The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-21
CHAPTER XII
Defiance

Bob Howe brought the news to
the Old Man that Mason intended
to sign the Citizens Safety league
pledge. What the Old Man said in
the excitement Of the moment need
not be repeated here. After he had
cooled off little, his remarks
were not quite so EXCEPTIONALLY ex-
plosive.
"Why doesn't. Ryan bring him
here?" demanded the Old Man.
''He intends to-" answered Howe.
HE had hot argument with him
last night, and the only promise he
could get from him was that he
would see you before signing"
The Old Man reviewed the whole
situation hastily.
"lll stop it," he said at last, with
decision. Leave it to me. He
spoke with calm confidence, and
Howe left, we'll satisfied. The Old
Man was resourceful, and could be
forceful. His tone indicated that
he had solved the problem.
In this instance, however, he
made a miscalculation at the very
beginning He had expected Ryan
to have sense enough to bring Ma
son to the Democratic club for the
interview alone. Ryan had the
requisite sense, but not the ability.
Darnell was his immediate charge.
Darnell had been present when the
subject of the pledge came up, and
! Darnell insisted upon accompany
ing Mason.
So the Old Man did not have Ma
son at such a disadvantage as he
had expected.
The Old Man opened the inter
view.
Mason" he said 81 understand
you intend to sign the Citizens
Safety league pledge"
| Il do" asserted Mason.
ut will kill you in that ward"
said the Old Man.
"Why?" demanded Mason.
O'Hara has done it, and you were
afraid to run Baxter against
O'Hara. l agreed to do it when 1t
was planned to make me an indie
pendent candidate, and you were
afraid to run Baxter against me-
| There was an aggressiveness in
this that was disturbing.
| "The circumstances are differ
ent," urged the Old Man.
Il don't see how" replied Ma.
son. Il am pledging myself to do
nothing that / do not intend to do
anyway" --
at is a matter of expediency, +"
argued the Old Man. Politically,
we know the people of that ward
better than you do, and Billy Ryan
can tell you that that pledge will
do you a great deal of harm where
you are strong now
II told you last night put in
Ryan, that a good many of our
people won't stand for it. I'm not
talking of the rank and file but
of the leaders. Bob Howe will kick
over the traces to certainty"
HE said as much to me less
4lan an hour ago." added the Old
Man, "and there are others that !
can't hold in line. Now, I'm talk
ing frankly to you, as man to man.
1t isn't fair to me. have accept
ed you without any pledge, and
you have no right to give one to
anybody else"
"If you asked for pledge that
III could conscientiOusly give, l
would give it to you as readily as
to any one else" said Mason.
81 only ask that you shall give
no pledge at ALL" persisted the
Old Man.
For a moment Mason seemed
undecided, when Darnell suddenly
remarked that he had signed that
pledge without any objection be-
ing made.
"The Twenty-fourth and the
Eighth are different wards, and
the people take different views of
things" replied the Old Man; but
his face showed that the complica-
ton he feared had crept In.
Are certain people in the
Eighth to be held in line for Ma
son on the superstition that, IL he
refuses to sign. he is at heart OPP
posed to the principles involved?'
asked Darnell. and the question put
the matter before Mason in a new
light.
I'm going to sign it," he an
nounced. before the Old Man could
reply. "I'll not be party to any
subterfuge. don't want the sup
port OF any man who expects me
to do what am not going to do.
I'm going to be straightforward,
anyhow"
"You can't be the candidate Of
both the Safety league and the
democratic party" asserted the Old
Man, and now there was something
that savored of threat in his tone.
He was being pushed to his last re-
sort. '"This is no fusion campaign,
he went on. "You were nominated
by the democrats, and they expect
you to be unfaltering true to them.
If you tie yourself up with the Safe
ty league they dent want you, and
they won't have you. They'll turn
in to beat you, and they'll do 1t
good and plenty. I'll help them my
self"
This seemed to be fair state
ment of the case. and most dis