The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-25

They are a forgiving sort of folk. Even
Elmer Anes is said to have forgiven
Otis Benton for sneaking out of Ames'
home at 5 o'clock in the morning to set
the pins which defeated the plans of
Ames and Burrow, the plans and speci-
hcations by the way that Benton was
supposed to follow. Benton established
the reputation of being one of those
work while you sleep sort OF polite
ians.
The convention was about as I'M
wieldly as three-ring circus but every
person in Norton was a ring master and
they Kept 1t going The girls quartette
from the city school sang Kentucky
Babe" in q manner which created as
much enthusiasm as Bill Reeder's
speech. During dull time the boys
quartette sang Rocked in the Cradle
of the Deep and then Frank Nelson
made a speech.
It was the system at the convention
for the travelling political delegation
which n kes all the conventions and of
which fNlmble Bob" McCOllOch is the
skirt dancer and Harry Richter IS the
tight-wire artist, to place a stumbling
block for the speakers that followed
Richter did it by saying those who
would be heard could not speak and
then Nelson said everything there was
to say about schools, sod houses, edu-
cation and the flag and when Ross and
Dayhon were called they were left with
the wind taken all out of their sails
like becalmed cat boats.
DayhOff IS the Roman eharioteer of
the travelling aggrega ton for he always
wears his coat slung across his should
erS like Ben i1ur or in the manner that
''Ingomar, the Barbarian" wears his
lone leopard skin made out of a tinted
calf hide. But Dayhof talked and so
did Ross and both said they wanted to
be superintendents of public instrue-
ton.
It was some time after that when
Major Conway, who did not get in on
the ground floor of the convention sim
ply because he was the third member
of Webb McNall's Free Silver RepubH-
can party, said who is this man Steve
Osborn who wants to be superintendent
Of instruction? ?"
Superintendent of insurance" said
some one by way of correction.
"Oh, that's better. I wondered if he
could read said the major.
Wallace county was the joke of the
convention and Cheyenne the jester. On
each of the II ballots the chairman OF
the Wallace delegation announced in a
firm, steady voice. One for Reeder, one
for Wellington" It was that way to the
end. Even when motions to adjourn
were made the chairman from Wallace
said, sOne for, one against" They
would not agree, but hung on after even
the shout was over In the afternoon
following the adjournment of the con-
vention there was a dog fight in front of
the hotel The brindle cur, which was
part Of the hotel furniture, got firm
grip on the throat of Teddy Rocse-
velt.'' the bench legged. undershot bull
dog which belonged to the station
agent After the strenuous times of
the convention a dog fight was the sig
nal for the crowd to gather. The one
bell boy. who answered whistles instead
of bell, era bbed the hind legs of the
brindle cur and the head cook hung
onto the rear end Of Teddy" 1t was a
fight to the finish. Neither dog would
yield. A delegate from Trego started
the laugh by shouting One for sReeder,
one for Wellington"
The vote of Cheyenne county from first
to last was three for Reeder.'' The
chairman would say nothing else When
the motion to adjourn was put he an
nounced al usual three for Reeder."
Then the laugh was started on De-
eatur county. Now and then man
would rush wildly up street and shout
Decatur county has changed her vote
again The expression, We are from
Missouri" was changed to We are
from Decatur county:
And Reeder found his hat The day
before the convention the congressman
lost his head gear If You don't lose
anything more than your hat you VIII
do we'll remarked an anti-delegate.
! I'll buy new hat and III wear it to
Washington said Reeder and he bios
somed in a new derby a size too small.
Too small even before the swelling joy
+ of victory had touched him.
The man who felt the blow. or at least
! displayed his crestfalleaness the most,
was Ed Wellington. He folded his
I tent like the Arabs and silently stole
away" on an afternoon freight. He
+ passed the Reeder headquarters and look
. ed in and plodded on toward the box
cars.
+ Hays White was like the boy who fell
out of the apple tree and said never
+ touched me" He sat on the hotel
: piazza and rubbed his smoothly shaver
chin and told what he had read about
Patrick Henry John Marshall. Daniel
F.. Webster. Baron Munehausen and the
/ prospects Of the Sixth district becoming
/ a blue grass section. He was as well
! posted on the statesmen as on blue
grass.
/ Reeder shook hands around, managed
| to keep his eyes open. although he had
not slept for three nights, and finally
took q train for home after making the