CHAPTER 21. HARLEY SCORES
What Harley had sought in the subornation of Eaton had been as much themoral effect of his defection as the tangible results themselves. If hecould shake the confidence of the city and State in the freebooter'svictorious star, he would have done a good day's work. He wanted theimpression to spread that Ridgway's success had passed its meridian.
Nor did he fail of his purpose by more than a hair's breadth. The talkof the street saw the beginning of the end. The common voice ran: "It's'God help Ridgway' now. He's down and out."
But Waring Ridgway was never more dangerous than in apparent defeat. Ifhe were hit hard by Eaton's treachery, no sign of it was apparent inthe jaunty insouciance of his manner. Those having business with himexpected to find him depressed and worried, but instead met a man theembodiment of vigorous and confident activity. If the subject werebroached, he was ready to laugh with them at Eaton's folly in desertingat the hour when victory was assured.
It was fortunate for Ridgway that the county elections came on early inthe spring and gave him a chance to show that his power was stillintact. He arranged to meet at once the political malcontents of theState who were banded together against the growing influence of theConsolidated. He had a few days before called together representativemen from all parts of the State to discuss a program of action againstthe enemy, and Ridgway gave a dinner for them at the Quartzite, theevening of Eaton's defection.
He was at the critical moment when any obvious irresolution would havebeen fatal. His allies were ready to concede his defeat if he would letthem. But he radiated such an assured atmosphere of power, such anunconquerable current of vigor, that they could not escape his ownconviction of unassailability. He was at his genial, indomitable best,the magnetic charm of fellowship putting into eclipse the selfishnessof the man. He had been known to boast of his political exploits, ofhow he had been the Warwick that had made and unmade governors andUnited States senators; but the fraternal "we" to-night replaced hisusual first person singular.
The business interests of the Consolidated were supreme all over theState. That corporation owned forests and mills and railroads andmines. It ran sheep and cattle-ranches as well as stores andmanufactories. Most of the newspapers in the State were dominated byit. Of a population of two hundred and fifty thousand, it controlledmore than half directly by the simple means of filling dinner-pails.That so powerful a corporation, greedy for power and wealth, shouldcreate a strong but scattered hostility in the course of its growth,became inevitable. This enmity Ridgway proposed to consolidate into apolitical organization, with opposition to the trust as its cohesiveprinciple, that should hold the balance of power in the State.
When he rose to explain his object in calling them together, Ridgway'sclear, strong presentment of the situation, backed by his splendid bulkand powerful personality, always bold and dramatic, shocked dormantantagonisms to activity as a live current does sluggish inertia. For hehad eminently the gift of moving speech. The issue was a simple one, hepointed out. Reduced to ultimates, the question was whether the Stateshould control the Consolidated or the Consolidated the State. Withsimple, telling force he faced the insidious growth of the big coppercompany, showing how every independent in the State was fighting forhis business life against its encroachments, and was bound to loseunless the opposition was a united one. Let the independents obtain andkeep control of the State politically and the trust might be curbed;not otherwise. In eternal vigilance and in union lay safety.
He sat down in silence more impressive than any applause. But after thesilence came a deluge of cheers, the thunder of them sweeping up anddown the long table like a summer storm across a lake.
Presently the flood-gates of talk were unloosed, and the conservativesbegan to be heard. Opposition was futile because it was too late, theyclaimed. A young Irishman, primed for the occasion, jumped to his feetwith an impassioned harangue that pedestaled Ridgway as the Washingtonof the West. He showed how one man, in coalition with the labor-unions,had succeeded in carrying the State against the big copper company; howhe had elected senators and governors, and legislators and judges. Ifone man could so cripple the octopus, what could the best blood of theState, standing together, not accomplish? He flung Patrick Henry andRobert Emmet and Daniel Webster at their devoted heads, demandingliberty or death with the bridled eloquence of his race.
But Ridgway was not such a tyro at the game of politics as to dependupon speeches for results. His fine hand had been working quietly formonths to bring the malcontents into one camp, shaping every passion towhich men are heir to serve his purpose. As he looked down the table hecould read in the faces before him hatred, revenge, envy, fear, hope,avarice, recklessness, and even love, as the motives which he must fuseto one common end. His vanity stood on tiptoe at his superb skill inplaying on men's wills. He knew he could mold these men to work hisdesire, and the sequel showed he was right.
When the votes were counted at the end of the bitter campaign thatfollowed, Simon Harley's candidates went down to disastrous defeat allover the State, though he had spent money with a lavish hand. In MesaCounty, Ridgway had elected every one of his judges and retired toprivate life those he could not influence.
Harley's grim lips tightened when the news reached him. "Very well," hesaid to Mott "We'll see if these patriots can't be reached throughtheir stomachs better than their brains. Order every mill and mine andsmelter of the Consolidated closed to-night. Our employees have votedfor this man Ridgway. Let him feed them or let them starve."
"But the cost to you--won't it be enormous?" asked Mott, startled athis chief's drastic decision.
Harley bared his fangs with a wolfish smile. "We'll make the publicpay. Our store-houses are full of copper. Prices will jump when thesupply is reduced fifty per cent. We'll sell at an advance, and cleanup a few millions out of the shut-down. Meanwhile we'll starve thispatriotic State into submission."
It came to pass even as Harley had predicted. With the Consolidatedmines closed, copper, jumped up--up--up. The trust could sit still andcoin money without turning a hand, while its employees suffered in thelong, bitter Northern winter. All the troubles usually pursuant on along strike began to fall upon the families of the miners.
When a delegation from the miners' union came to discuss the situationwith Harley he met them blandly, with many platitudes of sympathy. Heregretted--he regretted exceedingly--the necessity that had been forcedupon him of closing the mines. He had delayed doing so in the hope thatthe situation might be relieved. But it had grown worse, until he hadbeen forced to close. No, he was afraid he could not promise to reopenthis winter, unless something were done to ameliorate conditions in thecourt. Work would begin at once, however, if the legislators would passa bill making it optional with any party to a suit to have the casetransferred to another judge in case he believed the bias of thepresiding judge would be prejudicial to an impartial hearing.
Ridgway was flung at once upon the defensive. His allies, the workingmen, demanded of him that his legislature pass the bill wanted byHarley, in order that work might recommence. He evaded their demands byproposing to arbitrate his difficulties with the Consolidated, byoffering to pay into the union treasury hall a million dollars to helpcarry its members through the winter. He argued to the committee thatHarley was bluffing, that within a few weeks the mines and smelterswould again be running at their full capacity; but when the pressure onthe legislators he had elected became so great that he feared theywould be swept from their allegiance to him, he was forced to yield tothe clamor.
It was a great victory for Harley. Nobody recognized how great a onemore accurately than Waring Ridgway. The leader of the octopus haddogged him over the shoulders of the people, had destroyed at a singleblow one of his two principal sources of power. He could no longer relyon the courts to support him, regardless of justice.
Very well. If he could not play with cogged dice, he was gambler enoughto take the honest chances of the game without flinching. No
despairrang in his voice. The look in his eye was still warm and confident.Mesa questioned him with glimpses friendly but critical. They found nofear in his bearing, no hint of doubt in his indomitable assurance.
Ridgway of Montana (Story of To-Day, in Which the Hero Is Also the Villain) Page 21