Show H I i the Trail of ri e o By Forrest o C i isse I o y Sey R t p ItO 1 a e lr i 0 The Serpent La b mss Q 1 1 a Author of ACo A Country boy EAR NEDIm a little surprised that yoU should hark flack k to ore of my old letters and lid DEAR that you 01 ha have e kept a sore ore mering away under your wishbone all these DIne weeks thought I you knew me better than that aei And IG ao you my sta that r rd rat Mf have hae a son eon f mine caught sae MIlne scab sh sheep ep t a ason son tel him elected tt d to a legislature Well WeD perU perhaps that was as putt putting ing it rather strong In fat fact Ill admit that I did bear down rather hard ard on a whole Abole lot or of g good goodmen Od men mell when n I bunched the entire legislative field In sort of an omnibus condemnation Only the young oun reformer In the first intoxication of his own eloquence loquence is entitled to the lofty privilege or of lumping humanity Into two taUt and then taking his place with the sheep w while Ue he be makes moral faces at the p goats at As I never traded much mUth in rero reform store 1 of the professional sort rt ill not begin at this late day dayto to pick UP their tricks or Of preach theIr sermons I stand tand corrected for too broad a conclusion ion and failing to draw the d that excepts except a number ol of square and honest Jamak frt from th moral bats who somehow ome w manage to sneak In under uDder ever state hOSle hot ae dome and give a bad name to the fhoos In which such suh men as Clay and Lincoln had their schooling for a bigger biRer field But oU nu Cant understand underHand how hoe th word woM legislature riles we me without of one or two that burned Into my recollection when t I first 1 w t dons to hp h with the notion that I was a hone reel by a trusting constituency and go 0 tug Ing W ae Work O with a bunch of picked men Yott be E int t of th the old state om 1 y 5 up In Inthe Inthe the of il jo anil In ink hark huk noon n ho F of those e legislative scenes Stend until my mJ eyes 0 ea swim and ad my teeth grit Crit Ive never Deer yet put into cold words the one once that cut me cI est but I guess it its time ume I 1 did for you cant nt get my on oa this legislative I business busine s without it And theres no use Ule claiming t that t there was an any particular novelty in wt what I west t for the same ume sort ot of a proceeding bas been repeated ed with variations under the shade bade of r eVer every state house In the land But tc the stOry You were at t home that session holding down dawn the sheriffs oce but bat you FOU will remember that the or made Jrade Ute the big bIc fight bt that to break db the bare on en the Ule franchise e war warto warto to the hilt and modern water ter cyre w was a Ohl Id and method with the t which the corporations put Into play front from tb time th the speaker took his chair and Dd named the Three school boys have bave made up to each other quicker than Big Ed Hammer Gentleman Joe t 1 end and I got together Ed was n a sound and square as a marble obelisk Jot Joe like my i Felt reif was as in his maiden term The minute t caught I th the sparkle in the tail of Joes eye I knew he was want my i sort MOrt and Bip BI Ed seemed m t to f feet ef the same way Mid MidI I I besides a m had told Ed You take three I two youngsters tinder your flur wing give em u as good a aI ashow show ho as you can and SEe that the they dont get mL I ehl ehlI chief Joe Je had the winsomeness of a mod modest t and tactful d I woman with a clear and nimble mind that marked him axis a red s Every he showed was of 01 a 8 sort to mark him as a gentleman and dra draw V me jl er to him It take t a tong to tn learn o dime tM the main factor in for i D ng a friendship p that t tou ou nu can get nearer to a i roan in eating ting hurt him every day dayt t for three thra months ar and shoulder to t th hi him hn t II casual asual contact under commonplace circumstances and that stron strong atte attachments ts like fierce enmities are things of swift growth In the die strain and of leg life liCe F the very start Ed Joe and t a acted ted g ber had rooms and were as s aS peas as asIn In a pod In ID fact th the bops boTs soon to t Three Brothers We object io fig ha ill in inthis this way ay and accepted d the title wl prot prof fut th the mC most lt comfortable and Important of little brotherhood was w t tb furl t tt we seemed to size up the right nd WI was of in about the same way sy And It or II a special spi spiritual to POat a man tj ii i s right