Caleb Conover

“ To Caleb Conover’s unbounded horror and amaze, Enid, instead of spurning him haughtily, burst into a crescendo, throaty gurgle of contralto weeping, and flung herself bodily upon him; her long-gloved arms twining about his neck, her pompadoured head snuggling into his bosom.
“Oh, Father! Father!” came a muffled, yet artistic wail from somewhere in the region of his upper waistcoat buttons. “How can you? You’ve broken Gerald’s heart. And now you’re breaking mine. Forgive us!”
“Miss Lanier!” ”

“ Any more than one of those patent leather ’ristocrats in France had the genius to win out the Napoleon job. You’re where you started. I’ve kept on rising. And I’ll rise to the White House before I’m done. Now I ask you, fair and square, which of us two is the best man, and if you oughtn’t to be looking up to Caleb Conover instead of——”
“I am the better man,” answered Clive 187quietly. “And so is any honest man. And I can look down on you for the same reason any square American can look down on a political Boss. Because we are honest and you are not.” ”

“ It was pigeonholed, but if I tried real hard, I might induce the District Attorney to look for it. I tell you,” went on Conover, raising his voice for the first time, and glaring about the table, “every mother’s son, from engine-oiler to Congressman, has got to get down to the job and hustle as he never did before. And I’ve got the means of finding out who hustles and who shirks. And I’ve got the means of paying both kinds. And I guess there isn’t anyone that doubts I can do it. Pass that on, too. Caleb Conover for Governor, and to hell with reform!” ”

“ And all this dimly troubled Caleb Conover.
“Anything the matter?” he asked, with somewhat less assurance. “Come to propose a compromise, Standish? Or maybe a campaign partnership? Good idea, that! Only I’m afraid it wouldn’t work this time. In business partnership, you know, one man puts up the money and the other the experience. And by the end of sixty days they’ve usually swapped. But in politics one man always has both the experience and the money. ”

“ He had rehearsed this last sentence many times for campaign speeches. It seemed to him to have the true oratorical ring, and to be singularly appropriate. He prepared to sit down, then checked himself.
“Some men,” he added, as an afterthought, “are in politics for a ‘holy’ purpose. Some for what’s in it for them. I find the result’s usually pretty much the same in both cases. As governor I shall do my best for Granite and for the Mountain State. Thank you.”
Caleb bowed, reseated himself and swallowed another glass of champagne at a gulp. He was not ill pleased with himself. ”

“ For the power that draws and holds men to a political leader who possesses neither eloquence, charm nor the qualities of popularity has never been—can never be—clearly defined. Not one great Boss in ten can boast these qualities.
Yet, whatever the reason of Caleb Conover’s dominance, none could for a moment doubt its presence. ”

“ That it had come from the Conover camp he could not doubt. He had heard, before Caleb’s hint of the previous afternoon, that there was a certain discontent and vague rumor of treachery, in more than one of the multifarious branches of the Boss’s business and political interests. For the unexpected strength developed by the Civic League and the eloquence of its candidate had shaken divers of the enemy’s less resolute followers, and more than one of these might readily seek to curry future favor with the winning side by casting just such an anchor to windward. ”

“ Standish,” remarked Ansel, after a moment’s battle with words he found hard to check, “you’re the most Quixotic, impractical idealist that ever got hold of the foolish idea he had a ghost of a chance for success in politics. And,” he added, after a pause, “I’m blest if I don’t think I’d rather lose with a leader like you than win with any other man in the Mountain State.”
Meanwhile, at the head of the great study table in his Pompton Avenue “Mausoleum” sat Caleb Conover, Railroader. ”

“ From the slums and the dark places of the city’s underworld the long-trained servants of the Machine had swarmed to the polls, overwhelming all opposition from the smaller and more respectable element, and had carried Granite tumultuously for Conover. ”

“ To promise not to molest him in any way, not to allow your rowdies to break up his meetings nor to prevent him from hiring halls. Not to stuff the ballot-boxes, falsify the returns, employ ‘floaters’ or—in short, I want you to give him an equal chance with yourself; to conduct the campaign honestly, and to leave the issue solely to the voters. Will you do this?”
“And if I beat him at that?”
“If you are elected by an honest majority, that is no concern of ours. All I demand is that you fight in the open and leave the result to the people.”
Caleb thought in silence for a few moments. ”

