CHAPTER 14. A CONSPIRACY
Tucked away in an obscure corner of the same issue of the papers whichannounced the resignation of Lyndon Hobart as manager of theConsolidated properties, and the appointment of James K. Mott as histemporary successor, were little one-stick paragraphs regardingexplosions, which had occurred the night before in tunnels of theTaurus and the New York. The general public paid little attention tothese, but those on the inside knew that Ridgway had scored again. Hisspies had carried the news to him of the projected capture of these twoproperties by the enemy. Instead of attempting to defend them by force,he had set off charges of giant powder which had brought down the tunnelroofs and effectually blocked the entrances from the Consolidated minesadjoining.
With the indefatigable patience which characterized him, Harley setabout having the passages cleared of the rock and timber with whichthey were filled. Before he had succeeded in doing this his enemystruck another telling blow. From Judge Purcell he secured aninjunction against the Consolidated from working its mines, the DiamondKing, the Mary K, and the Marcus Daly, on the absurd contention thatthe principal ore-vein of the Marcus Daly apexed on the tin, trianglewedged in between these three great mines, and called by Ridgway theTrust Buster. Though there was not room enough upon this fragment tosink a shaft, it was large enough to found this claim of a veinwidening as it descended until it crossed into the territory of each ofthese properties. Though Harley could ignore court injunctions whicherected only under-ground territory, he was forced to respect this one,since it could not be violated except in the eyes of the whole country.The three mines closed down, and several thousand workmen were thrownout of employment. These were immediately reemployed by Ridgway and setto work both in his own and the Consolidated's territory.
Within a week a dozen new suits were instituted against theConsolidated by its enemy. He harassed it by contempt proceedings, byapplications for receiverships, and by other ingenious devices, whichgreatly tormented the New York operator. For the first time in his lifethe courts, which Harley had used to much advantage in his battles tomaintain and extend the trusts he controlled, could not be used even toget scant justice.
Meanwhile both leaders were turning their attention to the politicalsituation. The legislators were beginning to gather for the comingsession, and already the city was full of rumors about corruption. Forboth the Consolidated and its enemy were making every effort to secureenough votes to win the election of a friendly United States senator.The man chosen would have the distribution of the federal patronage ofthe State. This meant the control of the most influential localpoliticians of the party in power at Washington as well as theirfollowers, an almost vital factor for success in a State wherepolitical corruption had so interwoven itself into the business life ofthe community.
The hotel lobbies were filled with politicians gathered from everycounty in the State. Big bronzed cattlemen brushed shoulders withbudding lawyers from country towns and ward bosses from the largercities. The bars were working overtime, and the steady movement offigures in the corridors lasted all day and most of the night. Here andthere were collected groups, laughing and talking about the oldfrontier days, or commenting in lowered tones on some phase of thefeverish excitement that was already beginning to be apparent.Elevators shot up and down, subtracting and adding to the kaleidoscopeof human life in the rotundas. Bellboys hurried to and fro withmessages and cocktails. The ring of the telephone-bell cut occasionallyinto the deep hum of many voices. All was confusion, keen interest,expectancy.
For it was known that Simon Harley had sent for $300,000 in cold cashto secure the election of his candidate, Roger D. Warner, a lawyer whohad all his life been close to corporate interests. It was known, too,that Waring Ridgway had gathered together every element in the Statethat opposed the domination of the Consolidated, to fight their man toa finish. Bets for large sums were offered and taken as to the result,heavy odds being given in favor of the big copper trust's candidate.For throughout the State at large the Consolidated influence was verygreat indeed. It owned forest lands and railroads and mines. Itcontrolled local transportation largely. Nearly one-half the workingmen in the State were in its employ. Into every town and village theramifications of its political organization extended. The feelingagainst it was very bitter, but this was usually expressed in whispers.For it was in a position to ruin almost any business man upon whom itfastened a grudge, and to make wealthy any upon whom it chose to castits favors.
Nevertheless, there were some not so sure that the Consolidated wouldsucceed in electing its man. Since Ridgway had announced himself as acandidate there had been signs of defection on the part of some ofthose expected to vote for Warner. He had skillfully wielded togetherin opposition to the trust all the elements of the State that werehostile to it; and already the word was being passed that he had notcome to the campaign without a barrel of his own.
The balloting for United States senator was not to begin until theeighth day of the session, but the opening week was full of a tense andsuppressed excitement. It was known that agents of both sides weremoving to and fro among the representatives and State senators,offering fabulous prices for their votes and the votes of any othersthey might be able to control. Men who had come to the capitalconfident in their strength and integrity now looked at their neighborsfurtively and guiltily. Day by day the legislators were being debauchedto serve the interest of the factions which were fighting for controlof the State. Night after night secret meetings were being held inout-of-the-way places to seduce those who clung desperately to theirhonesty or held out for a bigger price. Bribery was in the air,rampant, unashamed. Thousand-dollar bills were as common as ten-dollarnotes in ordinary times.
Sam Yesler, commenting on the situation to his friend Jack Roper, afellow member of the legislature who had been a cattleman from the timehe had given up driving a stage thirty years before, shook his headdejectedly over his blue points.
