efore I saw he was in the
main right and that his phrases only needed a little "toning down" so
that they wouldn't rasp too harshly on "conservative" ears, "Yes, Mr.
Burbank has seen it," said I. "He approves it--though, of course, it
does not represent his _personal_ views, or his _intentions_."

"If Mr. Burbank approves _this_," exclaimed Goodrich, red and tossing
the paper on the table, "then my gravest doubts about him are confirmed.
He is an utterly unsafe man. He could not carry a single state in the
East where there are any large centerings of capital or of
enterprise--not even our yellow-dog states."

"He can and will carry them all," said I. "They _must_ go for him,
because after the opposition have nominated, and have announced their
platform, your people will regard him as, at any rate, much the less of
two evils. We have decided on that platform because we wish to make it
possible for him to carry the necessary Western states. We can't hold
our rank and file out here unless we have a popular platform. The people
must have their way _before_ election, Senator, if the interests are to
continue to have their way _after_ election."

"I'll never consent to that platform," said he, rising.

"Very well," said I with a mild show of regret, rising also as if I had
no wish to prolong the interview.

He brought his hand down violently upon the paper. "This," he exclaimed,
"is a timely uncovering of a most amazing plot--a plot to turn our party
over to demagoguery."

"To rescue it from the combination of demagoguery and plutagoguery that
is wrecking it," said I without heat, "and make it again an instrument
of at least sanity, perhaps of patriotism."

"We control the platform committee," he went on, "and I can tell you
now, Senator Sayler, that that there platform, nor nothing like it, will
never be reported." In his agitation he went back to the grammar of his
youthful surroundings.

"I regret that you will force us to a fight on the floor of the
convention," I returned. "It can't but make a bad impression on the
country to see two factions in the party--one for the people, the other
against them."

Goodrich sat down.

"But," I went on, "at least, such a fight will insure Burbank all the
delegates except perhaps the two or three hundred you directly control.
You are courageous, Senator, to insist upon a count of noses on the
issues we raise there."

He took up the platform again, and began to pick it to p