“I don’t understand why you want me to go ahead now,” Spinney ventured to protest.

“And I don’t propose to take you into my confidence enough, sir, to inform you.  I simply instruct you to do as I say, and if you obey, I and these men here will do all we can to cover up this nasty mess in our party.  It’s in your hands whether you go to jail or not.”

The General signalled to Harlan, and the young man opened the door.  Spinney went out with his watchful guardians.

“Now you ought to be able to hold your men together until we need them, gentlemen,” said the General, addressing those who remained.  “But you’d better get out among them and see that they stay in line.  Defend Spinney!  God knows, the words will stick in your throats, but show a bold front to the other side.  Gather in your stragglers.”

They filed out, plain and stolid individuals from the rural sections.

Harlan was left alone with the General.

“There go the kind that the demagogues always catch, Mr. Thornton.  The demagogues understand human nature.  They prey on the radicals who will follow the man who promises—­sets class against class and eternally promises!  Promises the jealous ascetics to deprive other men of the indulgences they seem to enjoy—­promises to correct things for the great majority which dimly understands that things are out of joint in their little affairs, and as dimly hope that laws and rulers can correct those things and make the income cover the grocery bills.  Spinney had them by the ears, that he did!  But the knave was shrewd enough to understand that the machine would probably whip him in convention.  They used my name to scare him into selling out—­threatened to stampede the convention for me.  That’s why I’m so angry.”

“Let me ask you something, General.  It was Spinney, was it, Spinney and the kind I’ve seen training with him in this thing, that stirred up the opposition in this State—­the kind of opposition we found at our Fort Canibas caucus?”

“From all reports, yes.  I know some of the agents that have been working in the State.  The men behind have hidden themselves pretty well, and I’m not exactly certain where their money is coming from.  But I suppose the liquor interests are putting in considerable, as usual.”

“The liquor interests!  Backing reformers?”

The General smiled.

“Remember that I’ve had better chances to see the inside than you, young man.  I’ve watched it operate from the start.  In case of doubt you’ll find the liquor interests on both sides.  It’s an evil that prohibition opens the door to.  The saloons are to be tolerated and protected, or they are to be persecuted—­the programme depends on the men who get control.  If they are to be tolerated, the wholesale liquor men have to stand in right, so that they may have the privilege of doing business with the retailers.  If the saloons are to be closed, the liquor men want to stand in right, so that they can do business direct with the consumer; and then there are the increased sales through the legalized city and town agencies when the saloons are closed—­the liquor men need that business.  The liquor is bound to come in anyway, whichever faction is in control.  So the big rumsellers cater to both sides.”