Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-22


since become respectable.
He learned in common with other
Young iconoclasts something of the ex-
istence and character and aims or the
personal government which lay behind
the formal and Of the marvelously
woven system by which the dominant
personalities twisted the form of gov
eminent to their purpose. Being a
young man who thought himself in
spired, he was aghast and the more de
termined to destroy that system. Not
wholly lacking a sense OF proportion.
he realized the temerity of him who
| undertook such wholesale destruction
But his youthful optimism and faith
in the people had not failed. Ills task
was to expoupd the machine to the
people Of his state. Always he saw
victory just one year ahead.
| In those days-to be exact, three
| years after the destruction of the
/ Sheehan maehine-there was strife in
the organizations Of both parties. Upon
| the devoted heads of Murchell and
| Duffy, the respective bosses, hurtied
abuse from strange quarters. Anxious
| cries rang from the deck OF the ship
Murehell had steered so long Then
the storm burst.
| The biennial election Of state treas
| urer was at hand. There appeared to
| John one day plausible gentleman
who discussed the troubled waters. He
| was in u state of righteous Indignation
Murchelfs domination had continued
too long, Patience with his tyrannica
ways has ceased to be virtue. His
unfitness had been proved by his
breach Of contract to let Sherrod sue
coed Beck. And he, the messenger,
was glad to say. in confidence, that
those able and distinguished patriots
and leaders, Mark Sherrod and Phi
lander PARROT, were organizing a re.
volt and proposed to make the treas
urership nomination test Of strength.
And they had commissioned him to
urge that other able, etc. John Dun
meade. the man who had licked
Murchell in hs own back yard to
join the reform. He was deeply hurt
when John refused.
Haig. who also had made New Chel-
sea his legal residence, invented sun
dry lurid epithets to describe Johns
folly and urged reconsideration. John
shook his head.
But | thought you wanted to put
Mnrchell out Of brsiness?"
Not Murchel I've grown past
that. I'm rather sorry for him just
now. And I'd rather have him run
things than Sherrod. It's the in
stitution we've got to destroy-as he
told me himself once. Nothings gained
il we substitute one boss for another. !"
Then what are you going to do. my
destructive friendg'
Try to slip in between them, /
think-pnt up an independent candi
date.
John made his campaign. When the
primaries had been held, he was him
self astonished to discover that nearly
a quarter of the delegates chosen were
pledged 10 his independent candidate.
But before daylight on the night be
fore the convention John learned that
be had been used TO draw delegates
from Murchell for Sherrod's purpose:
he saw his band dwlndle to n faithful
handful
When the convention met. Sherrod
was In control After the preliminaries
John. answering to the roll call Of
counties. placed his candidate in nomf.
nation In a speech that could hardly
be heard for ieers and catealls. II
was brought to an abrupt conclusion
by yell from the gallery. "sit down.
sonny. Only money talks in this con.
ventienn' Even the delegates Joined
in the roar of laughter And then the
coup was accomplished The Parrot.
Sherrod candidate was withdrawn and
sherrod himself substituted Amid
confusion that amounted almost to 4
riot he was nominated.
A nonnartisan candidate was put m
that fall. John and Jerry Brent were
most active in his support They made
what was said to he a remarkable
campaign and in every county they
We're met with tremendous enthnsl.
asm. People fiocked by thousands Ia
hear them and cheered themselves
hoarse as the young orators excoriatea
the bosses But on election day the
people marched TO the polls voted a.
they had always done and elected the
old party ticket by majority Of
more than 100000
Tie campaign fixed Johns place
firmly II the public nnd This pace.
one that a practical nan would hive
thought twice before seeking. was Won
Mt the cost Of much Of his buoYant
optimism. It almost cost him his life
also A heavy cold contracted during
the Inst days OF the campaign eyentn-
ally settled into a stubborn case OF
pneumonia. There We're many anxious
days In the Dunmeade home Nor was
Miss Roberta's anxiety nnshared.
Through three consecutive nights