h the
damaging affidavits, and must be made to shut their eyes deliberately to
what they know. The cases of the higher officials were different. They
must know of the charges, of course, but matters must be so arranged
that the evidence must never meet their eyes, and that they must adopt
en bloc the findings of their subordinates. Bribery was here impossible;
but influence could be brought to bear.

Chairman Gay upheld his cousin, Henry Plant, because of the
relationship. This implied a good word, and personal influence. After
that Chairman Gay forgot the matter. But a great number of people were
extremely anxious to please Chairman Gay. These exerted themselves. They
came across evidence that would have caused Chairman Gay to throw his
beloved cousin out neck and crop, but they swallowed it and asked for
more simply because Gay possessed patronage, and it was not to their
interest to bring disagreeable matters before the great man. Nor was the
Land Office unlikely to listen to reason. A strong fight was at that
time forward to transfer control of the Forest Reserves from a
department busy in other lines to the Bureau of Forestry where it
logically belonged. This transfer was violently opposed by those to whom
the distribution of supervisorships, ranger appointments and the like
seemed valuable. The Land Office adherents needed all the political
backing they could procure; and the friends of Chairman Gay epitomized
political backing. So the Land Office, too, was anxious to please the
Chairman.

At the same time Simeon Wright had bestirred himself. There seems to be
no good and valid reason for owning a senator if you don't use him.
Wright was too shrewd to think it worth while to own a senator from
California. That was too obvious. Few knew how closely affiliated were
the Wright and the Barrow interests. Wright dropped a hint to the
dignified senator; the senator paid a casual call to an official high up
in the Land Office. Senators would by their votes ultimately decide the
question of transfer. The official agreed to keep an eye on the
recommendations in this case.

Thus somebody submerged beneath the Gay interests saw obscurely somebody
equally submerged beneath the Wright and Barrow interests. In due course
all Thorne's careful work was pigeonholed. An epitome of the charges was
typed and submitted to the High Official. On the back of them had been
written:

"I find the charges not proved."

This was signed