The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-12
A kansas CONVENTION.


oortent has passed into the intent ear; the
asst inferential hint is haad-funneled into
some hended head; the last pre- ccnven-
ton deal is made and all is ready.
The delegates are crowded uncon:ort-
ably close and together. as seen from the
otage, produce a pepper-and-salt effect of
oInk. black and white. The stage 5 strung
n patriotic colors with me blonde. IN
painted pine Of the structure gaping
boldly here and there. Upon the stage a
row of newspaper men sit about a long
table, some of them palpably postu-ed
for the occasion and biting unused pen
ellis; some Of them brilliantly busy and
showily Indifferent to the great crowd
which las its eye glued upon them. There
are several of the unvOting sex there also
As spectators, beaming undirected aimless
and rather foolish smiles collectively out
at the crowd. The remaining person
ages upon this rostrum of prominence are
the Glee clubs, sucking honey from the
delights of still keeping their seats and
not being asked to test their knees already
"NdhtHtu Will SldSt-lI gin St-N q d. t4Al-
zeHs, connected with the local manage
ment of the hall and privileged. in con-
sequence, beyond all precedent; several
aged politicians, once great powers who
yawn and wonder why they are there.
Occasionally across the stage a politician
frisks, speeding on some grave mission,
dives into a mysterious recess, dives out
again, frisks back across the stage with
what he vaguely fancies to be profound
effect. And later the sergeant-at-arms
VIGOROUSLY and distractingIy inactive,
rises and commands that smoking cease.
At which command the delegates with
tremendous unanimity, Jab their cigars
into their mouths again and puff defiance
upward through the smoke strata.
And now the chairman Of the state GEN.
trail committee, who calls the convention
to order, slips to the front. The profound
silence which opposes his appearance dis
sipates his resolution to speak loudly and
when he says what he has purposed to
say. the rear delegates hear him with
great difficulty.
Finally the temporary chairman is sell
ected. He appears and in face of a loud
and disrespectful hum. keeps a defiant,
contentious silence which finally sub
dues the convention. He begins a speech,
the first sentence carved with great care
and upon the whole rhetorical wonder
He finishes purposely at an unexpected
semi-colon with: What is the pleasure
OF the convention" Then the motions
begin and the convention Is going.
After little while the convention is
ready for the first ballot. From the mys-
ferrous niche at one end of thestage, comes
n scene Of quickened activity The dele
gates screw in their seats; there is q
rushing through aisles and a wanton dis
regard for all assistant sergeants-at-arms
But the matter has been canvassed so
much that the first ballot proceeds rap
idly. And as it goes on, history grows in
every face. The lines of selfshness have
been spun out long. have met, tangled.
knotted. twirled and criss-crossed into a
wonderful, disorderly fabric. Selves have
congregated into one great irregular, re-
fractory integer. Every man is a conven-
ton in himself, in which his ambition is
chairman. in which his obligations and
friendships, his hates and resentments are
delegates battling, one against the other.
And then the second ballot. Ambition
puts down an old obligation with sigh;
and with j sigh smooths over an ancient.
a most sacred hate, for the long-spun
filaments Of selishness are tightening
here relaxing there, and slowly order is
coming from disorder, and some master
hand is picking harmony from discords.
ha for -
Slowly aggression at one point advances;
slowly compromise retreats at that. Here
a delegate defeated in some cherished
secret plan in guilt-girt isolation drops
his head in sullen silence; here another
raises his head feverishly with the vision
Of greater things for himself Here a lead
er stamps out the feeble. flickernc ambi-
tions Of his individual followers with
snapped command; there two Napoleons
meet upon a single delegation, glare.
blaze with anger and grapple till the
weaker viii succumbs.
And somewhere the candidates are wait
ing. in a sort of mechanical coma. watch
ing the slow march of the clock-hands.
falsely hopeful this second. despairing the
next with minds automatically cropping
through long calculations of scattering
q. allegations. grasping at straws Of unlikely
possibilities at this tick. swelling in Ella
ton over vague probabilities at that.
But in the convention the advance and
recession continues The fabric OF twists
and contortions is shaping. quickly and
more quickly And now some great re-
nunica ton has been made; some great
1. in,
and selfshness is gone.
For the delegates are on their chairs
cheering. selfish no longer, hut shrieking
in forgetfulness Of all former plans and
intent only on demonstrating their fdel-
fty 10 some other mans plans The cham
pion is made Out Of all the tangled
Selves has come the orderly Self; the
leader is made. and there. for a time, Is
a keen. spiritual revival which is. of ali
things in politics the most curious. and
of all things in politics the most graft
fvinr. For every man is with the cham
mon in his heart. and with rare exceptions
uumindful Of his own defeat.
Somewhere the candidates are together
And the man who has won has surrend-
cred his selfshness. As he takes the hands
Of his opponents he really feels most
ridiculous sorrow that he has beaten
them. And they-perhaps there is tinge
Of bitterness as they view him perhaps
faint hope that fate has Hl-lugk in
store for him. bur there is also in them a
protesting sympathetic fervor which Joins
in his mediterranean as it is their de-
feat.
wTCHrTA'S REAL ROMANCE.
Cupid sometimes plays Erotesque and