Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-12-27

shout of "Now mingled with hiss and
groan. But, instantly from a great
scattered mass of the audience, and
from the Standish delegates on the
floor, there arose an outburst of
cheering that drowned the barking
negatives of what had been but ten
short minutes before a majority of
that convention.
Tn effect of this outburst was di-
verse on it's hearers. With Standish
himself it acted as tonic, as an cleo
trio battery which gave him added
force and vigor for what he had yet
to say. Karl Ansel it seemed for the
moment to Supply and paralyze. Con-
overs lieutenants it threw into a state
of CONSERVATION, which approached
frenzy, panic, decentralization. They
ran aimlessly to and fro, comforting
excitedly in hoarse whispers.
Conover, alone, from his den at the
rear of the stage, smiled to himself
and gave no other sign of interest.
Standish was speaking again, and
now behind him stood Karl Ansel re-
covering from his amazement, and in
tent to catch his leaders every word.
81 tell you," Numbered Give, beside
himself with excitement, 1--WE have got
to act-and to act now. l tell you
that the people of this State, irrespec-
tive of party, are waiting for half a
chance to throw off the yoke of the
railroad-of the Machine. All over
this country of ours bosses are being
overthrown. They are going down
to ruin in the wreckage of their own
Machines; and it is the PEOPLE who
are downing them. The day of Boss
ism is passing-passing forever. We
came into this convention as free men.
Some of us did. And / for one pro-
pose to walk out of it free man. If
we go before the people of this State
on the issue of honest government as
opposed to dishonesty, tell you that
we will win. 1t only needs man with
match, and the nerve to use that
match, to start confiagration that
will burn party ties to cinders and
leave a free, emancipated people.
LET them call me bolter, if they
will! Let them call me traitor, in
CRATE, renegade! / would rather be a
bolter than a thief. | would rather
rip my party, dearly as / love it, to
rags and tatters, than to sacrifice my
own self-respect any longer.
eyes, they may call me bolter and
properly so, for | am going to bolt
this convention! Is there man who
will follow me out of doors? Out of
the filthy atmosphere of this Machine
ridden, Boss owned convention into
the pure sunshine of Gods own peo-
ple?"
In the midst of an indescribable
tumult, in which Kisses and cheers
were madly intermingled, Give Stan
dish leaped off the platform, cleared
the orchestra railing and strobe up
the middle aisle toward the open door
at the far end of the hall.
And then a strange thing occurred.
Karl Ansel, as a man Weakened from a
dream, rubbed his eyes, and peered
for moment at Gives retreating
back. Then with yell that shook the
rafters, he, too, bounded over the rail
and FASTENED up the aisle behind his
leader.
The delegates from Wills and Mata-
wan counties arose as one man, form
ing in procession behind Ansel and
StandiSh.
Down the steps from the gallery
came not one, nor dozen, but nine
tenths of those who had heard the
speech, including the very cream of
the representative business element
Granite.
The remarkable scene was over in
almost less time than it takes to tell
of it. In a daze sat the abandoned
convention. CHANGING about them,
even the Conover delegates on the
floor discovered here and there va
cant chairs, gaps in thir own solid
ranks, where some one, weaker per-
haps than the others-or perhaps
stronger-had been moved by the
furious oratory of Give Standish to
join that procession which even now
was rolling out of the front door into
the quiet, gaslit street like living
avalanche.
Bourke managed to pull the rem
nants of the convention back into
some sort Of shape. The delegates
went through the form of nominating
Conover. A quantity of handmade
enthusiasm burst forth; and then,
without a speech from the successful
nominee, the great occasion wound up
in roar of cheers, shouts and blaring
music.