Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/268

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the Mayor of the city would have to choose between him and his colleague. The Mayor, Robert Speer, was a Democrat and the leader of Lindsey’s party. The Judge asked him whom he would choose. This Democratic Mayor said he would have to consult with William G. Evans, the Republican boss, before he could answer, and he did see Mr. Evans and the answer was that there would be no choice; the spring election was legal and would stand. But if it should not be held legal, then, the Mayor made plain, Judge Lindsey would not be the Judge.

“That’s enough for me,” said Lindsey. “I fight.” And he went forth to fight. He went to the editors of Senator Patterson’s two papers, the News and the Times, and to the Denver Post. They sounded the alarm, and they kept it up, too. Paul Thieman rehearsed the whole story of the kid’s Judge as a serial. The people began to be interested, but they were too late; the conventions of both parties met and ad- journed without nominating the Judge, and “Bill” Evans left for New York.

Mayor Speer, the Democrat, was in charge of this business for both parties, but he could not control the younger Republicans. They made such a fuss that the older leaders consented