The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-24


new, he was enthusiastic, he was
daring. ePople listened. Parrott
was nominated easily according to
the SLATE"
Judge Dunmeade was not nomi-
mated to the supreme court that year
hence the breach of lifelong friend
ship, increased 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
proffered remedies with naive dis
regard of the conservative habit of
the American mind that melted in
some, apprehension in others and
IN still others. 1t is not necessary here
to enumerate his remedies. They have
since become respectable.
He learned in common with other
young iconoclasts 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.
ernment 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 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 inst one wear ahead
! In those days-to be exact, three
years after the destruction of the
Sheehan machine-there was strife in
the organizations of both parties. Upon
the devoted heads Of Murchell and
Duffy, the respective bosses, hurtled
abuse from strange quarters. Anxious
cries rang from the deck of the ship
Murchell 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 a state Of righteous indignation.
MurchelPs domination had continued
too long! Patience with his tyrannical
ways has ceased to be virtue. His
unfitness had been proved by his
breach of contract to let Sherrod sue
ceed Beck. And he, the messenger,
was glad to say, in confidence, that
those able and distinguished patriots
and leaders, Mark Sherrod and Phi
lander Parrott, were organizing 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 clicked
Murchell in his 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 1 thought you wanted to put
Murchell out of businessY
"Not Murchell. 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. Nothing's gained
if we substitute one boss for another -
'Then what are you going to do, my
destructive friend?
'Try to slip in between them, l
think--put 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 to his Independent candidate.
But before daylight on the night be.
fore the convention John learned that
he had been used to draw delegates
from Murchell for Sherrods purpose;
he saw his band dwindle to a 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 nomi
nation in a speech that could hardly
be heard for jeers and catcalls. II
was brought to an abrupt conclusion
by yell from the gallery, "Sit down
sonny. Only money talks in this con
vention" Even the delegates JOINED
in the roar of laughter. And then the
coup was accomplished. The Parrott
Sherrod candidate was withdrawn ant
Sherrod himself substituted. Amit
confusion that amounted almost to G
riot he was nominated.
A nonpartisan candidate was put W
that fall. John and Jerry Brent were
most active in his support. They made
what WAS said to be a remarkable
campaign, and in every county the!
were met with tremendous enthusl
asm People focked by thousands t.
hear them and cheered themselve
hoarse as the young orators excoriateC
the bosses. But on election day tn,