The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-01

saying that a secret fondness for
poker and not an enthusiasm for
ducks had led the Honorable Roger
B. Ridgefeld to the remote arm of the
Chesapeake, where he had bee. the
guest Of a financier whose influence
in the upper house of Congress was
VIGOROUSLY pernicious. This did not,
however. alter the immediate situa-
ton. The language of the Federal
and State Constitutions was all too
explicit for the Republican minority;
it was only in recess that a Governor
might fill a vacancy; and beyond
doubt the general assembly was in
town, lawfully brought from the
farm, the desk, the mine, and the
factory. as though expressly to satisfy
the greed for power of a voracious
democracy.
Groups of members were retiring to
quiet corners to discuss the crisis.
Bassett had already designated a COM
mittee room where he would meet his
followers and stanch adherents.
Thatcher men had gone forth to seek
their chief. The Democrats would
gain a certain moral strength through
the possession of a Senator in Con-
sress. The man chosen to fill the
vacancy would have an almost
irresistible claim upon the senator
ship if the Democrats should contr5I
the next legislature. 1t was Worth
fighting for, that dead man's~s t!
The fuD significance Of the news
NJ CT ~,
Harwood- The >\house adjourned
promptly, and Dan FASTENED to write
kilograms ,11e wired Colonel Ramsay
OF Aur5ra &c come to the capital on
the hrst train. kilograms went flying
that afternoon to every part Of Indiana
Thatcher read the evening papers
in Chicago and kept the wires hot
while he waited for the first train for
Indianapolis.
One of his messages, addressed to
Harwood. read:
Breakfast with me tomorrow morn
ing at my house. Strictly private. This
is your big chance"
Harwood. locked in his office in the
Law building, received this message
by telephone, and ii aroused his ire
His relations with Thatcher did not
justify that gentleman in rendering
him a strictly private breakfast, nor
did he relish having a big chance
pointed out to him by Mr.. Thatcher
He kept away from the Statehouse
and hotels that evening. having de
Cided to take no part in the prelimi-
nary skirmishes until he had seen
Ramsay. who would bring a cool head
and a trained hand to bear upon this
unforeseen situation.
He studied the newspapers as he
ate breakfast alone at the University
Club early the next morning The
Advertiser had neatly divided It's first
Ridgefield. dead in a far country, and
the Hon. Morton Bassett, who It
seemed, was very much alive at the
Hcosier capital
Harwood, nibbled his toast and win
moved the chaff Of speculation from
the grains of truth in his article. He
had checked off the names of all the
Bassstt men in both houses of the
assembly, and listed Thatcher's sup
porters and the doubtful members.
Bassett would undoubtedly make
strong showing in a caucus, but
whether he would be able to command
d majority remained to be seen. There
We're men among the doubtful who
would be disposed to favor Thatcher
because he had driven n wedge into
the old Bassett stone wall. No one
else had ever succeeded in imperiling
the security of that impregnable
stronghold. The thought of this made
Harwood uncomfortable. 1t was I'M
fortunate from every standpoint that
the Legislature should be called upon
to choose a Senator without the usual
time for preparation. Dan had al.
ready been struck by the general air
of Responsibility that prevailed
among the legislators. Many Of the
members had looked upon the special
session as a lark; they seemed to feel
that their accountability to their con-
stituents had ended with the regular
session.
The Courier, Dan observed, printed
an excellent biographical sketch Of the
dead Senator, and it's news article on
the Democratic opportunity was seem
" and coIorless. The State and Fed
eral statutes bearing upon the emer-
gency were quoted in full, but the
names of Bassett and Thatcher did not
appear, nor were any possible success
sors to Ridgef1eld mentioned. Dan
opened to the editorial page, and was
not surprised to find the leading ar
ticle a dignified eulogy of the dead
Senator. Then his eye fastened upon
an article so placed that it dominated
the whole page. It was the old stop,
Look, Listen"" editorial, reproduced
with minute citation of the date of
original publication.
Dan f1inched as though a cupful OF
ice water had struck him in the face.
Whatever scandalous knowledge
touching Bassett's public or private
life Thatcher might posses. it was
plain that Bassett was either ignorant
Of it or knew and did not fear ex-
posture. In either event, the re-
publication of the stop, Look,
Listen" article was an invitation to
battle
1t was in no happy frame of mind
that HARDWOOD awaited the coming of
Ramsay.
CHAPTER xxx
The Wares had asked Sylvia to
dine with them on Friday evening