re arose the
red poll of Grant Adams. From the Harvey delegates he met the glare of
distrust due from any crowd of merchants and clerks to any labor
agitator. Morty could see from the face of Dr. Nesbit that he was
surprised. Judge Van Dorn, who sat near young Sands, looked mildly
interested. After he was recognized, Grant in an impassioned voice began
to talk of the inherent right of the Nesbit motion, providing that each
precinct or ward delegation could name its own delegates to the State,
congressional and judicial conventions.

If the motion prevailed, Judge Van Dorn would have a divided delegation
from Greeley county to the judicial convention, as some of the precincts
and wards were against him, though a majority of the united convention
was for him. Grant Adams, swinging his iron claw, was explaining this to
the convention. He was appealing passionately for the right of
proportional representation; holding that the minority had rights of
representation that the majority should not deny.

Judge Van Dorn, without rising, had sneered across the room in a
snarling voice: "Ah, you socialist!" Once he had growled: "None of your
red mouthed ranting here!" Finally, as it was evident that Grant's
remarks were interesting the workmen on the delegations, Van Dorn, still
seated, called out:

"Here, you--what right have you to address this convention?"

"I am a regularly accredited delegate from South Harvey, holding the
proxy--"

He got no further.

The Van Dorn delegates roared, "Put him out. No proxies go," and began
hooting and jeering. It was obvious that Van Dorn had the crowd with
him. He let them roar at Grant, who stood quietly, demanding from time
to time that the chair should restore order. Captain Morton hammered the
table with his gavel, but the Van Dorn crowd continued to hoot and howl.
Finally Judge Van Dorn rose and with great elaborateness of
parliamentary form addressed the chair asking to be permitted to ask his
friend with a proxy one question.

The two men faced each other savagely, like characters symbolizing
forces in a play; complaisance and discontent. Behind Grant was the
unrest and upheaval of a class coming into consciousness and
tremendously dynamic, while Van Dorn stood for those who had won their
fight and were static and self-satisfied. He twirled his mustache. Grant
raised his steel claw as if to strike; Van Dorn spoke, and in a barking,
vicious, raucous tone intended to annihilate h