I want to find out if every man in this State
is willing to pay his own just share of taxes, if the people will wake
up and stand behind a man who shows them how to keep from private greed
what belongs to the people. And most of all, young man, this State is in
a condition of civil war over this infernal liquor question. The
radicals are away off at one side, and the liberals as far away from
them as they can get, and both sides plastering each other with mud.
There's no common ground for a decent and honest man to stand on
between; that is, he's too much disgusted with both sides to join
either. I want to see whether there's good sense enough in this State to
take the thing out of the hands of the fanatics so that we can get
results that decent men can subscribe to--_results_ instead of the ruin
and rottenness we're in now."
He stopped suddenly with a word of apology.
"You mustn't think I'm inflicting a rehearsal of my inauguration speech
on you, Mr. Thornton. I talked more than I intended. But my feelings
have been deeply stirred this morning.
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