“ We’d ’a’ sent this Standish person screechin’ up a tree. He’d ’a’ thought a whale had bit him! But with all this amachoor line of drorin’-room stunts at the polls an’ givin’ him the chance to——”
“That’s my business,” replied Caleb. “Cut it out.”
And Billy relapsed into grumbling incoherence. Nor did any of the rest dare voice 284their equally strong opinions on the subject of Conover’s recent mystifying campaign tactics. Had a less powerful Boss dictated and carried out such a senselessly honest plan of battle, his leadership would have ended with the issuance of his first order. ”

“ The hard luck an’ starvin’ has turned him old and ugly an’ bad-shaped. In short, he’s what S’ciety an’ a lovin’ Paternal Gov’ment has made him. An’—he’s my father, God help him! An’ the man who says I’m ashamed of him, lies!”
Amid the oppressed silence, Caleb Conover crossed over to where his father stood cowed and half-sobered. As gently as a woman, he put his arm about the old man’s twisted shoulders and drew him toward the door. A lane was made for their passage. From somewhere in the crowd came the sound of a woman’s stifled sob. Jack Hawarden impulsively clapped his hands together. ”

“ I figgered out all at once that if there was any flaw in my plans so far, the governorship was dead sure to cinch me in society. Folks’ll think twice before they turn up their noses at a governor. It came as 41an inspiration. A genuine hunch. I never have one of them but what it wins. Why, when——”
“But can you get the nomination?”
“Can I get it? Can I get it? Say, Miss Lanier, haven’t you learned yet that there isn’t a thing in the city of Granite or in the Mountain State that Caleb Conover, Railroader, can’t get if he wants it bad enough? To-night ought to have showed you that. ”

“ I resign. I’m out of politics for good. As far as I’m concerned the Machine is smashed for all time. Now clear out of here, the whole kennelful of you. Be on your way!”
Stilling the furious volley of protest that had arisen on all sides at his announcement, Caleb flung open the outer door of his study. Several of the dazed politicians essayed to speak, but the quick gleam in their self-deposed Leader’s eye halted the words ere they were spoken. Obedient, cowed to the last, the Machine’s officers and henchmen finally yielded to that look and to the peremptory gesture of the Railroader’s arm. ”

“ The Independents are organized. The votes on every share of their stock is in the control of one man.”
“But he’ll—”
“An’ that ‘one man,’” resumed the Fighter, “happens to be Caleb Conover.”
“But,” gasped the dumbfounded Caine, “I don’t understand.”
“Caine,” protested Conover, gently, “if all the things you don’t understand about finance was to be placed end to end—like they say in the Sunday ‘features’ of your paper,—they’d reach from here to Blacarda’s chances of swingin’ the Independent Steeloid Company. An’ that’s a long sight farther [14] than twice around the world. ”

“ But the Civic League is planning one more effort to shake off Conover’s grip on the throat of the Mountain State—another good ‘stump’ line, by the way. And I have been asked to run for governor.”
“But——”
“Oh, yes, I know. Conover holds the Convention in the hollow of his hand. He owns the delegates and the newspapers and the Legislature as well as the railroads. And no sane man would dream of bucking such a combination. But maybe I’m not quite sane. For I’m going to try it. Now laugh all you like.”
“Laugh? I feel more like crying. It’s—it’s knightly and splendid of you, Clive! ”

“ It wasn’t especially logical repartee, but it always served to shut me up.”
“I wish we had time for another political spat. Some day we must. You see, I’ve learned such a lot about politics—and finance, too—practical politics and finance—since I came here.”
“Decidedly ‘practical,’ I fancy, if Mr. Conover was your teacher. He doesn’t go in much for idealism.”
“And you?” asked Anice, ignoring the slur. “Are you still as rabid as ever in your 19ideas of reform? But, of course, you are. For I read only last week that you had been elected President of the Civic League. I want to congratulate you. ”

