he
public save by men of such business capacity that they will not do
the work unless they themselves receive ample reward for doing it. The
effort to deprive them of an ample reward merely means that they will
turn their energies in some other direction; and the public will be just
so much the loser.... But while I freely admit all this, it yet remains
true that a corporation which derives its powers from the State should
pay to the State a just percentage of its earnings as a return for the
privileges it enjoys."

This was quietly reasonable and uninflammatory doctrine. But the
corporations would have none of it. The Republican machine, which had
a majority in the Legislature, promptly repudiated it as well. The
campaign contributions from the corporations were too precious to be
jeopardized by legislation which the corporations did not want. The
Governor argued, pleasantly and cheerfully. The organization balked
sullenly. The corporations grinned knowingly. They had plenty of money
with which to kill the bill, but they did not need to use it. The
machine was working smoothly in their behalf. The bill was introduced
and referred to a committee, and there it lay. No amount of argument and
persuasion that the Governor could bring to bear availed to bring the
bill out of hiding. So he sent in a special message, on almost the last
day of the session. According to the rules of the New York Assembly,
when the Governor sends in a special message on a given measure, the
bill must be reported out and given consideration. But the machine was
dazzled with its own arrogance. The Speaker would not have the message
read. Some one actually tore it up.

This was more than a crime--it was a blunder. The wise ones in the
organization realized it. They had no desire to have the Governor appeal
to the people with his torn message in his hand. Roosevelt saw the error
too, and laughed happily. He wrote another message and sent it over with
the curt statement that, if it were not read forthwith, he would come
over and read it himself. They knew that he would! So the Speaker read
the message, and the bill was reported and hastily passed on the last
day of the session.

Then the complacent corporations woke up. They had trusted the machine
too far. What was more, they had underestimated the Governor's striking
power. Now they came to him, hat in hand, and suggested some fault in
the bill. He agreed with them. They asked if he would not cal