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THE STARKVILLE NEWS. VOLUME 11. A CRUCIAL TEST By HORACE GLASS (Copyright, ltto3, by Daily Story Pub. Cos.) WHEN Duncan Taylor was com pelled to give up his college course at the end of the Freshman year he was bitterly disappointed. From his boyhood he had looked for ward to a political career with all the enthusiasm of his ardent nature. He had gone in for political economy and all the allied studies and his head Was filled with ideas and ideals. He knew that his father was not wealthy but had supposed that his business was on a sound basis and would stand for his education and a start in the law. Heinje it came as much of a shock/to him as to the rest of the family and the outside world to learn after the sudden death of his father that the business was badly involved and only by the closest and most faithful and intelligent application could the entire property be saved from being swept away. Being the only male member of the family of mature years, this task manifestly fell on him. In any event there was no money available for his further education. So bravely and without complain he hade farewell to college and his dreams and took np the family bur den. Being a young man of intelli gence and industry he was fairly well equipped for the work and although his heart was not in it he succeeded in preventing a crash and got the business in shape where it yielded an economical living for the family and tended toward the np grade. Of course he did not lose his inter est in politics —the leopard does not change his spots, but his vision was (hanged from congress, the senate and the presidency to the closer du ties of good citizenship and partici pation in ward and precinct organiza tion. It was not long before he became a thorn and a menace to the gang who controlled his party in the city and county. When he. first surprised the managers of the “organization” by heading an independent delegation from his waVd in the county conven tion and fighting the prearranged slate, they laughed at him and were satisfied by the vfcdory of their slate. But when he attacked their methods and plans by persistent talk with peo ple with whom he came in contact and by communication to the papers as well, they became uneasy and when a year later he cleaned them * 9 out again in the ward in an open fight in which they used all their re sources. and headed another inde pendent delegation which was joined by others in two other wards they became alarmed and realized that he must be dealt with as a positive fac tor. In the meantime anew factor had come into Duncan’s life. He fell in love and when a man of his temper ament falls in love it is a serious matter. Tie was practically alone in his family. His mother and sisters had always esteemed themselves in comfortable circumstances and the truth so suddenly thrust upon them at the father’s death had been hard to realize. The rigid economy insist ed upon by Duncan when he under took the task of reestablishing the business was not taken to kindly and there was an atmosphere almost of compfaint and discontent at home. And so when Alice Morton crept in to his life and he learned little by little to know the breadth of her mind and the deep sympathy of Tier nature it came as balsam to his wor ried mind and heart. He sought her companionship more and more and came more and more to confide in her and lay down upon her hopeful mind the problems that confronted him. As his attentions came to be more and more marked his people arose in revolt. “Why, Duncan,” said his mother, the Mortons have neither money nor social position. Yon must not be come involved with them. Our only hope is for you to make a good mar riage—which you can easily do with your name and personality.” “By a good marriage you mean a ri<h marriage, I suppose,” he replied with more feeling than he often dis played in family differences. “Well, I must disagree with you. Our only hope is to live within our income and make the business go I hope I am not an unmindful son and brother. but I declare myself here and now that come what may 1 will not be a fortune hunter and matrimonial ad venturer. All else will 1 do for the family but not that.” And his intimacy with Alice Morion continued and increased until she be came the brightest spot in his life. And then one soft spring evening carried away by the poetry of her nature, the tenderness of her sym pathy with him and his aspirations and something he saw in the depths of her brow.n eyes he declared his love for her and asked her to be his wife. “Why*, Duncan,” she replied with surprise and pity in her face and voice, “wnat are you saying? You know it is impossible. You already have more of a load than you can carry.” “But I need help to carry it,” he re plied. He went on in passionate ap peal, plying her for an answer to the question as to her love until she broke down' under his ardor and admitted that she loved him—but as to the matter of an engagement she was adamant. “No. Duncan,” she said, “I will not tie you but 1 will wau for you. I love you too much to be a drag on you. When you have solved your problem and achieved a career wor thy your ambitions if you want me I will come to you, but not now,” and he could not shake her. In the meantime the politicians had been discussing Duncan's appearance in politics with more gravity than he dreamed it warranted. “He’s got to be headed off or he'll bust the combination.” assented Maj. Buck, with profane emphasis. “Well, you can’t frighten him off.” replied Dr. Jackson. “Nor beat him, apparently,” added Tom Lurch. “No,” said Judge Belknap, the real “boss” of the county. “We've got to take care of him. Being a business man gives him a standing that is hard to knock. I’ve been thinking that it would be a good scheme to have Dustin appoint him commission er of public works.” “Heavens,” exclaimed the major; “that's too good a job. It’s worth $3,500 a year in salary and five times that in graft in ordinary years, and this year 20 times as much with the new water works to be built.” “That’s just it,” replied the other quietly. “I've studied the man. lie won't take a cheap office. We've got to sacrifice something to get him— and I’m convinced he can’t be depend ed on after we get him. lie’s too am bitious. He’ll take the commission ership. He needs the money. Then we'll see to it that he is offered enough