been great men -- far from it -- they have all been hon-
ourable men; and you cannot help repeating the Ameri-
can saying: "God takes care of drunkards, of little
children, and of the United States!" On second thought
you find of course some earthly saving power. That
is the power which resides in the people who will not
vote for an objectionable man. The fear of the people
is the beginning of the wisdom of the politicians, as we
shall realize after further discussion of their ways.

Still the National Convention remains none the less a
distressing sight, and the last national conventions of
1908 have exhibited it to a particularly high degree.
The question is therefore seriously considered now as
to the expediency of excluding the public from the
conventions and admitting only the Press.

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