Sayler’s smile was admission.
“Incidentally,” pursued Helm, “you’ve made me punish those of your plutocratic friends who were restless under your rule. They are now all back at your feet, I believe?”
Sayler laughed. “All,” said he. “They’ll not annoy me soon again.”
“Well—what next?”
“I’ve come to offer you my position,” was Sayler’s unexpected and astounding offer. “I am going to marry again, and the lady does not like politics—my kind of politics—the only kind I can play. Also, I’m tired. I’d like to give my place to my colleague in the Senate and first lieutenant, splendid old Doc Woodruff. But he’s a born lieutenant. He simply couldn’t learn to lead. So—I’ve been training you for the job.”
Sayler evidently regarded it as a rare joke that he, a plutocracy boss, had been training the most radical and anti-plutocratic governor in the Middle West—had been training him to become the leader for the plutocracy. Helm, recovering from his surprise, was also amused.
“I’ve been teaching you the folly of your ways. You have had a free hand. You have done what was right. Result—general dissatisfaction, general distrust of you, general desire for a change back to us. The people say—‘Yes, those fellows steal almost all the fruits of our labor. But they own the mines and the shops and the railroads, which practically means that they own the land. If we want to earn a living for our families, we’ve got to apply to them for permission to work. The sensible thing for us to do is to make the best terms we can. If we took the property away from the plutocracy we’d not get it, but our clever leaders would, and they’d rob us just as we’re being robbed now.’ Isn’t that the way the people reason?”
“Much like that,” admitted Helm.
“And there they show their shrewd sense. Oh, the people aren’t fools—not altogether. They have intelligence enough. What they lack is efficient intelligence. They know, but they don’t know how to use their knowledge.”
“They’re learning,” said Helm.