Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-28
HIS RISE
TO
POWER
By Heary Russell Miller;
AuSAor q
<The Man Higher Up"
cssyslRal M, b ~ Bssssasa13
Ce0yasy
CHAPTER XVI.
Lseusts and Wild Honey.

-
CHAPTER XII.
Lseusts and Wild Honey.
- SON Of the old regime return.
|IA iug to New Chelsea after four
az;1e years would have found vast
improvements wrought. Nor
was the prosperity thus attested mere
" the crumbs from the table of thrtv-
ing Plumville. It was all New Chel-
seas own, and it had come BY the ave-
nue. of Stephen Hampden's specula-
ton, for the coal company. despite the
rules Of the game. was success for
all concerned. Already It was paying
dividends.
But a great deal more than ''boom"
can happen in four years That num-
Der of cycles saw William Murchelfs
power shaken. totter and crash to the
earth. Most people credited this to
the craft Of Mark Sherrod. state treas
urer and the new minister, and his
able lieutenant. Governor Parrott
Murchell would have placed the credit
or blame elsewhere. Had he had the
habit Of discussing his mistakes he
would have added year to our calcu-
lation and said that the initial blow
had been struck at his power when on
certain June day, in company with
Jim Sheehan. he had sought to press
a bright faced young man into his
service.
If it was your good fortune to be a
resident Of New Chelsea at that time
you will remember how John Dun
meade appeared when he was thirty
hve--a grave. quiet man. looking older
than his years, as carelessly dressed as
men are apt to be who are dreaming
Of big things. His hair was beginning
to thin ut the temples. He walked
with slight stoop and with less
spring-the long. slow stride Of man
who thinks much on his feet.
He made it point, however I'M
happily his cause was progressing.
never to seem downcast. You would
leave him. probably thinking it'a pity
that such an attractive man should
be 20 impractical and the object Of 10
many bitter and powerful enmities. II
the truth must be told, New Chelsea
was more than a little disappointed
In John Dunmeade.
His health was not always good.
He had suffered q serious illness dur
ing one wintet and. between the duties
Of Office, the cares Of growing pri-
vate practice and the incessant labors
Of politics. his body had been sadly
overtaxed. He was still district at
torney. last trophy Of the reform wave
that had swept over the shattered
machine. Under the leadership Of
Greene. an ex.gambler and former lieu.
tenant Of Sheehan. less obviously the
brute and far shrewder than the de-
posed boss. the Plumville organization
had risen from its ashes. He had 70.
captured all the county Offices, except
when John. candidate for reelection,
had won through personal popularity
and by q scant margin.
Politics Is hard taskmaster. John
found poor compensation in the fact
that he had become we'll known
throughout the state. The year after
the Benton county reform he had join
ed himself to the cause Of Judge Gray,
an honest and capable lawyer who
dared to ask the old party nomina.
ton for governor against the organiza-
tons choice. With the Judge John
made vigorous stamping campaign
in every county Of the state. he was
new. he was enthusiastic. he was dar-
ing. People listened. Parrot was nomi-
mated easily according to the SLATE"
Judge Dunmeade was not nominated
to the supreme court that year: hence
the breach Of a lifelong friendship. in.
creased bitterness against his son and
many I-told-you-sos from Miss Roberta.
But John preached on. He did more
than attack. He devised and preferred
remedies with naive disregard of tho
conservative habit of the American
mind that melted mirth in some. an
prehension in others and hewiiderment
in still others. 1t is not necessary here
to enumerate his remedies. They have
since become respectable.
He learned In common with other
young icon0clasts something of the ex-
istence and character and aims OF 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 .
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. His task
was to expound 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 tho
Sheehan machine-there was strife In
the organizations Of both parties. Upon
the devoted heads Of Murchell ind
Duty, the respective bosses. HURLED