Part 28 (1/2)
”You'll find he's a long way from that,” James denied.
”Whatever he is, buy him,” ordered Powers curtly.
The young man shook his head. ”Can't be done. He doesn't want the things you have to offer.”
”Every man has his price. Find his, and buy him.”
James shook his head decisively. ”Absolutely impossible. He's an idealist and an altruist.”
Powers snorted impatiently. ”Talk English, young man, and I'll understand you.”
Farnum had heard Joe Powers was a man who would stand plain talk from those who had the courage to give it him. His cool eyes hardened. Why not? For once the old gray pirate, chief of the robber buccaneers who rode on their predatory way superior to law, should see himself as Jeff Farnum saw him.
”What I mean is that the things he holds most important can't be bought with dollars and cents. He believes in justice and fair play. He thinks the strong ought to bear the burdens of the weak.
”He has a pa.s.sion to uplift humanity. You can't understand him because it isn't possible for you to conceive of a man whose first thought is always for what is equitable.”
”Just as I thought, a Socialist dreamer and demagogue,” p.r.o.nounced Powers scornfully.
”Merrill and Frome have been thinking of him just as you do.” James waved his hand toward the newspaper in front of the railroad king. ”With what result our election shows.”
”Well, where does his power lie? How can you break it?” the old man asked.
”He is a kind of brother to the lame and the halt all over the state.
Among the poor and the working cla.s.ses he has friends without number.
They believe in him as a patriot fighting for them against the foes of the country.”
”Do you call me a foe of the country, young man?” Powers wanted to know grimly.
”Not I,” laughed James. ”Why should I quarrel with my bread and jam? If you had ever done me the honor to read any of my speeches you would see that I refer to you as a Pioneer of Civilization and a Builder for the Future. But my view doesn't happen to be universal. I was trying to show you how the man with the dinner pail feels.”
”Who fills his dinner pails?”
James met his frown with a genial eye. ”There's a difference of opinion about that, sir. According to the economics of Verden University you fill them. According to the _World_ editorials it's the other way. They fill yours.”
”Hmp! And what's your personal opinion? Am I a robber of labor?”
”I think that the price of any success worth while is paid for in the failure of others. You win because you're strong, sir. That's the law of the game. It's according to the survival of the fittest that you're where you are. If you had hesitated some other man would have trampled you down. It's a case of wolf eat wolf.”
The old railroad builder laughed harshly. This was the first time in his experience that a subordinate had so a.n.a.lyzed him to his face.
”So I'm a wolf, am I?”
”In one sense of the word you're not that at all, sir. You're a great builder. You've done more for the Northwest than any man living.
You couldn't have done it if you had been squeamish. I hold the end justifies the means. What you've got is yours because you've won it. Men who do a great work for the public are ent.i.tled to great rewards.”
”Glad to know you've got more sense than that fool cousin of yours. Now go home and beat him. I don't care how you do it, just so that you get results. Spend what money you need, but make good, young man--make good.”