He was not a great leader, not a statesman at all, but plainly a man of
determination, with a fair measure of intelligence and sincerity. He had
a human desire to stay in Congress, for the life evidently pleased him,
and while he would never be crucified as a prophet, I felt--what I had
not felt before in regard to him--that he was sincerely anxious to serve
the best interests of his constituents. Added to these qualities he was
a man who was loyal to his friends; and not ungenerous to his enemies.
Up to this time he had done most of the talking; but now, having reached
a common basis, I leaned forward with some eagerness.
"You won't mind," I said, "if I give you my view--my common country view
of the political situation. I am sure I don't understand, and I don't
think my neighbours here understand, much about the tariff or the
trusts or the railroad question--in detail. We get general
impressions--and stick to them like grim death--for we know somehow that
we are right. Generally speaking, we here in the country work for what
we get----"
"And sometimes put the big apples at the top of the barrel," nodded Mr.
Caldwell.
"And sometimes put too much salt on top of the butter," I added--"all
that, but on the whole we get only what we earn by the hard daily work
of ploughing and planting and reaping: You admit that.
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