The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-21


clans of the party began openly &c
discuss the next years nomination
and to speak of him as il he were
out OF the running. He was spending
the hot months on the Jersey coast
the fiatterers still swarming about
him. and still assiduous, but their
batteries falling upon ever deafer ears
as his mind rivetted upon the hair
suspended sword. In early Septem-
Der he invited me TO visit him-my
first invitation OF that kind in two
years and a half. We had three In.
terviews before he could nerve him
self to brush aside the barriers be-
tween him and me.
81 am about to get together my
friends with view to next year.
said he through an uneasy smile.
what do you think of the prospects? %
What do your friends say" /
asked.
ooh, OF course, | am assured Of a
denomination" He paused, and his
look at me made the confident at
nrmation a dubious question.
''Yes?" said J.
"And-don't you think my record
has made me strong" he went on
nervously.
"Strong-with whom" said I.
He was silent. Finally he laid his
hand on my knee-we were taking
the air on the ocean drive. Harvey"
he said. Il can count on you?"
I shook my head. Il shall take no
part in the next campaign" I said.
'T shall resign the Craftsmanship"
But / have selected you as my
chairman. I have insisted .on you.
1 cant trust any one else. I need
others, use others, but I trust only
you
/ shook my head. II shall resign"
1 repeated. What's the matter
wont Goodrich take the placer"
He looked away. Il have not 30
riously thought Of any one but YOU.
he said reproacnfully.
l happened to know that the place
had been offered to Goodrich ard that
ne mad declined It, protesting that l,
western man, must not be dis
turbed when the west was vital to the
party's success. MY resolution is
fixed" said l.
A long silence, then: "Sayler, have
you heard anything of an attempt to
defeat me for the nomination."
Goodrich has decided to nominate
Gov. Ridgeway Of Illinois" said I.
He blanched and had to moisten
his dry. wrinkled lips several times
before he could speak. "A report OF
that nature reached me last Thurs
day" he went on. For some time l
have been perplexed by the Ridgeway
talk in many of our organs. have
questioned Goodrich about it-and-
1 must say-his explanations are not
not wholly satisfactory.
81 have come to the conclusion that
you were right about Goodrich, Say
Ter. ! am glad that / took your ad
vice and never trusted him. 1 think
you and I together will be too strong
for him"
You are going to seek a renomina-
tom" I asked.
He looked at me in genuine aston
ishment. 1T is impossible that the
party should refuse me- he said.
1 was silent
BE frank with me. Sayler," he ex-
claimed at last. BE frank. Be my
friend, your own old self
AS frank and as friendly as you
have been?" said l, rather to remind
myself than to reproach him. For l
was afraid of the reviving feeling OF 7
former years-the liking for his per-
sonal charms and virtues. the forbear-
ance toward that weakness which he
could no more change than he could
change the color of his eyes. His
moral descent had put no clear mark
ngs upon his pose. On, the contrary,
ne had grown in dignity through the
custom of Difference. The people |
passing us looked admiration at him, |
had new sense of the elevation of !
he presidential ONCE. Often it takes
he trained and searching eye to de |
.ect in the majestic facade the evi- |
1ences that the palace has degen- |
Grated into a rookery for pariahs
Il have done what / thought for the |
pest he answered, never more di- |
'ect and manly in manner. Il have |
always been afraid, been on guard. |
should betray me into yielding to you /
= AOh i oA6ht Aol 4CIAApS nave
erred at times, have leaned back |
ward In my anxiety to be fair. But |
had and have no fear Of your not I'M
Outstanding. Our friendship is too |
ong established. too we'll founded"
And 1 do not doubt that he believed |
himself; the capacity for self-decep- |
ion is rarely short of the demands /
ipon it
IT'S unfortunate" began.
vas going to say 1t was unfortunate
hat no such anxietics had ever re-
trained him from yielding to Good
ich- But / hadn't the heart. In
tead I finished my sentence with:
However. it's idle to hold post
nortem on this case. The cause OF
cath is unimportant The fact of
is sufficient No doubt you did /
be best you could, Mr.. President"
My manner was that OF finality. It
orbade further discussion. He aban-
oned the dnesse OF negotiation
Harvey. I ask you. as q personal
avor, TO help me through this crisis"
e said. Il ask you. my friend and
~ dead wife's friend"
Il