g-up of a good working majority in both houses of the General
Assembly. If Thatcher had knifed Bassett men or if Thatcher men had been
knifed at Bassett's behest, evidence of such perfidy was difficult to
adduce from the returns. Harwood was not sure, as he studied the
figures, whether his party's surprising success was attributable to a
development of real strength in Thatcher, who had been much in evidence
throughout the campaign, or whether Bassett deserved the credit. He was
disposed to think it only another expression of that capriciousness of
the electorate which is often manifested in years when national success
is not directly involved. While Thatcher and Bassett had apparently
struck a truce and harmonized their factions, Harwood had at no time
entertained illusions as to the real attitude of the men toward each
other. When the _entente_ between the leaders was mentioned among
Thatcher's intimates they were prone to declare that Ed would "get"
Bassett; it might take time, but the day of retribution would surely
come.

As a candidate for the lower house in Marion County, Harwood had been
thrust forward prominently into a campaign whose liveliness belied the
traditional apathy of "off" years. On the Saturday night before the
election, Thatcher and Bassett had appeared together on the platform at
a great meeting at the capital--one of those final flourishes by which
county chairmen are prone to hearten their legions against the morrow's
battle. Bassett had spoken for ten minutes at this rally, urging support
of the ticket and in crisp phrases giving the lie to reports of his
lukewarmness. His speech was the more noteworthy from the fact that it
was the first time, in all his political career, that he had ever spoken
at a political meeting, and there was no questioning its favorable
impression.

Bassett was, moreover, reelected to his old seat in the senate without
difficulty; and Harwood ran ahead of his associates on the legislative
ticket in Marion County, scoring a plurality that testified to his
personal popularity. Another campaign must intervene before the United
States Senatorship became an acute issue, and meanwhile the party in the
state had not in many years been so united. Credit was freely given to
the "Courier" for the formidable strength developed by the Democracy:
and it had become indubitably a vigorous and conservative reflector of
party opinion, without estranging a growing constituency of reade