road In lawmaking any tl In t a of any aDY sort All 11 he h has to do Ue Jt with right Qt at the start that I absolutely SQuare without any Its ifs ot or then hen stick to thIS thick and thin But ut If draw the reins rein tight at the start a that t hE hEm will m tre treat t every proposition that coned up p tn ly ho hI ran depend upon it that thi t he hes t likely t te de a tot lot totor lotof or of ride b before fore he is ig through ith the gamp We Ve talked all this Uis over one night Pas FAts room and hp he laid down the hw 1 iw in ift t wf w f a 8 fellow makes It up with himself Jf J stating to te stick to the straight tra track from one end to io to other without asking ln ti his corset ons r e a for a ay acid orders to 10 sidetrack or l loy iv aver hell pull th through o all right that the schedule TH always traP traveled el App b boys antI and mighty g d had that youe d en 1 the hue ord i t I Big Ed wu was th the hf head d and front of tf n to tn the franchise forces and althOU although b an w ly and I WEre nh r near 11 If tenants in a way a ay flat Day and ni I W er out not the Hw sh hH r P from the at ta lIr ti lt f gup UP i r Ih That 11 rid together to the last Jat i I ditch It was harder w work rk than holding boWing a a on a aI I I Ne New Hampshire hillside ide but Big U Ind waS heart and I soul Foul In the fight and threw hi hui whole hole being into lato It Every night we got together and counted noa noses times this 1 was a a mighty solemn edi because now and then the enemy snatched a man f from our forces But now and then there was a e of In our camp amp when we were ere able a brand brandI I from the burning by convincing a o r he afford to trifle Hon tion or do anything short bort of with the fl t I tAU AU All through h these ups and downs Ons Hd Joe and I to together beor like the th three of a without a 8 sado r or of difference arising The of the he two big a bills w w o e up to a third reading as aa I metered te t ham otie I to begin the days day strugglE with more U ra an alt I II i I had Rd been able to scrape up the he long battle batth began Joes 8 seat at was alm across the aisle from 1 Y own I and as s I turned t to speak to I w n a sight that I made my s f iCS start and my flesh creed was c an all the draggled besotted ud d filthy peel I mens of drunken humanity that evil ever wu the worst T I felt fett as aM If I had between the eyes with lh a sledge For a few I have told to save a mf me the rime of any ien five fhe fE feet et In front or of m rust Just as I began bt to retOe recover my stases Ii a little the shock hock Rig Bili B Isis came cain in took flue look U at the tre LW Little Jc Brother aai 84 ire e trims ailed JOt Joe and ADd winced d s jf if he haft had sea t I or Of lourse w we hail him taken n out ut dl ken aken to his hiB room but from that minute h he slunk Junk sway iro from us its whenever h he could gt get a 1 chance hanc o n I WI ter broken a and h he a avoided oid d t it as asIt asI It I haq 1 by bv us I Ij j eqi FrI 1 J 1 tint is j h time tn g gr to toI I c r 1 r get Joe sobered up as In carryl carrying oft tile the ll 1 against the corporation tBs In the house lie he did not nol seen see a single rational hour It was Vas as ag idle to attempt to reason with Joe doe in hll hlis transformed and besotted tate state as to argue with x C Indian He was seldom weldom In J his tI t In the hour hourI I and sport mo most t of his time in tile the Black Blaek lodge the center 1 of the spider web which the tbt a agents ent or of the franchise Interests threw thew out In every direction tc tap cat catch ll their victim One dal while Joe Was M Over there thera at the Bl Black ck lo lodge ge In the keeping of lf the men who had been told o oft I II I at the state rt t tot run nm Joe oe down and as 88 the leader of the gan put It break his ba back k a young woman with big sad eyes called ailed to see ee me I knew who she h was the minute her card was sent up for Joe had bad told me aU all about her and Intimated that they expected t to tobe be married shortly shortt after the session was over ver In Inlow t low but shaking voice sh she told me how ho five yearn tears be before before fore Joe foe had suddenly put an end to a career of dis settled down to hard work and and alter after a year of steady stead pulling in the harness had ed to her ber berI herNot Not a hitch in their happiness had occurred until the I morning When r f round found Je transformed into a sot In answer to a fl few que