The following spring found Plant still in command. No word had come fromthe silence of political darkness. His only concession to the state ofaffairs had been an acknowledgment under coercion that the cattle rangeshad been overstocked, and that outside cattle would not be permitted toenter, at least for the coming season. This was just the concession torelieve the immediate pressure against him, and to give the Supervisortime to apply all his energies to details within the shades.
Details were important, in spite of the absence of surface indications.Many considerations were marshalled. On one side were arrayed plainaffidavits of fraud. In the lower ranks of the Land Office it wasnecessary to corrupt men, by one means or another. These lesserofficials in the course of routine would come face to face with thedamaging affidavits, and must be made to shut their eyes deliberately towhat they know. The cases of the higher officials were different. Theymust know of the charges, of course, but matters must be so arrangedthat the evidence must never meet their eyes, and that they must adopten bloc the findings of their subordinates. Bribery was here impossible;but influence could be brought to bear.
Chairman Gay upheld his cousin, Henry Plant, because of therelationship. This implied a good word, and personal influence. Afterthat Chairman Gay forgot the matter. But a great number of people wereextremely anxious to please Chairman Gay. These exerted themselves. Theycame across evidence that would have caused Chairman Gay to throw hisbeloved cousin out neck and crop, but they swallowed it and asked formore simply because Gay possessed patronage, and it was not to theirinterest to bring disagreeable matters before the great man. Nor was theLand Office unlikely to listen to reason. A strong fight was at thattime forward to transfer control of the Forest Reserves from adepartment busy in other lines to the Bureau of Forestry where itlogically belonged. This transfer was violently opposed by those to whomthe distribution of supervisorships, ranger appointments and the likeseemed valuable. The Land Office adherents needed all the politicalbacking they could procure; and the friends of Chairman Gay epitomizedpolitical backing. So the Land Office, too, was anxious to please theChairman.
At the same time Simeon Wright had bestirred himself. There seems to beno good and valid reason for owning a senator if you don't use him.Wright was too shrewd to think it worth while to own a senator fromCalifornia. That was too obvious. Few knew how closely affiliated werethe Wright and the Barrow interests. Wright dropped a hint to thedignified senator; the senator paid a casual call to an official high upin the Land Office. Senators would by their votes ultimately decide thequestion of transfer. The official agreed to keep an eye on therecommendations in this case.
Thus somebody submerged beneath the Gay interests saw obscurely somebodyequally submerged beneath the Wright and Barrow interests. In due courseall Thorne's careful work was pigeonholed. An epitome of the charges wastyped and submitted to the High Official. On the back of them had beenwritten:
"I find the charges not proved."
This was signed by the very obscure clerk who had filed away the Thorneaffidavits and who happened to be a friend of the man to whom in deviousways and through many mouths had come an expression of the Gay wishes.It was O.K.'d by a dozen others. The High Official added his O.K. tothe others. Then he promptly forgot about it, as did every one elseconcerned, save the men most vitally interested.
In due time Thorne, then in Los Angeles, received a brief communicationfrom Stafford, the obscure clerk.
"In regard to your charges against Supervisor H.M. Plant, the Departmentbegs to advise you that, after examining carefully the evidence for thedefence, it finds the charges not proven."
Thorne stared at the paper incredulously, then he did something he hadnever permitted himself before; he wrote in expostulation to the HigherOfficial.
"I cannot imagine what the man's defence could be," he wrote, in part,"but my evidence a mere denial could hardly controvert. The wholecountryside knows the man is crooked; they know he was investigated;they are now awaiting with full confidence the punishment forwell-understood peculation. I can hardly exaggerate the body blow to theService such a decision would give. Nobody will believe in it again."
On reading this the Higher Official called in one of his subordinates.
"I have this from Thorne," said he. "What do you think of it?"
The subordinate read it through.
"I'll look it up," said he.
"Do so and bring me the papers," advised the Higher Official.
The Higher Official knew Thorne's work and approved it. The inspectorwas efficient, and throughout all his reforming of conditions in theWest, the Department had upheld him. The Department liked efficiency,and where the private interests of its own grafters were not concerned,it gave good government.
In due time the subordinate came back, but without the papers.
"Stafford says he'll look them up, sir," said he. "He told me to tellyou that the case was the one you were asking Senator Barrow about."
"Ah!" said the Higher Official.
He sat for some time in deep thought. Then he called through the opendoor to his stenographer.
"_In re_ your's 21st," he dictated, "I repose every confidence in Mr.Stafford's judgment; and unless I should care to supersede him, it wouldhardly be proper for me to carry any matter over his head."
Thorne immediately resigned, and shortly went into landlooking for alumbering firm in Oregon. Chairman Gay wrote a letter advising Plant to"adopt a policy of conciliation toward the turbulent element."