STEAMSHIPS AND SUBSIDIES 229 



it was easy to borrow the wife of a senator or 

 a general or some one else of distinction and 

 it was cheering to contemplate the lighting up 

 of the face of the most ancient statesman when 

 he was placed beside a pretty and piquant child. 



When I counted noses I was sure of winning, 

 but inertia which is greater than majorities 

 worked against me. Many who voted for Stock- 

 well's subsidy for a consideration were commit- 

 ted to the support of my measure for nothing, 

 but there was no vis viva in their advocacy of 

 it. It was dangerously late in the session when 

 the bill came to the front and it was knifed by a 

 New York senator who had promised to support 

 it, but who prevented its consideration by talk- 

 ing against time on the measure that preceded it. 



Conklin always afterwards denied to me that 

 he intended to defeat my bill, but averred that 

 the one against which he talked was utterly cor- 

 rupt and I have little doubt now of his sincerity. 

 He had ability and irascibility in equal propor- 

 tions and sufficient vanity to submerge in per- 

 sonal matters any sense of humor which he may 



