These speakers had been carefully selected.  They were elderly gentlemen whose reputations, tones, and demeanor bespoke safe and sane conservatism.  They took occasion to rebuke the new spirit of unrest in the old party, and their tremolo notes of protest were extremely effective.  While these men talked, a listener was compelled to feel that rebellion against the established order of things could only be rank sedition; for many years have these arts of oratory been employed to appeal to the average man’s party loyalty; voters have listened and have been ashamed to revolt—­as a son dutifully bows his head under a father’s reprimand and responds to a father’s appeal—­for, after all, in matters where appeal is made to loyalty the human emotions are not so very complex.

The elderly gentlemen put great stress on the fact that not in twenty years had a faithful governor been refused the honor of renomination for a second term.  Would their convention deny that compliment to Governor Harwood?  It was the same appeal that had been made for twoscore years in order to perpetuate the dynasty of gubernatorial figureheads who had obeyed the ring’s orders.

Walker Farr heard sotto voce murmurings of men in his vicinity.  They were men who had joined the new revolt and had stood bravely enough for a change in county political managers.  But these men revealed that they were timorous about altering long party custom.  They said, one to another, that it would be going too far to refuse renomination to Governor Harwood.  It might split their party so widely that the rival political party would be able to carry the state—­and that would never do.

Farr was in no wise surprised to hear these murmurings.

He had sounded men before that convention as he had traveled about the state.

He had found them ready to begin house-cleaning in the smaller affairs of county management, and by assault on the little wheels of the gear of the machine which had so long ground political grist; but they were unwilling to temp fate by venturing on such a general overturn as putting up for governor a man who had not been selected and groomed for high office during the accustomed term of apprenticeship—­legislature, senate, and council.

He realized how well the great ring had intrenched itself in absolute power by appealing to conservatism in matters of safe men for high office.  Safe men meant those who protected the big interests and saw that no raids were made on capital—­no matter how many abuses capital might be fostering.

Mumble and grumble all about him, and men’s faces showing that they were agreeing with the tremolo appeals of the elderly orators!

Even the Honorable Archer Converse, his legal cautiousness governing his opinion, knowing the temper of conditions in his state, had emphatically discouraged Farr when the young man had timidly questioned him in regard to the advisability of securing a candidate for governor outside the ring’s dynasty.