Hail to the Chief

by Randall Garrett

television screen was blaring tounhearing ears, merely adding to the din that was going on in themeeting hall. The party workhorses and the volunteers who had drummedfor Cannon since the convention were repeating the scene that had takenplace after Cannon's nomination in the summer, with an even greater noteof triumph.

  In Cannon's suite, six floors above, there was less noise, but onlybecause there were fewer people.

  "Hey!" Cannon yelled good-naturedly. "Lay off! Any more slaps on myback, and I'm going to be the first President since Franklin Rooseveltto go to my Inauguration in a wheelchair! Lay off, will you?"

  "A drink, a drink, we got to have a drink," chanted Representative EdwinMatson, his bulldog face spread wide in a happy grin while he did thingswith bottles, ice, and glasses. "A drink, a drink--"

  Governor Harold Spanding's lantern-jawed face looked as idioticallyhappy as Matson's, but he was quieter about it. Verbally, that is. Itwas he who had been pounding Cannon on the back, and now he was poundingMatthew Fisher almost as hard.

  Matt Fisher finally managed to grab his hand, and he started pumping it."What about you, Harry? I'm only a poor, simple Vice President. You gotre-elected governor!"

  Dr. Frank Cannon, looking like an older, balder edition of his brother,was smiling, too, but there was a troubled look in his eyes even as hecongratulated the senator. Congressman Matson, passing out the drinks,handed the first one to the senator.

  "Have a drink, Mr. President! You're going to have to make a speechpretty soon; you'll need a bracer!" He handed the second one to thephysician. "Here you go, Doc! Congratulations! It isn't everyone who'sgot a President in the family!" Then his perceptive brain noticedsomething in the doctor's expression. "Hey," he said, more softly,"what's the trouble? You look as though you expected sickness in thefamily."

  The doctor grinned quickly. "Not unless it's my own. I'm used toworrying about a patient's health, not a Presidential election. I'mafraid my stomach's a little queasy. Wait just a second; I've got somepills in my little black bag. Got pills in there for all ailments. Findout if anyone else needs resuscitation, will you?" Drink in hand, hewent toward the closet, where his little black bag was stashed.

  "Excitement," said Senator Cannon. "Frank isn't used to politics."

  Matson chuckled. "Do him good to see how the other half lives." Hewalked off, bearing drinks for the others. Governor Spanding grabbed oneand came over to the senator. "Jim! Ready to tear up your capitulationspeech now?"

  Cannon glanced at his watch. "Almost. The polls closed in Nome just tenminutes ago. We'll wait for the President's acknowledgment of defeatbefore we go downstairs." He glanced at his brother, who was washingsomething down with water.

  Behind him, he heard Matson's voice saying: "I'm sure glad Horvin isn'there! I can hear him now: 'Image! Image! That's what won the election!Image!'" Matson guffawed. "Jim Cannon was winning elections bylandslides before he ever heard of Horvin! Jim Cannon projects his ownimage."

  "Sure he does," Matt Fisher said, "but what about me?"

  "You? Hah! You're tops, Matt. Once a man gets to know you, he can seethat, if he's got any brains."

  Fisher chuckled gently. "Ed, you've got what it takes to be apolitician, all right."

  "So do you, Mr. Vice President! So do you! Hey!" He turned quickly. "Wegot to have a toast! Doc, you're his brother. I think the honor shouldbe yours."

  Dr. Frank Cannon, looking much more chipper since swallowing the pills,beamed and nodded at his brother. "It will be a pleasure. Gentlemen,come to attention, if you will." They did, grinning at first, thenforcing solemnity into their expressions.

  "Gentlemen," said. Dr. Cannon gravely, "I give you my brother, SenatorJames Harrington Cannon, the next President of the United States!"

  "To the President!" said Governor Spanding.

  "To the President!" chorused the others.

  Glasses clinked and men drank solemnly.

