The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-02
THE DECIDING VOTE.
BY D. J, LAYTON.

BY ID. J, LAYTON. Copyright. 1906. by Joseph B. Bowies) The green presented an unwonted ap- pearance of activity. The bar at the rapidly reducing the mortgage on the property.
 It was the last day of the legislative session For four years the State had been unrepresented In the United states Senate The factional quarrel In the Republican Party, unimportant at first l had become a national question. The whole country was divided into Allison and anti i-Allison adherents. Allison had begun the present session with a solid array of twenty-five votes. He crawled slowly up to twenty-nine, and there he stopped. Arguments. threats, percussion availed nothing. Every scheme known to political science had been tried. Dickers and deals had been met with counter deals. The Democrats and the anti-Allison could not land another single support CT. Another deadlock seemed immi- nent.
 Each day for over a week the clerk had announced: For John Allison. 2s; for Randolph Keener. 2e: for Henry Thomas. 4. Necessary to choice. go. and the speaker, bitter "Anti." drawl- ed OuI, Witn HIS HdSdt NWah6 uhN "tsA- an increasing satisfaction as the pros- pect for an election lessened, and no one having a majority of the votes of those present and voting. l declare no election"
 It was II o'clock the final ballot
 W ould be taken at noon.
 Allison was sitting in the Governors private room, talking with the Govern or and the Secretary of State. a tall heavy wnO dressed well. but quietly, In his lapel he wore a plain Grand Army button. His was a strong. kindly face. though careworn.
 If I thought that crowd were sim cere Tn their principles" said he. If their methods were cleaner than mine would respect them at least. and
 would have stepped aside long ago. But it's not reform they're after. They want to lick me. Thomas ran up against me in a financial deal some years ago. and he's been after me ever since. -Four men oppose our twenty-nine. Speaker Henry owned body and soul by | Thomas: Snyder and Hall. two unmiti- gated rascais if there ever were any. and old Wood. the only member they have from the country. and the only honest one they have. Why. he really thinks Thomas never spent a dollar in | this fight. had some hopes that he might be with us. but he's as stubborn as a mule. had talk with him last night.
 "We're stronger now than we ever were, but 1t seems that Thomas holds l the winning card. He has powerful friends and powerful interests. and some way he has the press of the eoun- try back of him. He seems certain to defeat me now. but there's reckon ingv'
 The Auditors office was the head quarters of the "Antis." It was unoc- cupied save for two men. They were talking together in low tones. One was tall and thin, with a pecu- liar cast his eye. His eyes never met you squarely: they were over you. be- side you, beyond you, but never at you. He was Snyder. a member of the House and a leader of the Thomas forces. He
 was nervously chewing the end of cigar jerking his sentences out rapid ly. T tell you. Hali." he said to his companion a dark. heavy man with cold, impasive countenance. T tell you 1t had to be done. I saw Allison have
 him in tow yesterday, and you know what that means. l knew something
 was up. thought of those mortgages
 the first thing. Woods all right. but he's cranky. and he's shark for
 money He's got a couple of mortgages on that VESGlOuo LOu OCI <AAAAF
 son had something to say about them
 I tell you it was what saved us this
 time. We've got em sure now, and
 with Allison safe at home and not mus"
 sin up things down at Washington.
 we'll see who gets the offices"
 Snyder" said Hall. rousing him.
 self; you've made a mistake approach
 ing Wood about those mortgages.
 know Wood, used to court one of his
 danObfarG and has GfFaiVht a
 string. He's one man thatll stand
 without hitching. He'd kick the traces
 pretty quick if he knew some of the
 tricks we've been working. He may
 have changed. though" he went on,
 musingly; people do. l did There
 was a time when l would have knocked
 q man down if he had tried to influ-
 ence my vote, and now these lobbyists
 come to me the first one. I'm inclined
 to take your judgment, for you've got
 a long head and sharp eye. when
 there's rascality going on. Let's get
 up"
 The rasplng voice of the Speaker
 called the assembly to order.
 Some one moved in a perfunctory
 manner. that the joint assembly dc
 proceed to ballot for the election of
 q United States Senator" The hum
 ir the galleries increased. Slowly the
 roll -call proceeded. Down the list the
 clerk went. and no change. The end
 was not to be exciting after all. Here
 and there a member was keeping tally
 as the roll-call went on.
 Jeremiah Wood" sang out the
 clerk There was an instants pause,
 and Wood rose slowly from his seat.
 his hand half raised. as If in protest
 He was an old man. with a flowing
 white beard stained yellow around the
 mouth from the constant use of to-
 bacco, From behind his heavy steel
 spectaeles Shrswd. kindly eyes looked
 out. His hands. trembling with age
 and excitement. showed wrinklsd and