He had witnessed several political conventions of both parties from the press table, and it was gradually dawning upon him that politics is not readily expressed in academic terminology.
The silver lining of the Democratic cloud had not greatly disturbed Morton Bassett.

He had been a delegate to the national convention of 1896, but not conspicuous in its deliberations; and in the subsequent turbulent campaign he had conducted himself with an admirable discretion.

He was a member of the state committee and the chairman was said to be of his choosing.

Bassett stood for party regularity and deplored the action of those Democrats who held the schismatic national convention at Indianapolis and nominated the Palmer and Buckner ticket on a gold-standard platform.

He had continued to reelect himself to the senate without trouble, and waited for the political alchemists of his party to change the silver back to gold.