ers.)
There have been intimations in the camp of our enemy that the party is
threatened with schism and menaced by factional wars; but I declare my
conviction that the party is more harmonious and more truly devoted to
high ideals to-day than at any time since the grand old name of Democrat
became potent upon Hoosier soil. And what have we to do with leaders?
Men come and men go, but principles alone are eternal and live forever.
The great task of our party must be to bring the government back to the
people. (Scattering applause.) But the choice of an invulnerable state
ticket at this convention is our business and our only business. As for
Indiana's two seats in the national Senate which we shall soon wrest
from our adversaries, in due season we shall fill them with tried men
and true. Sir, let us remember that whosoever maketh himself a king
speaketh against Caesar. Stop, Look, Listen!"

Hardly a man in the hall so dull that this did not penetrate! Dan had
given to his last words a weird, mournful intonation whose effect was
startling. He jumped lightly to the floor and was in his seat before the
deep boom of his voice had ceased reverberating. Then instantly it
seemed that the seventeen hundred delegates had been multiplied by ten,
and that every man had become a raving lunatic. This was Bassett's
defiance--Bassett, who had gone fishing, but not before planting this
mine for the confusion of Thatcher. A hundred men who had already
committed themselves to Thatcher sought to rescue their new leader; they
rose upon chairs and demanded to be heard. "Stop, Look, Listen" had
suggested the idea of a locomotive bearing down upon a dangerous
crossing, and Bassett's men began to whistle. The whistling increased in
volume until it drowned the shouts, the cheers, and the laughter. Ladies
in the galleries stopped their ears while the whistling convention
earned its name. It now occurred to the chairman, who had wasted no
energy in futile efforts to stay the storm, that he had a duty to
perform. Even to his practiced hand the restoration of order was not
easy; but by dint of much bawling and pounding he subdued the uproar.
Then after impressive deliberation he said:--

"A point of order has been raised against the resolution offered by the
gentleman from Pulaski. It is the ruling of the chair that the point is
well taken. The resolution is out of order."

This was greeted with great applause; but the chair checked it promptly.