The Columbus commercial., 1913-03-30

You're right. sir. right: II vas
magnificent speech. can see him
lest a. he stood there. a stoutish.
good-looking man. smoothfaced. his
eye straight ahead. and an alternate
that sat next mel was an alternate;
I've been an alternate four times; I
could have been a delegate. but I
says. No. abler men than me are
wanting Il: I'm willing to fight in the
ranks But | wished had a vote. a
free vote that day. I tell you. The
alternate near me, he says, You'll
hear something fine now: I've heard
him speak"
"You did. too. | guess"
I'VE could hear from the first min
ute. That kinder fixed our attention.
He had a mellow. rich kind OF voice
that melted into our ears, We found
ourselves listening and liking him
from the FIRST sentence. At first he
was as quiet as a summer breeze. but
presently he began to warm up, and
the words flowed out like a stream Of
jewels. 1t was electrifying; It was
thrilling. sir: II took us on our feet
before we knew 1t, and when he came
to the climax, those OF US that weren't
yelling In the alsles were jumping up
and down on our chairs! | know
found myself prancing up and down
. on my own hat on a chair. swinging
somebody else's hat and screaming at
the top of my voice. with the tears
running down my cheeks. God! sir,
there we're men there on their feet
cheering their throats out that had to
vote against Blaine afterward-had to,
because they were there instructed
, no more free viii than checked
trunkl" The light died out Of his
face. Yes, sir, great speech; never
! SO great a speech. whoever made IL;
J but it did no good, he wasn't nomi-
, mated, and when We did nominate him
| we were cheated out OF our victory
Well. we'll do better this day"
RI I'VE will that" said the other man
heartilyl Mckinley
4 You'll excuse me"-the old mar
E struck In with a deprecating air, YET
/ under the apology something fieroely
| eager and anxious that glued the hear
er's eyes to his quivering old face
n You'll excuse me. IL am a consld
4 cradle OF an invalid and don't keel
n the run of things as | used to. Yol
@ see, live with my daughter, and yol
q know how women folks are. frettint
/. lest things should make you sick. an,
my girl she worries so, me reading thu
papers. Fact is | got a shock once
i an awful shock"-he shivered involun
! tarily and his dim eyes clouded--"an,
It worried her seeing me read Hadn'
: ought to; 1t don't worry Jenny here
who often gets me paper. quiet like
= but you know how II is with women
: it's easier giving them their head
little-and so ! don't see many papers
and | kinder dropped of. 1t seem
queer, but don't exactly sense
about this Mckinley. Is he runnin
D. against Blaine or Jest for vice."
= The girl. under some feminine pr,
text of dropping and reaching for he
: handkerchief, threw upward a glanc
. of appeal at the interlocutor. HUI
liedly she stepped into the conversI
= ton. "My grandfather read false RI
port about--about Mr.. Blaine's sicl
ness, and he was not we'll at III
~ time, and II brought on bad attack
81 understand" said the lstene
u with grave nod of his head an
70 movement of his eyes In the girls 4
lh rection.
~ "But about Mckinley" the old ma
!, - persisted.
~ Hes for president" the ri
II. announced. her eyes fixed on the he
40 itating man from Canton. have oft'
On admired the intrepid fashion in whi'
woman viii put her conscience at
Ne moral hedge, while man OF no fin
he spiritual fiber will be straining b
eyes TO find hole through which
" can crawl
~ Mckinley is not opposed TO Blair
iu is he?" she asked the man.
"The Republican party has no mar
| that ia more loved than that Of Jam
nd q. Blaine" said the man, gravely.
n.y. That's so, that's sol" the old pal
ng san assented eagerly; ito my mi
les he's the logical candidate"
ISL The Canton man nodded, and ask
II he had ever seen Blaine.
ne Once, only once. was on de
sm, CATION sent to wait on him and Q
'nu him TO our town TO speak-he was
'ne Cincinnati. held out my hand VIII
sn' my turn came. and the chairman ne
Ing ly knocked the breath out of me
10 saying, Here's the man gave more
ing our campaign fund and worked hare
than any man in the county, and
my all worked hard for you. too. w
un' Mr.. Blaine looked at me. You KIN
his the intent way he looks. He has
most wonderful eyes; look right
ple you and seem to bore into you like
Gus gimiet. felt 40 II he was look
EST right down INTO my soul. and |
axe you I was glad, for ! choked up 81
couldn't find a word. not word. an
ere was ready and fluent enough in tho
his days, too, can tell you; but ste
ybe there filing up. and squeezed his ha
YER and gulped and got red. like a fC
ner But he understood. 1 have heard
nan your loyalty TO Republican principl
lom Mr. Painter says he. in that beauti
Ion. voice OF his that was like yiol
ter and / burst in--I couldn't help it
amt loyalty to Republican principl
the It's to you. said that right out
,on. he smiled, and said he, Well. thu
ose wrong. but It isn't for me to quar-
with you there, Mr. Painter and Il
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