Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-08-25
BOOK II~THE BATTLE FOR
FREEDOM.
CHAPTER Vii.

The Outs Would Fain Take a Hand.
The political declaration of Gormly
was the sensation of the hour; the
sensation Of many hours, in fact. It
came at exactly the right time. The
n~on-church going section Of New
York, from which the larger part Of
politics was unfortunately recruited
the truly good Christian being a
man who leaves the doing Of such
duties to his ungodly ~neighbOr as a
rule!-had abundant leisure to read
the papers on Christmas morning.
and every paper In the city contained
that same announcement which Miss
Haldane and the party at the cottage
had read in The Planet.
Every paper contained also editori-
al comment the and thereafter. The
administration papers ridiculed the
proposition, endeavored to laugh 1t
out of court. Other men possibly as
high in character a announced
themselves from time to time with
similar platforms. Their
ments had created mild sensations,
their campaigns had sometimes ere
ated more sensations; but the re
suits had invariably pee defeat.
So the administration papers sought
TO whistle the new candidate down
the wind of their disdain. Neverthe-
less, since George Gormly's money
was as good as anybody else's in
New York, they kept on printing his
communications, in which his adver-
tisements were alternated with his
political manifestOS.
The anti-administration papers, and
those which stroye SO far as news
papers could to take q dispassionate
view of the situation, were unanimous
in their approval of Gormly's cand1-
dacy. They declared that his cleo
ton would be the best thing that
could happen for New York; they
were also practically unanimous in
their kODeleSsness of his success.
Gormly bad carefully studied the
situation. lie was not disappointed
IN the least degree-and he realized
that while such a proclamation az
he had made would inevitably CAUSE
a tremendous discussion, it would
have to be followed up by work, if it
was to be more effective than a flash
in the pan. He had learned that Or
ganizatiOn was the keynote of ucceS
as reorganization was It's death
knell. He knew that the arrangement
which secured all general principles.
leaving the utmost liberty in details,
was the one which was in the end
bound to succeed, provided the fac
tors upon whom dependence was to
be placed were in any degree worthy
OF their responsibilities.
He was also aware that the ma
tive intelligence of the community.
even allowing for the vast num-
Der of ignorant foreigners who
were allowed without let or hin
drance to fill the city, was very
high. The first requisite for sue
cessful campaigning, therefore, he de-
cided to be education. knowledge, AZ
of old. is stIN power.
The ideal method Of enlightening
the people to the seriousness of the
their ability to amend it was by word
of mouth. Gormly had never been a
public speaker. Fortunately he had
plenty Of self confidence, and he was
quite capable Of presenting a situa-
ton in a simple, businesslike, way.
. so clearly that even the ignorant
could comprehend it A few months
only would elapse before the spring
elections that would determine the is
sue. No matter how assiduously he
campaigned, he could reach only a
portion of the vast cOnglOmeration
that made up political New FORK. 1t
would be necessary for him, therefore,
TO keep telling the same story in the
different papers of the city to reach
those who did not hear his voice, and
TO drive home in the minds of those
who had heard what they had listened
TO.
He was prepared to spend his
money as well as himself for this end.
Watson, one Of the assistant gen
Sral managers of his great insjtu-