on the water works job to tempt him and then we’ll raise a row*, have an investigation and pose as purists and reformers and he’ll be eliminated from politics forever even if he escapes pen.” “John, you’re a genius,” exclaimed the major enviously. “But it is a blanked shame to let go that water works graft after all the work we have done to get it framed up.” So the plot was laid and Maj. Dus tin offered Duncan Baylor the newly created commissionership. It was a very different line of public service than he had looked forward to, but he was flattered by the recognition and recognized the opportunity for service to the community. Then, too, the salary was a great temptation. He had his business organized so it would run along with what direction he would be able to give it and the salary for a couple of years would about clean up matters and put things on an easy basis. He consult ed Alice, but she would not advise. “You must figure out your own ca reer, Duncan,” she said gently. He accepted the appointment and plunged into the added work with enthusiasm. Then came the great temptation. When the bids for the new w r ater works came up he was delicately shown where he could clean up $50,- 000 by favoring a certain contracting concern in a way that apparently no hint of crooked work could leak out. Moreover, there would be another $50,000 in sight in allowing of permitting the use of material “equally as good,” but not technically the same as specified and in other ways w'here he was assured the city would get the best possible results and w r ou!d not have to pay any more than if a rival concern got the con tract. Then indeed did Duncan wrestle wdth the evil one. The price was so high, his necessity so great and his desire to achieve some sort of inde- STARKVILLE, MISS., FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1903. pendence so he could marry Alice and begin a career apart from the busi ness he despised so heartily that he was swept off his feet. After a long wrestle with his conscience wherein he succeeded in downing the trouble some member, he went to= call on Alice. Of course he said nothing of the matter to her, but when he left the house he was all at sea again. The conversation had turned on eth ics and the high stand she took and the glimpse she gave him of her great soul brought it home to him that he never could lay down to her the spoils of corruption. The next day the “gang” was as tonished to learn of his refusal of the offer. 'Fhe situation then became des perate, because the construction com pany played an important part in the plans of the party leaders, that if the contract went elsewhere their hold on party workers would be weak ened to an extent that their suprem acy would be weakened and even party success imperiled. Another card must be played and played quick. So the mayor was again called in and Taylor was summoned to his office and informed that the contract must go to this company in order to “keep things together.” Dun can was told that whispers of the dis graceful offer made him reached the | executive and he was complimented lon his integrity. The bid now to be | made, however, was to lie absolutely “on the square” the mayor had been informed, and must be accepted for political reasons. And his honor pointed out that Duncan’s political future was identified with ihat of the administration and hinted at high honors ahead for the young man if he were “wise.” “It’s just as well this way.” re marked the mayor in talking it over. “\Ve will get the dough and throw the blame on him.” lint when Duncan thought it over he decided that he would not be a party to the deal and would run his own office. So he informed the mayor in a note in answer i * which he re ceived a prompt request for his resig nation. This aroused his fighting blood and he promptly published the correspondence in the newspapers, together with a statement of the case and his determination to retain the office until the water works were built, unless he was removed. This took the underpinning from the “gang,” for they knew the council would never dare approve of a change under the circumstances. Well, that’s about all there is to it. The water works were honestly built. The powers behind the construction company threatened the overthrow of Ihc party and the dominant fac tion were so impressed that they evaded the nomination. Duncan saw his opportunity, went after the nom ination and got it easilj', as the “gang” saw an easy way to eliminate him from politics through the defeat that they shied at. But they reck oned without the people and Dun can’s level head. He was elected and on the reputation and notoriety ac quired during the events here nar rated and the record he made as mayor captured the nomination as governor two years later, cleaning out “the organization.” in the mean time he had sold the business most favorably and adjusted his father’s estate so the family was in comfort able circumstances. And shortly af ter his election as governor there was a wedding at the capital in which fhe entire state took interest, and Duncan had always near him the counselor and conscience which had saved him from degradation and ruin and who shone in the new career to which she came as she did in*the yet higher one to which Duncan after ward took hbr at the national cap ital. Doctor Expluiim Cnncer Care. Dr. Le Redde, one of the physi cians who was alleged to have cured a case of cancer of the stomach by means of the X-rays, announces that the discovery has been misrepresent ed and says that a means has been found for using X-rays almost with out danger in treating superficial cancers, some of which have been successfully removed, but he never pretended to cure internal or desp seated cases. Dairying; In Ireland. Ireland js determined to be in the front in dairying. It is devi-ing new methods for interesting those engaged in it. One of the agen cies to be employed is that of sur prise butter competitions. The ob ject is to encourage the making of good butter and careful packing. The Voter and the Caucus By HON. ROBERT M. LA FOLLETTE Governor of Wisconsin ®lt is no fonger open to dispute that the nomination of candidates for office has in a very large measure passed out of the hands of citizen. For many years it has been popular with certain theoretical writers upon the subject to place the responsibility for this entirely upon the