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ime；　and　as　such　strongly　favored　by　the　majority　of　his　opponents；　had　nevertheless　its　disturbing　elements　to　an　ultra…conservative　like　Hosmer　Hand。

〃I　don't　know　about　this；　Norman；〃　he　remarked　to　Schryhart；　on　one　occasion。　　〃I　don't　know　about　this。　　It's　one　thing　to　stir　up　the　public；　but　it's　another　to　make　them　forget。　　This　is　a　restless；　socialistic　country；　and　Chicago　is　the　very　hotbed　and　center　of　it。　　Still；　if　it　will　serve　to　trip　him　up　I　suppose　it　will　do　for　the　present。　　The　newspapers　can　probably　smooth　it　all　over　later。　　But　I　don't　know。〃

Mr。　Hand　was　of　that　order　of　mind　that　sees　socialism　as　a　horrible　importation　of　monarchy…ridden　Europe。　　Why　couldn't　the　people　be　satisfied　to　allow　the　strong；　intelligent；　God…fearing　men　of　the　community　to　arrange　things　for　them？　Wasn't　that　what　democracy　meant？　Certainly　it　washe　himself　was　one　of　the　strong。　　He　could　not　help　distrusting　all　this　radical　palaver。　　Still；　anything　to　hurt　Cowperwoodanything。

Cowperwood　was　not　slow　to　realize　that　public　sentiment　was　now　in　danger　of　being　thoroughly　crystallized　against　him　by　newspaper　agitation。　　Although　his　franchises　would　not　expirethe　large　majority　of　thembefore　January　1；　1903；　yet　if　things　went　on　at　this　rate　it　would　be　doubtful　soon　whether　ever　again　he　would　be　able　to　win　another　election　by　methods　legitimate　or　illegitimate。　Hungry　aldermen　and　councilmen　might　be　venal　and　greedy　enough　to　do　anything　he　should　ask；　provided　he　was　willing　to　pay　enough；　but　even　the　thickest…hided；　the　most　voracious　and　corrupt　politician　could　scarcely　withstand　the　searching　glare　of　publicity　and　the　infuriated　rage　of　a　possibly　aroused　public　opinion。　　By　degrees　this　last；　owing　to　the　untiring　efforts　of　the　newspapers；　was　being　whipped　into　a　wild　foam。　　To　come　into　council　at　this　time　and　ask　for　a　twenty…year　extension　of　franchises　not　destined　to　expire　for　seven　years　was　too　much。　　It　could　not　be　done。　Even　suborned　councilmen　would　be　unwilling　to　undertake　it　just　now。　　There　are　some　things　which　even　politically　are　impossible。

To　make　matters　worse；　the　twenty…year…franchise　limit　was　really　not　at　all　sufficient　for　his　present　needs。　　In　order　to　bring　about　the　consolidation　of　his　North　and　West　surface　lines；　which　he　was　now　proposing　and　on　the　strength　of　which　he　wished　to　issue　at　least　two　hundred　million　dollars'　worth　of　one…hundred…dollar…six…per…cent。　shares　in　place　of　the　seventy　million　dollars　current　of　ten　and　twelve　per　cents。；　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　secure　a　much　more　respectable　term　of　years　than　the　brief　one　now　permitted　by　the　state　legislature；　even　providing　that　this　latter　could　be　obtained。

〃Peeble　are　not　ferry　much　indrested　in　tees　short…time　frangizes；〃　observed　Mr。　Gotloeb　once；　when　Cowperwood　was　talking　the　matter　over　with　him。　　He　wanted　Haeckelheimer　&　Co。　to　underwrite　the　whole　issue。　　〃Dey　are　so　insigure。　　Now　if　you　couldt　get；　say；　a　frangize　for　fifty　or　one　hunnert　years　or　something　like　dot　your　stocks　wouldt　go　off　like　hot　cakes。　　I　know　where　I　couldt　dispose　of　fifty　million　dollars　off　dem　in　Cermany　alone。〃

