Good Men Won't Go Into Politics! That is an American axiom.
But Read Cole was a good man and a good governor of Ohio. He was concerned about the interests of his people and the State; he did what he thought was right and did it as well as he could. But no matter how capable and sincere, Read Cole was a practical politician. Politics was his career, he knew that a man went from Governor to Senator, from Senator to ...
But that was in the future. At the moment Read Cole had a fight on his handsl he was running for reelection as Governor and he had to win. If he lost he was a has-been, a party wheelhorse fit only to warm the bench. America has no place for losing politicians.
Here, then, is the story of a battle, with troops deploying, guns booming, and spies behind the lines - the story of Read Cole's battle to stay in office. Here is the story of what a good man will do, has to do, to win the votes we all cast so carelessly, sometimes so scornfully.
Into the story and into the battle come Read Cole's son and daughter, irresponsible and giddy with youth; the neurotic wealthy woman he expects to marry; a madman with a postoll a newspaperman, completely besotted and umfortably safe, a bit of dynamite in the person of a pretty check-girl; a rabble-rousing radical , and the industrialists he has terrified into putting the weight of their money behind Cole and conservatism.
The battle is joined in the six days leading up to November 4th. THis November 4th - any November 4th.
The battle is not pretty - not battle is - but it is exciting and illuminating. Fascism, Communism, Liberalism - all of these varying ideals shrivel before the one conclusive reality; VOTES. God, her once again, is on the side of the biggest batallions.
When you have lived through these six crackling days and stop for breath you will know more about politicians than you do now and more about yourself.