citizen himself, and to charge him with dereliction of duty and want of interest in pub lic affairs, absorption in business interests and pursuit of fortune being assigned as primary causes of neglect of these elementary duties of citizenship. But it is fair to say that the citizen always has manifested the same willingness to participate in the affairs of government, to perform his duties in the elections, to serve in the rank and file of his party in the campaigns, that he has to defend his country in the field when the sterner duties of war summoned him in its defense. A close study of the history of caucuses and conventions will convince any unbiased mind, in search for truth, that the voter has been gradually eliminated as a factor, after long, patient trial, because the delegate system has utterly failed to repre sent him or to reflect his opinion in its results. No man enjoys being made a puppet of, and to rally to the caucus only to have his effort defeated by, a well-organized and well-disciplined minority, or. if delegates are chosen who seem to reflect the will of the majority in the caucus, to discover later that through the complicated system of delegating and redclcgating their authority, the nominations finally made are the result of the dickers and deals and combinations and commercial transactions which rule modern conventions. It would be strange, indeed, if the citizen should continue to be interested in the proceedings of a system productive of such results. Abolish the laws which now make elections an honest reflection of the will of the voter and introduce the same elements of uncertainty and fraud which are an inherent part of nominations through convention delegates, and the interest of the citizen in the general election would fail as certainly as it has failed in the preliminary. It is not enough to say that the voter has his opportunity to attend upon the caucus and express his choice as to delegates. This, is to of fer the form of the thing for the substance. If the voter, time after time, casts his ballot and elects the delegates of his choice only to dis cover in the end that he has been in some way betrayed, and the de cision of the majority in fact reversed, it is inevitable that he should as a serious-minded citizen refuse further to participate in the farcical proceedings. It is this that has driven the majority of the voters from the caucus until it is only in times of profound public concern and in tense public feeling that even a respectable minority of the voters are represented in the caucus and convention system. SCHOOL AND CHURCH. The liev. H. P. Perkins, of Pao-ting fu, China, says there is a great demand for native schools and churches there. The largest electrotechnical insti tute in Europe has just been completed in Vienna at a cost of $600,000. Its roof is used as an experimental sta tion for wireless telegraphy. Prof. A. Van Der Naillen, president of a school of engineering in San Fran cisco. has been created chevalier of the Order of Leopold by the Belgian king. The notification from Brussels says that the honor has been conferred be cause of Prof. Van Der Xnillen's long and honorable career in tin’s country as a civil engineer, the Belgian govern ment being “sensitive to the behavior of its children abroad.” In addition to the paid choir, the paid treasurer and the paid collector of church revenues, which have become such prominent features in many churches in this country, a prominent church in New York lias a movement on foot to raise “an educational endow ment fund of SIOO,OOO, the interest of which is to be used: 1. To pay educa tional experts who shall teach the teachers. 2. To pay the heads of de partments in the school. 3. To com pensate as far as possible all teachers who will accept remuneration, pro vided they can demonstrate (heir fit ness based upon preparation conform ing to established standards of re quirement.” Prof. Bryce, in his biographical study of Bishop Fraser, of Manchester, tells of a clergyman of Fraser’s diocese who had knocked a man down who had insulted him. The bishop wrote him a letter of reproof, pointing out that ex posed as the Church of England was to much criticism on all hands, her minis ters ought to be very careful of their demeanor. The offender replied by sat'ing: “I must regretfully admit that, being grossly insulted, and for getting in the heat of the moment the critical position of the Church of Eng land, I did knock the man down, etc.” Fraser was delighted with the turning of the tables on himself, and afterward invited the clergyman to visit him. NUMBER IH. HUMOROUS. / “Papa, what is eccentricity?’’ “The foolishness of a rich man, my son.’’ —- Town Topics. Matter of Taste. —She- —“Are you fond of birds?’’ He —“Sure thing-! I simply adore them.’’ She —“Which is your favorite?” lie—-“Qnai'l on toast.” —Chicago Dai 13- News. Mistaken Identity —“I think I have met you before. Aren’t you timekeep er for the Bloss & Gloss company?” “No, sir. lam a singer of topical songs and know nothing at all about keeping time.”—Kansas City Journal. “You were \ery lenient with that conductor.” said the first passenger. “Oh.” replied the other, “we’re all lia ble to make mistakes.” “Perhaps 3 011 were a conductor yourself once.” “No, sir; I’m a weather forecaster.” —Phil- adelphia Press. “So your sister is married?” “Yes, and she did very well —splendidly. You have heard of the duke of West minster?” “Oh, yes. Did she marry into that family?” “Well. yes, so to speak. She married a nephew of one of the duke of Westminster's cooks. He is the driver of a ’bus!”—London Tit-Bits. And They- Did.—The prisoner told a remarkably straight story. All who heard him were impressed. Many' were the comments made about thff courtroom, such as: ‘Methinks there is somethi-ng in that story.” “He sounded very much as if he w ere tell ing the truth.” All agreed that his words carried conviction with them. And so it proved. For the jury, with out leaving the box, rendered a verdict of “Guilty.”—Baltimore American. Xot Necessarily. “ ‘One Wife Too Many,’ ” exclaimed Mrs.*Wederly, as she glanced at the headlines of her husband’s paper. “1 suppose that is on of the do ings of some bigamist.” “Not necessarily, ray dear,” replied her husband, without daring to look up.—Cleveland Leader. A Costly Argamest. A ten-cent argument often ends in a $lO quarreJ. —Chicago Daily News.