"I tell you, Jack, a man has to be bed-rocked in honesty or he's gone.Think of it. A country lawyer comes here who has never seen fivethousand dollars in a lump sum, and they shove fifteen thousand at himfor his vote. He is poor, ambitious, struggling along from hand tomouth. I reckon we ain't in a position to judge that poor devil of aharassed fellow. Mebbe he's always been on the square, came here to dowhat was right, we'll say, but he sees corruption all round him. Howcan he help getting a warped notion of things? He sees his friends andhis neighbors falling by the wayside. By God, it's got to the point inthis legislature that an honest man's an object of obloquy."
"That's right," agreed Roper. "Easy enough for us to be square. We gotgood ranches back of us and can spend the winter playing poker at theMesa Club if we feel like it. But if we stood where Billy George andGarner and Roberts and Munz do, I ain't so damn sure my virtue wouldstand the strain. Can you reach that salt, Sam?"
"Billy George has got a sick wife, and he's been wanting to send herback to her folks in the East, but he couldn't afford it. The doctorsfigured she ought to stay a year, and Billy would have to hire a womanto take care of his kids. I said to him: 'Hell, Billy, what's a friendfor?' And I shoves a check at him. He wouldn't look at it; said hedidn't know whether he could ever pay it, and he had not come down tocharity yet."
"Billy's a white man. That's what makes me sick. Right on top of allhis bad luck he comes here and sees that everybody is getting a bigroll. He thinks of that white-faced wife of his dragging herself roundamong the kids and dying by inches for lack of what money can buy her.I tell you I don't blame him. It's the fellows putting the temptationup to him that ought to be strung up."
"I see that hound Pelton's mighty active in it. He's got it in forRidgway since Waring threw him down, and he's plugging night and dayfor Warner. Stays pretty well tanked up. Hopper tells me he's beenmaking threats to kill Waring on sight."
"I heard that and told Waring. He laughed and said he hoped he wouldlive till Pelton killed him. I like Waring. He's got the guts, as hisminers say. But he's
away off on this fight. He's using money right andleft just as Harley is."
Yesler nodded. "The whole town's corrupted. It takes bribery forgranted. Men meet on the street and ask what the price of votes is thismorning. Everybody feels prosperous."
"I heard that a chambermaid at the Quartzite Hotel found seven thousanddollars in big bills pinned to the bottom of a mattress in Garner'sroom yesterday. He didn't dare bank it, of course."
"Poor devil! He's another man that would like to be honest, but withthe whole place impregnated with bribery he couldn't stand thepressure. But after this is all over he'll go home to his wife and hisneighbors with the canker of this thing at his heart until he dies. Itell you, Jack, I'm for stopping it if we can."
"How?"
"There's one way. I've been approached indirectly by Pelton, to deliverour vote to the Consolidated. Suppose we arrange to do it, getevidence, and make a public exposure."
They were alone in a private dining-room of a restaurant, but Yesler'svoice had fallen almost to a whisper. With his steady gray eyes helooked across at the man who had ridden the range with him fifteenyears ago when he had not had a sou to bless himself with.
Roper tugged at his long drooping mustache and gazed at his friend."It's a large order, Sam, a devilish large order. Do you reckon wecould deliver?"
"I think so. There are six of us that will stand pat at any cost. If weplay our cards right and keep mum the surprise of it is bound to shakevotes loose when we spring the bomb. The whole point is whether we cantake advantage of that surprise to elect a decent man. I don't say itcan be done, but there's a chance of it."
The old stage-driver laughed softly. "We'll be damned good and plentyby both sides."
"Of course. It won't be a pleasant thing to do, but then it isn'texactly pleasant to sit quiet and let these factions use the State as apawn in their game of grab."
"I'm with you, Sam. Go to it, my boy, and I'll back you to the limit."
"We had better not talk it over here. Come to my room after dinner andbring Landor and James with you. I'll have Reedy and Keller there. I'llmention casually that it's a big game of poker, and I'll have cards anddrinks sent up. You want to remember we can't be too careful. If itleaks out we lose."
"I'm a clam, Sam. Do you want I should speak of it to Landor and James?"
"Better wait till we get together."
"What about Ward? He's always been with us."
"He talks too much. We can take him in at the last minute if we like."
"That would be better. I ain't so sure about Reedy, either. He'sstraight as a string, of course; not a crooked hair in his head. Butwhen he gets to drinking he's likely to let things out."
"You're right. We'll leave him out, too, until the last minute. There'sanother thing I've thought of. Ridgway can't win. At least I don't seehow he can control more than twenty five votes. Suppose at the verylast moment we make a deal with him and with the Democrats to pool ourvotes on some square man. With Waring it's anything to beat theConsolidated. He'll jump at the chance if he's sure he is out of therunning himself. Those of the Democrats that Harley can't buy will beglad to beat his man. I don't say it can be done, Jack. All I say isthat it is worth a trial."
"You bet."
They met that night in Yesler's rooms round a card-table. The handswere dealt for form's sake, since there were spies everywhere, and itwas necessary to ring for cigars and refreshments occasionally to avoidsuspicion. They were all cattlemen, large or small, big outdoorssunburned men, who rode the range in the spring and fall with theirpunchers and asked no odds of any man.
Until long past midnight they talked the details over, and when theyseparated in the small hours it was with a well-defined plan to savethe State from its impending disgrace if the thing could be done.