questions eh she r my suspicion that the boodle hounds houndt had hunted back along Joes Joei trail until the they found his be besetting and had lis i then deliberately 1 started out nut to land tilI with drink I Well V Il after that Every time I came l k to the cite i tIle the white fare faN of that woman has waiting fo fome for forme me behind the iron fence in the th big pl t a enger station tation B t ther awas little hope her as she elte lifted her yes eyes to me and put the th ou stion II la the Little Brother any better However th the girls irr grit never failEd her and she hc lung Hung on like grim d I tin nn PIH Teo Three r rI I 1 I a I I REntED I Continued from rom Page One Section Three I I Ito The Th very Ott before the first t MU was ryas to he tie put to final rote ote I 1 came Jpe fc e sitting aitI I I lenly e in a loner comer eora of tto the corridor his hie hi hinz gaze traz fixed gloomily on a figure IB In the Mosaic floor ing log There was Just a suggestion Ion of his old self in his eyes as he glanced up ac at I JD Aso s and silently took the band which which 1 held out to him For a few minutes minute ve se e sat IB is silent Then I drew my Iny hair closer clo er to him and said Joe have I 1 ever eer tried ta to t control you in anything town here herer No he be answered slow y I 1 Hay Hare I 1 always alwa left everything to your ow own oral it i hood hoody y Well Wen I WIt Jut want to io ask you if you youre re g to o start stand ware f tor tn th the right r t thing thiD on tomorrow Hie Sis b gri d the t arms of hi lit his chair chafy hid W t face grew a hen and he drew rew in n his hie hl breath with a gasp For some minutes infinites he be stared at the floor T t in u the t e voice that a matt man des mes in crying out to the man within fl id idLet 4 Let Let mh W p Let Lt me aae gor go rye Ive got to tell em but hut m rn do it ni LIl come back k You stay right here bete He Re H to hi his feet teet and H reads i adl a dash to tu the door where R was waiting at ting for him hi Of COUPS cn I knew k tv that h he wee was bound for fat the Black lodge and aad I knew kne lt if he he ever eYler polled patted himself eIt loose from the tile spiders spider down dov n there Ut re it would be short of a miracle But in less lees J than a half hour he was back again f with something som like tike a flicker of or his old smile on his face as he be said s n u hI I did Ufo it I 1 toW told em Im flit with you Brother r And 00 he be was as es good g ed as his Itis word Whan Wh n tl the a vote rote voter f r came he WAS WM with u us and ana we knocked but the boodle blUe bill i tat act ad However el wa w was too the last ta 11 o q i his ha expiring m o d From lost that time tittle t ne lie he h was A ly r with the mealy enemy bcd body and soul QuI and voted Yc ted with them thema f tm a the u lass bill a dig Big 31 Bd Ed led ted the Ute forces of decency de n nl l The iet i ot ut much to tell beyond beyond bey this Joe dropped p down and down don until he h get to his ls seat se t in tit inthe the t loge That ended his usefulness to the boodle I W ale sled d they kicked him butt out as they w MUdd eld a sick IC I iI pg g the girl and aid I nn BU E ed him until he could ltd bit tat tak on home A week wee or two finished Ai hed him Mm Im and then we W Jill tf 1 went down dova to W put him away At that funeral I as f looted from rom his broken old mother and his hiB wasted Sted sweetheart gW to a little group of members who had d helped t to 6 freak ak ris l is back and throw him off oct the tho water I wagon the IDe t e devious ways ef of modern lav lawmaking making ng I n i I looked pesky me men meon n and hateful hie hate l 1 to tome me m 1 T can tell teU you youA yo you u uA A And net re Ve Men een other othe a tame me sort of ot wrecks n since e to prove that tat Joe Toes Joes s experience e an exception exception tion to the tile rule Mlle 1 b re are reo hundreds b dS like Uk e It n It d I memory of three these thc e that k hive ve ae osme e a across pross cr ss my m own path SUn rt my bite nn Ii I id ny t saying hard things as I did tn to t tt tf titer Jitter tet about legislatures 1 tit lit g But Bat once onoe liar ill all let m IDe say soy that there are hundreds h eds of ot good men making state laws 1 In this country C l that I take off at my hat to every one of ot them who is la on OIl the square and sidestep p front from the straight t and aDd narrow path Yours ever ever WILLIAM BRADLEY B Copyright IMS 1963 Co Chicago c t t i 1 |