James nodded agreement. “I've been thinking about that. The thing can be done. A business men's movement from inside the party to purify it. A reorganization with new men in charge. That sort of thing.”
“Exactly. And how about the state?”
“Things don't look good to me.”
“Why not?”
“This initiative and referendum idea is spreading.”
Powers drove his fist into a pile of papers on the desk. “Stop it. I give you carte blanche. Spend as much as you like. But win. What good is a lobby to me if those hare-brained farmers can kill every bill we pass through their grafting legislature?”
The possibilities grew on Farnum. “I'll send Professor Perkins of Verden University to New Zealand to prepare a paper showing the thing is a failure there. I'll have every town in the state thoroughly canvassed by lecturers and speakers against the bill. I'll bombard the farmers with literature.”
“What about the newspapers?”
“We control most of them. At Verden only the World is against us.”
“Buy it.”