The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-19
CHAPTER XXI.


TO the S~tatehouse, and while Representa-
tives' hall was filing he was shown to a
better room at the hotel by a boy who
never seemed quite complete without a
long brass tag dangling from his a
Once in his room, Senate Shacklett threw
his hat and cane on the bed. touched the
bell and sat down with his back to the
window and his face toward the door.
When the bellboy came he ordered writing
materials and cigars without moving; when
the boy returned he lighted a cigar and
drew up to the table almost with the same
motion. He began to write furiously and
to smoke even more furiously. so that the
room was full of smoke as soon as the first
page of the letter had been completed. The
letter was to his wife, and, being mailed
within fifteen minutes, IT reached her only
an hour after a telegram sent later in the
afternoon. which it explained in detail as
to cause and effect, and as to premises and
corollaries. AS soon as the letter had been
sent down by another boy Shacklett pushed
back the chair from the table, pulled his
body down in the upholstery until he was
reclining on the middle of his back, and
kept his eyes on the vacancy on the other
side the ceiling. He pulled out cigar smoke
III III lilOS CONTINUOUS TOu, us IL Ohlc
from the tunnels of a fast cruiser steaming
at full speed from one port to another
when the commander is not very certain
about what the weather will be next day.
Events were moving swiftly now, and del
egates were talking in groups that granu-
lated the great mass on the floor Of the
convention hall. Men were telling one an
other that to nominate either of the three
u 49, 49,
nomination. and were fighting still harder,
now that there seemed to be no interfer-
ence contemplated, would tend to the de-
feat Of whichever won there that day. All
the managers of the three candidates were
combating this idea, and each was swear
ing hearty support to the nominee what
ever happened. but the tide against all
three rose steadily. spread all over the
counties, and was as irresistible as the
tide in the ocean drawn by the lunar in
reference with mundane things from an
extraneous point. The intangible force,
which kept it so clear that it was not a
part of the convention. and not in contact
with it, was exerting its influence at last
from the outside, and doing it in a way
that prevented it's Identification with
events. The managers of the three candi-
dates were all frantic, and messages to the
candidates at the hotel kept the door of
the telephone booth constantly closed. But
without the interposition of even a wire
the sentiment to drop all three Of them
was growing in the convention itself, be-
coming more fixed, spreading even into the
very districts of the candidates themselves,
being announced in certain quarters as a
policy determined upon by the convention
as of one mind, and being considered as
something already done. With this went,
not whispers. but strongly spoken dicta,
that the man to nominate was ex-senator
Shacklett. He was the man friendly to all
interests and opposed by none, it was said
over and over. There was no discussion,
and when some ambitious man, who sought
to embrace the opportunity of filling the
gap. was mentioned by his friends the idea
was grandiy and c~onclusively waved aside
with a gesture and a stronger statement
than ever that Shacklett was the man. The
one thing that the intangible force could
not do was to stop the flight of time. but
the chairman did not enter the hall from
the speakers room until forty minutes
after the hour set for the reassembling of
the convention.
Some of the shrewder members Of the or
| SdLiLdtlOH Stopptu d hOIneHt u COnSlQer
the unexpected aid that was coming from
the opposition, not an opposition now, but
talking that Shacklett was the man. The
ordinary cog wheel in the machinery now
whirling so silently and so forcibly
chuckled to himself that the work was
being done so smoothly that the opposition
had not detected that the great machine
was moving. but the better politicians saw
| daonor than that into the ooffnnS ~ the
opposition, and felt a momentary fear that
somehow they might be making a mis-
take-but it was too late now to do any,
thing but move steadily on. The opposi-
ton certainly had not caucused. There had
been little groups of that faction talking
with heads together, and a few leaders had
rushed up to General French, standing
against the wall by the door. for a word
in his ear and a reply in three words; but
as rapidly as the other side had pushed
forward the name of Shacklett the opposi.
ton had taken it up and insisted upon it.
Finally the gavel of the chairman pounded
a clatter upon the desk, and the delegates
seemed to soak into their seats in the great
hall.
{ that particular time there was a con-
ference going on down at the hotel between
NHC IL vi lhC
1t was short. sharp. and decisive that
neither should withdraw. The speeches
began in the convention as one after the
other was placed formally before the del
egates, but the cheering Of names came
almost entirely from their own counties
Then General French slowly made his way
to the front as the last speaker finished
and was recognized. He did not make a
spaech hut simply' said.
MIR. Chairman, gentlemen of the conven-
ion: / place In nomination for the head
of our ticket q man in every way worthy
of that honor, and a man known to you all
the Hon. Noel c. Shacklett, of Hancock
county,
Delegates all over the hall looked him
askance. and there was not the cheer tina,
some of the newspaper men at the press
table expected. They looked over the con.
vention quickly, and decided that the STAN.
pede to Shacklett had already lost its mo.
mentum, and would be entirely dead Ions
before the first ballot was completed. II
had turned out. after all. that the Shacklett
boom was an effort of the opposition tc
take advantage of circumstances, instead
of the manifestation of a choice by any.
body else in particular. The proceedings
seemed TO have lost their zest for those
looking for sensations and scareheads or
the first page.
Somehow McDougal happened to be wei