  Then, before anyone else could say anything, Dr. Cannon said: "Ifurther propose, gentlemen, that we drink to the man who will spendthe next four years in the White House--God willing--in the hope thathis ability to handle that high office will be equal to the task beforehim, and that he will prove worthy of the trust placed in him by thosewho had faith in that ability."

  "Amen," said Congressman Matson softly.

  And they all drank again.

  Senator Cannon said: "I thank you, gentlemen. I--"

  * * * * *

  But, at that moment, the ubiquitous clatter of noise from the televisionabruptly changed tenor. They all turned to look.

  "... And gentlemen," the announcer's voice was saying, "The President ofthe United States!"

  The Presidential Seal which had been pictured on the screen fadedsuddenly, to be replaced by the face of the President. He looked firmlyresigned, but neither haggard, tired, defeated, nor unhappy. To the fivemen who stood watching him in that room, it was obvious that the speechto come was on tape.

  The President smiled wanly. "Fellow Americans," he began, "as yourPresident, I wish both to congratulate you and thank you. As freecitizens of a free country, exercising your franchise of the ballot todetermine the men and women who are to represent and lead you duringtheir coming terms of office, you have made your decision. You haveconsidered well the qualifications of those men and women, and youhave considered well the problems that will face our country as a wholeand each individual as a free citizen desiring to remain free, and youhave made your choice accordingly, as is your right and duty. For that,I congratulate you."

  He paused for a dramatic moment.

  "The decision, I think, was not an easy one. The citizens of our greatdemocracy are not sheep, to be led first this way and then that; theyare not dead leaves to be carried by every vagrant breeze that blows;they are not children, nor are they fools."

  He looked searchingly from the screen, as though to see into the mindsof every person watching.

  "Do not mistake my meaning," he said levelly. "I do not mean that thereare no fools among us. There are." Again he paused for effect. "Everyman, every woman, who, through laziness or neglect or complacency,failed to make his desire known at the polls in this election--is afool. Every citizen who thinks that his vote doesn't count for much, andtherefore fails to register that vote--is a fool. Every person whoaccepts the _privileges_ of American citizenship and considers them as_rights_, and who neglects the _duties_ of citizenship because they aretiresome--is a fool."

  He waited for half a second.

  "Fortunately for us all, the fools are in a minority in our country.This election shows that. Most of you have done your duty and followedyour conscience as you see fit. And I congratulate you for that."

  The smile became less broad--by just the right amount.

  "Four years ago, exercising that same privilege and duty, you, thecitizens of the United States, honored me and those who were workingwith me by electing us to the highest offices in this nation. Youelected us, I believe, because we made certain promises to you--solemnpromises that were made in our platform four years ago."

  He took a deep breath and folded his hands below his chin.

  "I am certain that you all know we have endeavored to keep thosepromises. I am certain that you know that we have kept faith with thepeople of this nation."

  He looked down for a moment, then looked up again.

  "This year, in our platform, we made more promises. We outlined aprogram that we felt would be of the greatest benefit to this nation."He unclasped his hands and spread them with an open gesture.

  "Senator James Cannon and his party have also made promises--promiseswhich, I am sure, they, too, feel are best for our nation."

  Another pause.

  "You, the citizens of the United States, have, in the past few months,carefully weighed these promises against one another--weighing not onlythe promises themselves, but the integrity and the ability of the menwho made them.

  "And you have made your choice.

  "I can
not, and do not, quarrel with that choice. It is the essence ofdemocratic government that disagreements in the upper echelons of thatgovernment shall be resolved by the action and the will of the governed.You, the people of the United States, have done just that.

  "And--for that, I thank you."

  A final hesitation.

  "Next January, Senator James Harrington Cannon will be inaugurated asPresident of the United States. Let us show him, and the men who are towork with him, that we, as citizens of this great nation, resolving ourdifferences, will strive unceasingly under his administration to furtherthe high