　be　it　admitted　that　the　local　elements　in　finance　which　had　brought　about　this　terrific　onslaught　on　Cowperwood　were　not　a　little　disturbed　as　to　the　eventual　character　of　the　child　of　their　own　creation。　　Here　at　last　was　a　public　opinion　definitely　inimical　to　Cowperwood；　but　here　also　were　they　themselves；　tremendous　profit…holders；　with　a　desire　for　just　such　favors　as　Cowperwood　himself　had　exacted；　deliberately　setting　out　to　kill　the　goose　that　could　lay　the　golden　egg。　　Men　such　as　Haeckelheimer；　Gotloeb；　Fishel；　tremendous　capitalists　in　the　East　and　foremost　in　the　directorates　of　huge　transcontinental　lines；　international　banking…houses；　and　the　like；　were　amazed　that　the　newspapers　and　the　anti…Cowperwood　element　should　have　gone　so　far　in　Chicago。　Had　they　no　respect　for　capital？　Did　they　not　know　that　long…time　franchises　were　practically　the　basis　of　all　modern　capitalistic　prosperity？　Such　theories　as　were　now　being　advocated　here　would　spread　to　other　cities　unless　checked。　　America　might　readily　become　anti…capitalisticsocialistic。　　Public　ownership　might　appear　as　a　workable　theoryand　then　what？

〃Those　men　out　there　are　very　foolish；〃　observed　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　at　one　time　to　Mr。　Fishel；　of　Fishel；　Stone　&　Symons。　　〃I　can't　see　that　Mr。　Cowperwood　is　different　from　any　other　organizer　of　his　day。　　He　seems　to　me　perfectly　sound　and　able。　　All　his　companies　pay。　　There　are　no　better　investments　than　the　North　and　West　Chicago　railways。　　It　would　be　advisable；　in　my　judgment；　that　all