The Further Adventures of Quincy Adams Sawyer and Masons Corner Folks | Page 8

"Fine as silk. Business is good, but I'm doing my best to keep the
undertakers out of a job. Have you read the evening papers?"
"I seldom do. I prefer to wait until morning." "The papers are rapping
you hard for signing that picketing bill, but the labour men are

delighted. You'll run ahead of your ticket sure next fall."
"I'm not going to run. One year is enough."
"Will Evans get the nomination? I won't vote for him. How are your
wife's eyes?"
"All right. She has better vision, now, than I have. We owe you a great
debt of gratitude for sending us to Dr. Tillotson."
"He's a wonder. He told me the other day that he is going to cure what
is called split retina, which has never been done."
Quincy bethought himself of the message he had to deliver and made a
hurried departure, first inviting the Doctor to dine with him the next
day. On his return to the Beacon Street house, he found his father at
home reading an evening paper.
"Quincy, I see that you vetoed that railroad bill."
"Yes, I did. I saw no reason why public property should be given to a
private corporation without compensation."
"The public would be compensated indirectly. I am a large stockholder
in the railroad, and, to speak plainly, I drew that bill myself. I met
Senator Downing and he says the bill will be passed over your veto."
"I cannot help that, father. I did my duty as I saw it. If the bill becomes
a law without my signature, I cannot be blamed for future
developments."
The Hon. Nathaniel dropped the subject. "Quincy, I have purchased a
house in the country and shall go there in a few days. Won't you and
your wife pay us a short visit?"
"Certainly, we will. We are going to Fernborough for a few days and
then will drop in on you, before we go to Nantucket."
By the look on his father's face Quincy knew that he was disappointed.

The Hon. Nathaniel never liked "to play second fiddle." Quincy
hastened to rectify his mistake. "We can put it the other way round, just
as well. We'll come and see you before we go to Fernborough."
"That will please me better, but, of course, you must not do it if your
wife objects."
"She will not object. She is upstairs, now, with Maude. Of course, the
girls are going."
"Yes, and I have invited Captain Hornaby, a very fine young man. But,
I must retire. I have a case in court to-morrow."
Quincy found both commendation and criticism in the morning papers.
His face wore its usual genial expression as he entered the elevator, and
Robert's "good morning" was particularly cheerful.
The Governor's first caller was Mr. Acton.
"You see," he began, "that your approval of the picketing bill is
receiving universal condemnation."
"Hardly," was the reply. "Two papers and the Governor sustain it and
the labour press and unions are yet to be heard from."
"We shall endeavour to secure a repeal of the bill next year. In the
meantime, we shall carry the matter to the courts."
"May the cause of truth and justice prevail in the end" was Quincy's
comment, and Mr. Acton took his departure in an uncomfortable state
of mind.
The day wore away. At three o'clock a vote was taken in the Senate and
the so-called Downing bill was passed over the veto. Not so, in the
House, for one newspaper, read by nearly all the working men, had so
strongly pointed out the nature of the "grab" proposed by the bill, that
the State House was besieged by its opponents, and the veto was
sustained by a narrow margin.

About five o'clock, Mr. Evans and Senator Downing were dining in a
private room at a hotel. "So, the Governor won't run again," said the
Senator.
"He so informed me yesterday. He may change his mind."
"You're not satisfied with things as they are," remarked the Senator.
"No," replied the lieutenant-governor, "I'm disgusted with the Williams
matter. When I'm governor, I'll request his resignation."
"And when you're governor, we'll put my bill through. Do you know
the Governor's father is one of our heaviest stockholders? We'll have
our way yet."
Within a week the legislature was prorogued. The House had a mock
session, during which partisanship, and private victories and defeats
were forgotten, for the time at least, and the fun was jolly and hearty.
Ben Ropes, the funny man of the House, but a member of the minority,
convulsed all by announcing his candidacy for the governorship, with
the understanding that no money was to be spent, no speakers engaged,
the question to be settled by joint debates between the opposing
candidates. Every member