"Cheer, Jean!" he said. "Cheer for the party in power. The bill has passed."
"Was it your party or public sentiment in spite of your party that brought about the passage of the bill?" asked Jean.
"Sentiment, my dear girl," said the judge, dogmatically, "without machinery back of it, is good for nothing."
"Exactly. If you remember, father, that has been the burden of my plea for a new party. Answer me a question, and I will cheer so that I may be heard a block. You tell me that the position of this party you ask me to cheer for is high license; now here is a list of ninety-five of the principal cities of the country, forty-six high license and forty-nine low license. The total arrests for drunkenness in the high license cities was 288,907, as against 208,537 in the low license cities. What I want to know is this: How is this sort of a temperance measure going to 'promote temperance and morality'? Public control, local option, mulct tax and other measures you devise figure up about the same way. Take these statistics and in the light of them solve the puzzle for me."
"Statistics are hard to dwell in unity with. Take them to a preacher. This is a matter for them to deal with," laughed the judge.
"Why do they not deal with them, then? Seven million church member voters in this country! Why do not they focus their religion and do something? I divine a reason. While they live all the rest of the year with prayers and resolutions, they go out on a moral debauch on election day with a disreputable individual known as Party."
The judge stroked his beard and smiled. Then he turned again to his paper. "No need," he said, complacently, "for a better party than what we have. Listen!" and again he read the measure that had so pleased him. "Is it not splendid, and so plainly worded that a wayfaring man, though a fool or a third-rate lawyer, cannot mistake the meaning of it. Now watch the machinery work. We shall have 'father's boy' back cheering for the grand old party yet," and the judge placed his hand fondly on Jean's shoulder.
"I'll keep my eye on the 'machine,'" answered Jean, playfully, "but I am woefully afraid it is punctured, though I wouldn't mention it for anything."
