Part 33 (2/2)
Weak and impossible solutions were met as such, and shown to be what they were Radicals were assuaged, conservatives urged forward The whole political situation was so detailed and explained that no intelligent person could leave, it was thought, with a false impression of the mayor's position or intent
With five thousand or , defending, approving the official conduct of theconceptions, it was thought, could arise Men said that his purpose and current leaning in any ht to be closer to his constituency than any other official within the whole range of the A partisan opposition to his rule
After one year of such service a presidential can for reelection had to be contested at the saas monopoly evil was now a subject of contention Streets were clean, contracts fairly executed; the general municipal interests as satisfactorily attended to as could be expected Only the grade crossing war remained as an issue, and that would require still another vote after this His record was the only available cauanizations of the locally defeated great parties, and the railroad The latter, insistent in its bitterness, now organized these two bodies into a powerful opposition
Newspapers were subsidized; the national significance of the cae number of railroad-hands colonized When the final weeks of the caed, and money triumphed Five thousand four hundred votes were cast for the mayor
Five thousand four hundred and fifty for the opposing candidate, as of the same party as the successful presidential nominee
It was a bitter blow, but still one easily borne by the mayor, as considerable of a philosopher With sirace he retired, and three days later applied to one of the principal shoe factories for work at his trade
”What? You're not looking for a job, are you?” exclaimed the astonished foreo to work, all right, but I should think you could get into so better now”
”I suppose I can later,” he replied, ”when I complete e, to see how things are with the rank and file” And donning the apron he had brought with hi, however, before he was discharged, largely because of partisan influence anxious to drive hi a job in so si”--insincere--that he didn't need to do it, and that he was trying to pile up political capital against the future A little later a local grocery man of his social faith offered him a position as clerk, and for some odd reason--humanitarian and sectarian, possibly--he accepted this At any rate, here he labored for a little while Againto make political capital out of this simple life in order to further his political interests later, and this possibly, even probably, was true Allfor that which they believe So here he worked for a tiencies pro and con continued to denounce or praise him, to ridicule or extol his so-called Jeffersonian simplicity It was at this time that I encountered hi individual, illingly took me into his confidence and explained all that had hitherto befallen hiure to commemorate in this fashi+on
In one of the rooms of his very humble home--a kind of office or den, in a sht occupy--was a collection of clippings, laudatory, inquiring, and abusive, which would have done credit to a candidate for the highest office in the land One would have judged by the scrap-books and envelopes stuffed to overfloith long newspaper articles and editorials that had been cut froon, that his every movement at this time and earlier was all-essential to the people
Plainly, he had been watched, spied upon, and ignored by one class, while being hailed, praised and invited by another Magazine editors had called upon hie cities had sought hiues in various parts of the nation had invited hi ent politically or philosophically, the ex-anization of any sort
In his retirement he was now comforted, if one can be so comforted, by these memories, still fresh in his mind and by the hope possibly for his own future, as well as by a droll humor hich he ont to select the sharpest and most willful slur upon his uni to public curiosity
”Do you really want to knohat people think ofRead this” And then he would hand me a bunch of the bitterest attacks possible, attacks which pictured him as a sly and treacherous enenora his stoic mood It was superior to that of his detractors Apparent falsehoods did not anger hily, disturb him
”What do you expect?” he once said to me, after I had azine, which, curiously, was never published I was trying to get hiht be fruitful of results agreeable to hireed with et They re that interests theoodpeople, characters of that sort--good, bad or indifferent--I've found that out If aand denounces me, or spends er promises, it is 'all day' for me What has happened in ainst a strong corporation, stronger than I aet soth in some way, it doesn't matter much how People are not so much interested in me or you, or your or th, an interesting spectacle And they are easily deceived These big fighting corporations with their attorneys and politicians and newspapers et out, raise one ive the corporations a good drubbing, they would adore et another five hundred thousand so else”
”Quite so,” I replied ”Yet _Vox populi, vox dei_”
Sitting upon his own doorstep one evening, in a very modest quarter of the city, I said:
”Were you very much depressed by your defeat the last time?”
”Not at all,” he replied ”Action, reaction, that's the law All these things right theht to
Maybe they don't Soht to have will triumph, I suppose, some time I don't know, I'ht”
In his serene and youthful face, the pale blue, philosophical eyes, was no evidence of dissatisfaction with the strange experiences through which he had passed
”You're entirely philosophical, are you?”
”As much as any one can be, I suppose They seem to think that all my as an evidence of my worthlessness,” he said ”Well, maybe it was
Self-interest may be the true law, and the best force I haven't quite made up my mind yet My syht to be sewing shoes in the penitentiary,' one paper once said ofthat was not abovedirt Most of thereed, however,” he added with a hue, expressive mouth, ”that I'll do very well if I will only stay where I aet out of here They want me to leave That's the best solution for them”