That his father
should be coolly proposing him for a high office in the State in which,
notwithstanding the birthright, he was as new as the newest immigrant,
seemed blankly incredible. But when the incredibility began to subside,
the despotism of the machine methods which could propose and carry out
such unheard-of things loomed maleficent.
"I'm afraid we are a good many miles apart in this matter of politics,"
he said, when the proposal had been given time to sink in. "America is
supposed to be a free country, with a representative government elected
by the suffrages of the people; do you mean to say that you and a few of
your friends ignore the basic principles of democracy to such an extent
that you nominate and elect anybody you please to any office in the
State?"
The far-seeing eyes of the veteran were twinkling again.
"Oh, I don't know about our being so far apart," was the deprecatory
protest. "You're just a little bit long on theory, that's all, son. When
it comes down to the real thing--practical politics, as some folks call
it--somebody has to head the stampede and turn it. And if we don't do it
this coming fall, the other bunch will."
"What other bunch?"
"In this case it's the corporations: the timber people, the irrigation
companies, and, most of all, the railroad."
"Gantry seems to think that the railroads--or his railroad, at
least--are persecuted.
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