THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



in the midst of a consideration of twenty other 

 candidates, and was so much impressed with 

 the accounts that it sent hot-foot after 

 this wonder. It found him a perfect Cin- 

 cinnatus, although unconscious of the fact. 

 Clad in overalls, he was steering a load of 

 fence-posts over the bleak prairie, and wound 

 his reins around the handle of the brake when 

 he stopped to greet the messenger summon- 

 ing him instantly to Fargo on grave business. 

 His knees knocked together when he finally 

 grasped the fact that some persons wanted 

 him to be governor; he had never made a 

 public speech in his life. Whatever divina- 

 tion led the committee to his gate was in this 

 respect soon verified. There were in him all 

 the time the makings of an effective, easy, 

 and forceful public speaker that would have 

 persisted unknown to the end of the chapter 

 but for this circumstance. The campaign was 

 still young when he had forgotten all about 

 his fears of the platform, and could stir an 

 audience as well as any of the old hands at 

 this recondite art. Character was a great 

 asset in his campaign; his neighbors pro- 

 foundly respected him as one with an un- 

 blemished record for straight, open dealing 

 with all men. Next to that was what you 

 might call his stage presence; he was well 

 set-up, with the frame and healthy color of 



an athlete, which was not strange, seeing he 



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