“ Promptly at twelve o’clock Shevlin, in his newly acquired capacity of State Chairman, called the convention to order. He had judiciously distributed bunches of his best trained shouters where they would do the most good. This claque, glad to earn their money, kept an eye on their sub-captains and cheered at the slightest provocation. They cheered Shevlin as he brought the gavel down sharply on the oak table in front of him, and went through the customary rigmarole of announcing the purposes of the convention. ”

“ The tumult had died down, and Staatz alone was now speaking. So intent were the speaker and his hearers that none noted the Boss’s advent from so unexpected a quarter. On the threshold stood Caleb, surveying the scene with quiet contempt.
“And that’s how it is!” Staatz was declaiming. “We’re licked. Licked! Pretty sort of news for Democrats this is!” picking up a newly-broken length of ticker tape around which the other men had been clustering. “‘City of Grafton, complete: Conover 5,100, Standish 12,351.’ Is it a wonder you all went nutty when you got it? ”

“ No candidate’s ever supposed to show his face to the convention until after the nomination is made. You know that, don’t you? Then, after the nomination he comes out either to accept it or to promise his support to the winner. You’ll bust the party traditions all to flinders.”
“Very well,” assented Clive, “if I can smash the Machine, too, it’s all I ask. I tell you my mind is made up. This convention has been a mockery, a farce. You know how many voters were with us, and you know the deal our delegates got. The time’s come in this State to draw up a new Declaration of Independence. ”

“ His bellow changed to a lower tone of persuasion.
“I ain’t saying,” he resumed, “but what Conover’s done work for the Machine. In his day he was a great man, but his day’s past. He’s breaking up. Don’t this campaign prove he is? Makes us throw our chances out of the winder for Standish to pick up. And when we’re waiting news from the deciding city he plays a phonograph, and then wanders off and most likely forgets we’re here. There’s another thing: How did Richard Croker and Charlie Murphy and Matt Quay and N. Bonaparte and all the rest of the big bosses hold their power? ”

“ Two for Standish. Thus eighteen of Caleb’s adherents could, and would, vote to ratify the seating of the Railroader’s delegates. The opponents of this weird measure could muster a numerical force of but six.
Meanwhile, the preliminary organization of the convention had been effected without much delay. The Standish delegates, knowing the futility of making a fight at this time, had raised merely a perfunctory opposition to the nomination of Bourke as temporary chairman. Through Bourke (by way of Shevlin) Conover now proclaimed his plan of choosing the all-important Committee on Credentials. ”

“ Also to ask if you intend to give me fair play in future.”
“Fair play?” echoed Conover in genuine bewilderment. “Son, this is politics, not ping pong.”
177“Everyone in God’s world is entitled to fair play. And I’m here to demand it.”
“‘God’s’ world, eh? My friend, when you’ve travelled about it as long as I have, you’ll find out that the original owner sublet the premises long ago.”
“It looks so, in the Mountain State, I agree. But I’m trying to act as local dispossess agent for the present tenant. All men are born equal, and some of us are tired of being owned by a political boss. ”

“ Let them call me bolter, if they will! Let them call me traitor, ingrate, renegade! I would rather be a bolter than a thief. I would rather rip my party, dearly as I love it, to rags and tatters, than to sacrifice my own self-respect any longer! I would rather see the Democratic party pass from existence altogether than to see it continue the tool and the creature of greed and dishonesty.
“Yes, they may call me bolter, and properly so, for I am going to bolt this convention! ”

“ We have tried reforming the party from the inside, and we have failed. Has the time come to reform it from the outside?”
He paused, and the answer came. From the Conover hosts went up a shout of “No! No!” mingled with hiss and groan. But instantly, from a great scattered mass of the audience, and from the Standish delegates on the floor, there arose an outburst of cheering that drowned the barking negatives of what 223had been but ten short minutes before a majority of that convention. ”

“ Speaking of press work, I had your candidature telegraphed to New York to the Associated Press early this morning. There’ll be a perfect cloud of reporters up here before night. We must arrange to see them before the Conover crowd can get hold of them. Sympathy from out-of-State papers won’t do us any harm. The country at large has a pretty fair idea of the way Conover runs the Mountain State. And the country likes to watch a good fight against long odds. There’s lots of sympathy for the under dog—as long as the sympathizer has no money on the upper one. ”