Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-06-24
CHAPTER XVI.
To Smash the Machine.

into the Convention Hall.
Ess=ss=ss The Conover machine, hav
go ing creased the wheels and
oiled the cogs, did not propose to lose
any time in running its Juggernaut
over the young reformer who had
dared to brave an entrenched and
ruthless organization.
The Committee on Resolutions Of
fered perfunctory platform filled
with the customary hackneyed
phrases, lauding the deeds of Democ.
racy and denouncing the Republican
party.
Bourke, temporary chairman, sue
ceeded himself as permanent chair
man.
Then, while the Conover claque
hooted joyously and the Standish men
sat by in helpless silence, the finish
ing stroke was delivered.
Two reports were offered from the
Committee on Credentials, one of the
minority, signed by the six members
from Wills and MataWan, recommend
ing the seating of the contesting
Standish delegates from the other six
counties; the other, signed by the
eighteen Conover members of the
committee, recommending that the
delegates holding credentials be al
lowed to retain their seats.
The majority report was damned
through, while Shevlin's noble army
of brazen-lunged shouters cheersd,
screeched and blew tin horns.
In his den behind the stage Caleb
Conover's mouth corners twisted in
a grim smile of satisfaction as the
babel Of noise reached him. From
some mysterious source Shevlin had
produced a half-dozen bottles OF
champagne, and there, in the room
of the successful candidate, corks
were drawn and success was pledged
to 1.-The Mountain States next and
greatest Governor" with Caleb's time
honored slogan, ITO hell with re,
form" as a rider.
In another room, directly across the
stage, a very different scene was in
action. Karl Anscl had left his seat
in the Wills County delegation, turn
ing over the floor leadership of the
forlorn hope to Judge Shelp, Of Matag
wan, and had gone direct to Stan
dish's quarters. The room had been
empty when he entered, but before he
had waited thirty seconds, the door
was flung open and Give hurried in.
lNnl~nI ch opniU him then
in astonished bewilderment. He had
expected to find the beaten man de-
jected, bereft of even his customary
strong calm. On the contrary, Stan
dish, his face alive with resolve and
with some other impulse that BAT
fled even Ansel's shrewd observation,
came into the place like whirlwind.
Kicking aside the litter of dusty stage
properties and dingy, discovered hang
ings that were piled near the door,
he made his way to Karl and grasped
his hand.
Glow goes it?" he asked. "I'm
sorry to be late. | thought"
well, Boy, it's all up" said Ansel.
Some fool said once that virtue was
it's own reward, and guess it just
naturally has to be. It never gets
any other. In half al hour from now
Caleb Conover will be nominated for
Governor, and we will be bowling our
necks for his collar, and pledging
ourselves to support him and his
dirty gang, just as we always have IN
the past and just as we always will
in the future, | presume. We put up
a good fight and an honest one, but
you see where it's landed us. So far
as we are concerned, it's all over but
the shouting"
And the grim old New Eng1ander
dropped his hand upon the shoulder
of the defeated candidate with an
awkward gesture that was half car
ess.
you're mistaken retorted Give,
'the shouting has just begun. Ansel,
| have made up my mind. A man
owes more to his State than he owes
to his party. Political regularity is
one thing, ard common decency is
another. marched into this conven-
ton a free man, with nobody's collar
on my neck, and I'm going to march
out in the same way"
"What?" almost shouted Ansel.
You're not going to bolt?"
eyes, l am" answered Standish.
"And I'm going to bolt right now be
fore the nomination is made"
"But man." protested Ansel think
of 1.-THE irregularity of it! Your
be branded as bolter and renegade
and a traitor and lot of other things
yyhv man alive it'll never don