Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-03
The Light IN
the Clearing
Bv IRVING BACHELLER
copyrigh. 1917. The Bobbs-Msrrin Co.

had given my word to Sally and.
well, you know, the 0Id-tfroa
! Yankee of good stock was fairlv
steadfast, whatever else may ba
| said Of him-often little too
steadfast, as were Ben Grimshaw
and Squire Fullerton.
The senator and / went calling
that New Years day. We saw ali
the great people and some Of them
were more cheerful than they had
/ q right to be. 1t was a weakness
of the time. l shall not 90 into
details for fear Of wandering too
/ far from my maiH road. Let me
step aside a moment 10 say, how.
/ ever, that there were two clouds
in the sky Of the Washington So
| ciety of those days. One was
strong drink and the other was the
crude. roUgh-coated, aggressive
democrat from the frontiers Of the
west. These latter were often seen
| in the holiday regalia of farm or
village at fashionable functions
| Some of them changed slowly and
| by and by, reached the stage OF
white linen and diamond breast
pins and waistcoats of figured silk
1t must be said, however, that their
motives were always above their
| taste.
The winter wore away slowly in
| hard work. Mr.. Van Buren, came
| down to see the senator one day
from his country seat on the Hud-
! son. The X-president had been So
| licited to accept the nomination
again. l know that Senator Wright
! strongly favored the plan but
! feared that the south would defeat
| hfm in convention, it being well
! known that Van Buren, was op-
posed to the annexation Of Texas
pet project of the shareholders.
However, he advised his friend 10
make a fight for the nomination
and this the latter resolved to do
Thenceforward until the middle of
| May l gave my time largely to the
| inditing of letters for the senator
in Van Buren's behalf.
The time appointed for the con
vention in Baltimore drew near.
One day the senator received an in
! timation that he would he put In
nomination If Van Buren, failed. In
mediately he wrote to Judge Fine
! of Ogdenburg, chairman of the del
| egation from the northern district
OF New York, forbidding such use
of his name on the ground that his
| acquiescence would involve disloy-
atty TO his friend the eX-president
He gave me leave to go 10 the
! convention on my way home 10
meet Sally. l had confided 10 Mrs.
Wright the details OF my little love
AFFAIR." had to-and she had
shown tender, sympathetic inter
est in the story.
The senator had said to me one
day, with a gentle smile:
Bart you have business in Can
| ten, l believe, with which trifing
matters like the choice of a presi-
dent and the Mexican question can
not be permitted to interfere. You
must take time to spend a day or
two at the convention in Baltimore
on your way. Report 10 our
friend Fine, who will look after
your comfort there. The expert
ence ought to be useful 10 a young
! IudH NuOy L Hbpes Will nave VI d W
40 in future conventions
took the stage to Baltimore next
day-the twenty-siXth of May. The
convention thrilled me-the flags
the great crowd, the bands, the
songs, the speeches, the cheering
l see and hear it all in my talk The
uproar lasted for 20 minutes when
Van Buren's name was put in nom
Then the undercurrent, The
slave interest OF the south was
against him as Wright had fore
seen. The deep current OF us
power had undermined certain OF
the northern and western delega-
tons. Ostensibly for Van Buren,
and stubbornly casting their ballots
for him, they had voted for the two
| thirds rule, which had accom-
plished his defeat before the ballot
ing began. 1t continued for two
days without a choice. The enemy
! stood firm. After adjournment thal
evening many Of the Van Buren
| delegates were summoned TO con
| ference. I attended It with Judge
| Fine.
Continued Monday