He　was　most　unctuous　and　pleading。

Cowperwood　understood　this　quite　as　well　as　Gotloeb；　if　not　better。　He　was　not　at　all　satisfied　with　the　thought　of　obtaining　a　beggarly　twenty…year　extension　for　his　giant　schemes　when　cities　like　Philadelphia；　Boston；　New　York；　and　Pittsburg　were　apparently　glad　to　grant　their　corporations　franchises　which　would　not　expire　for　ninety…nine　years　at　the　earliest；　and　in　most　cases　were　given　in　perpetuity。　　This　was　the　kind　of　franchise　favored　by　the　great　moneyed　houses　of　New　York　and　Europe；　and　which　Gotloeb；　and　even　Addison；　locally；　were　demanding。

〃It　is　certainly　important　that　we　get　these　franchises　renewed　for　fifty　years；〃　Addison　used　to　say　to　him；　and　it　was　seriously　and　disagreeably　true。

The　various　lights　of　Cowperwood's　legal　department；　constantly　on　the　search　for　new　legislative　devices；　were　not　slow　to　grasp　the　import　of　the　situation。　　It　was　not　long　before　the　resourceful　Mr。　Joel　Avery　appeared　with　a　suggestion。

〃Did　you　notice　what　the　state　legislature　of　New　York　is　doing　in　connection　with　the　various　local　transit　problems　down　there？〃　asked　this　honorable　gentleman　of　Cowperwood；　one　morning；　ambling　in　when　announced　and　seating　himself　in　the　great　presence。　　A　half…burned　cigar　was　between　his　fingers；　and　a　little　round　felt　hat　looked　peculiarly　rakish　above　his　sinister；　intellectual；　constructive　face　and　eyes。

〃No；　I　didn't；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　who　had　actually　noted　and　pondered　upon　the　item　in　question；　but　who　did　not　care　to　say　so。　　〃I　saw　something　about　it；　but　I　didn't　pay　much　attention　to　it。　　What　of　it？〃

〃Well；　it　plans　to　authorize　a　body　of　four　or　five　menone　branch　in　New　York；　one　in　Buffalo；　I　presumeto　grant　all　new　franchises　and　extend　old　ones　with　the　consent　of　the　various　local　communities　involved。　　They　are　to　fix　the　rate　of　compensation　to　be　paid　to　the　state　or　the　city；　and　the　rates　of　fare。　　They　can　regulate　transfers；　stock　issues；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。　　I　was　thinking　if　at　any　time　we　find　this　business　of　renewing　the　franchises　too　uncertain　here　we　might　go　into　the　state　legislature　and　see　what　can　be　done　about　introducing　a　public…service　commission　of　that　kind　into　this　state。　　We　are　not　the　only　corporation　that　would　welcome　it。　　Of　course；　it　would　be　better　if　there　were　a　general　or　special　demand　for　it　outside　of　ourselves。　　It　ought　not　to　originate　with　us。〃

He　stared　at　Cowperwood　heavily；　the　latter　returning　a　reflective　gaze。

〃I'll　think　it　over；〃　he　said。　　〃There　may　be　something　in　that。〃

Henceforth　the　thought　of　instituting　such　a　commission　never　left　Cowperwood's　mind。　　It　contained　the　germ　of　a　solutionthe　possibility　of　extending　his　franchises　for　fifty　or　even　a　hundred　years。

