“What assurances?”
“In the first place, you can give us your word that those stories in the opposition papers are false.”
Briggs rose slowly from his seat. His face grew pale. After a long silence, he said: “Farley, do you remember what I said to you last Spring, when you asked me to deny those stories? I said they were too contemptible to be noticed!”
Farley looked disappointed. “Then you won’t help us? You won’t help me in the fight I’ve been making for you?”
“Gentlemen,” Douglas Briggs went on, speaking slowly and impressively, “I know perfectly well what you are driving at, and I’m going to try to meet you halfway. But I’m a man as well as a politician, and you can’t blame me if I resent being placed on the rack like a criminal. However, I appreciate your motives in coming here, and I’m grateful to Farley for all he’s done for me. Let me say this, once for all: If I am elected I shall go back to Congress with clean hands and with a clear conscience, ready to do my duty wherever I see it. Within the past few months my relations with Franklin West have been the subject of newspaper talk. West has been my personal friend. I have trusted him and respected him. Lately I have discovered that he is a scoundrel. He is coming here this morning, and I shall give myself the pleasure of telling him so. Now, gentlemen, if you honor me with an endorsement, I pledge my word that you will find me in perfect sympathy with the work you’re doing.” He stopped, his lips tightening. “I confess that I shouldn’t have the courage to say these things, to humble myself like this, but for this good fellow here. I only wish there were more like him.”
Farley smiled. “Well, Congressman, I knew you’d see through West some day.”
“Now, gentlemen, you have asked me for some assurances,” Briggs continued. “I might as well tell you frankly that I can only give you the assurance of my good faith, of my honesty of intention. I’ve made blunders in my career so far that I shall regret to my dying day. I’ve been the target of the sensational newspapers; but I don’t mind that. Many of the stories printed about me, I can honestly say, have been absolute calumnies. Some of the censure has been deserved. I suppose that the lesson of politics can’t be learned in a day. At any rate, it has taken me several bitter years to learn it, and I’m not sure that I’ve learned it all yet. But no matter how great my mistakes have been, in my heart I’ve always been in sympathy with clean politics. You know as well as I do that for the past few years I’ve been getting farther and farther away from my party. The other night I secured my nomination in the teeth of pretty strenuous opposition. Just now I have reason to believe that in the coming campaign I shall have to meet as enemies men who have been my strongest friends. As you probably know, a good many of my East Side supporters have gone back on me. This means a big loss. Even with the strength you might give me, my election would be doubtful. So, if you support me, you’ll gain very little for yourselves, I can tell you that. We might as well look the situation in the face, you know.”
“Well, sir, the more enemies you make among the machine men the more willing we are to stand by you, Congressman,” said Farley. “The harder the fight the better we like it.”
“That’s very consoling, Farley. Only you fellows had better go slow before you decide to try to whitewash me. To tell the truth, I don’t feel quite fit for your company. I’m not good enough for you. I’ve been a good deal of a machine man myself, you know.”
Farley laughed. “That’s all right. We haven’t any objections to the machine. We only object to the men who are running it just at present.”