“They always say that just before they begin to bite the paper off the walls,” smiled the other. “Come, Jem! Here’s our chance to put Laurens out of the game once and for all. Give me a column and I’ll do it myself.” “The chance ’ll have to wait.” “Until when?” “Until he is n’t as near right as he is on this.” “Jem,” said the Governor suddenly growing grave, “why is it you’re always pussy-footing when Laurens is in question?” “I don’t like that word, Martin.” “Word the question to suit yourself, then.” “And I don’t like the question. It reminds me that the last time I pussy-footed was on an issue that Laurens met fair and square.” “And it licked him.” “There are worse things than being licked.” “That’s cant,” retorted Embree promptly. “When you’re licked politically, you’re through. You can’t get anything done. Oh, I don’t mean that I’m afraid to fight a losing fight when a big principle is involved. My record shows that, plain enough. But this war is n’t our fight.” “What’s your view on the war, Mart?” “It came in the nick of time.” “For what?” “For us. For our programme. We can put through pretty much anything we want in the line of reform legislation. As long as the war continues, the German vote will stand by us almost solidly, if only we play fair with them. Even men like Wanser and Fliess and the big business crowd that have always fought us are ready to swing into line, if we don’t rush things too hard. Why, Jem,”--the keen, fine face lighted up with enthusiasm,--“we can make Centralia the banner State of the country in social reform and popular rule.” “As to rushing things, is n’t this Corporation Control Bill a little rough?” “It’s meant to be. It’ll be toned down in conference. We made it pretty stiff to throw a scare into the P.-U. crowd. There won’t be anything we can’t do to those fellows, if the war keeps on long enough.” “What do you really think about the invasion of Belgium, Martin?” asked Jeremy abruptly. “I don’t like it.” “I hate the whole business.” “But I don’t like war, anyway. And this is part of war. I’m going to keep my hands off. Neutrality is our watchword, Jem. The President has given it to us, and I guess in international affairs we can afford to follow the President. Let Magnus Laurens and his gang do the fireworks. They’ll only burn their fingers.” “Belgium was neutral,” said Jeremy gloomily. “Let Belgium alone and ’tend to Laurens.” But this the editor of The Guardian would not do. He ignored the Manufacturers’ Association banquet incident editorially. Publication of the mere report of the Laurens speech, however, stirred up a volume of local displeasure chiefly on the part of the Deutscher Club element, and The Guardian received some pointed letters on the subject of neutrality.