This　plan；　as　Cowperwood　was　subsequently　to　discover；　was　a　thing　more　or　less　expressly　forbidden　by　the　state　constitution　of　Illinois。　　The　latter　provided　that　no　special　or　exclusive　privilege；　immunity；　or　franchise　whatsoever　should　be　granted　to　any　corporation；　association；　or　individual。　　Yet；　〃What　is　a　little　matter　like　the　constitution　between　friends；　anyhow？〃　some　one　had　already　asked。　　There　are　fads　in　legislation　as　well　as　dusty　pigeonholes　in　which　phases　of　older　law　are　tucked　away　and　forgotten。　　Many　earlier　ideals　of　the　constitution…makers　had　long　since　been　conveniently　obscured　or　nullified　by　decisions；　appeals　to　the　federal　government；　appeals　to　the　state　government；　communal　contracts；　and　the　likefine　cobwebby　figments；　all；　but　sufficient；　just　the　same；　to　render　inoperative　the　original　intention。　　Besides；　Cowperwood　had　but　small　respect　for　either　the　intelligence　or　the　self…protective　capacity　of　such　men　as　constituted　the　rural　voting　element　of　the　state。　　From　his　lawyers　and　from　others　he　had　heard　innumerable　droll　stories　of　life　in　the　state　legislature；　and　the　state　counties　and　townson　the　bench；　at　the　rural　huskings　where　the　state　elections　were　won；　in　country　hotels；　on　country　roads　and　farms。　　〃One　day　as　I　was　getting　on　the　train　at　Petunkey；〃　old　General　Van　Sickle；　or　Judge　Dickensheets；　or　ex…Judge　Avery　would　beginand　then　would　follow　some　amazing　narration　of　rural　immorality　or　dullness；　or　political　or　social　misconception。　　Of　the　total　population　of　the　state　at　this　time　over　half　were　in　the　city　itself；　and　these　he　had　managed　to　keep　in　control。　　For　the　remaining　million；　divided　between　twelve　small　cities　and　an　agricultural　population；　he　had　small　respect。　　What　did　this　handful　of　yokels　amount　to；　anyhow？　dull；　frivoling；　barn…dancing　boors。

The　great　state　of　Illinoisa　territory　as　large　as　England　proper　and　as　fertile　as　Egypt；　bordered　by　a　great　lake　and　a　vast　river；　and　with　a　population　of　over　two　million　free…born　Americans　would　scarcely　seem　a　fit　subject　for　corporate　manipulation　and　control。　　Yet　a　more　trade…ridden　commonwealth　might　not　have　been　found　anywhere　at　this　time　within　the　entire　length　and　breadth　of　the　universe。　　Cowperwood　personally；　though　contemptuous　of　the　bucolic　mass　when　regarded　as　individuals；　had　always　been　impressed　by　this　great　community　of　his　election。　　Here　had　come　Marquette　and　Joliet；　La　Salle　and　Hennepin；　dreaming　a　way　to　the　Pacific。　　Here　Lincoln　and　Douglas；　antagonist　and　protagonist　of　slavery　argument；　had　contested；　here　had　arisen　〃Joe〃　Smith；　propagator　of　that　strange　American　dogma　of　the　Latter…Day　Saints。　What　a　state；　Cowperwood　sometimes　thought；　what　a　figment　of　the　brain；　and　yet　how　wonderful！　He　had　crossed　it　often　on　his　way　to　St。　Louis；　to　Memphis；　to　Denver；　and　had　been　touched　by　its　very　simplicitythe　small；　new　wooden　towns；　so　redolent　of　American　tradition；　prejudice；　force；　and　illusion。　　The　white…steepled　church；　the　lawn…faced；　tree…shaded　village　streets；　the　long　stretches　of　flat；　open　country　where　corn　grew　in　serried　rows　or　where　in　winter　the　snow　bedded　lightlyit　all　reminded　him　a　little　of　his　own　father　and　mother；　who　had　been　in　many　respects　suited　to　such　a　world　as　this。　　Yet　none　the　less　did　he　hesitate　to　press　on　the　measure　which　was　to　adjust　his　own　future；　to　make　profitable　his　issue　of　two　hundred　million　dollars'　worth　of　Union　Traction；　to　secure　him　a　fixed　place　in　the　financial　oligarchy　of　America　and　of　the　world。

The　state　legislature　at　this　time　was　ruled　over　by　a　small　group　of　wire…pulling；　pettifogging；　corporation…controlled　individuals　who　came　up　from　the　respective　towns；　counties；　and　cities　of　the　state；　but　who　bore　the　same　relation　to　the　communities　which　they　represented　and　to　their　superiors　and　equals　in　and　out　of　the　legislative　halls　at　Springfield　that　men　do　to　such　allies　anywhere　in　any　given　field。　　Why　do　we　call　them　pettifogging　and　dismiss　them？　Perhaps　they　were　pettifogging；　but　certainly　no　more　so　than　any　other　shrewd　rat　or　animal　that　burrows　its　way　onwardand　shall　we　say　upward？　The　deepest　controlling　principle　which　animated　these　individuals　was　the　oldest　and　first；　that　o