about the Presidency. It's only a chance that there
may be anything doing while you're in--it's largely luck--and then when
you're out, if you survive the White House--which most Presidents
don't--you're as good as dead. I don't care about going abroad as a
Consul-General, or even Ambassador, for I wouldn't hold any office under
the United States government that was dependent upon the favor of a
small group in Washington. You're no better than a servant, and you
never know where you are. Political enemies at home, liars abroad,
somebody with a little more influence, or any low political business,
and you're fired without being heard in your own defence. You've got no
redress, and may be disgraced for life without ever knowing where you
were hit. None of that for me, although I'd like a big position of that
sort for my wife. But she can cut all the dash she wants as a senator's
wife, and I'll wield the big stick. That's where the fun comes in. I
have a natural turn for politics, and then it's the only road out of
Rosewater. The old gentleman is dead set upon my succeeding him in the
bank, and he'd never give me a lift, although if I made a hit at
anything he'd be so proud it would be easy sailing after. He's not a bit
displeased that I've turned over a few thousands an aunt left me. But
I'm after bigger game than that. She also left me two thousand acres of
land, that look hopeless because there's not so much as a spring on
them, and they're in one of the droughtiest sections in the State--she
got them as a bad debt. Now, just over the border of that ranch is a big
lake, and the owner of it won't sell or rent me water rights, thinking
I'll sell out for a song. But he don't know Tom Colton. I'm a member of
the present legislature--and that isn't the least of the reasons why. A
few hundreds in a few hungry pockets, and we run a snake through the
legislature declaring that lake state property. Then I ditch from the
lake, and I am the proud owner of a large tract of valuable irrigated
land. I sell off in small farms, and clean up a hundred thousand
dollars. That I'll invest in a Class A building in San Francisco. I'm
also in this projected electric railway of Boutts's--would advise you to
buy a block of that stock--I can let you in on the ground floor. Money
and political power, boss of this State--that's what I'm after--and no
idle dream either. I know the ropes, and all I have to do is to hang on.
I'll build a house on Conne