Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-23

in politics with more gravity than he dreamed it warranted.
 'sHe's got to be headed of or he'll bust the combination" assented Maj. Buck, with profane emphasis.
 Well, you can't frighten him oh,', replied Dr. Jackson.
 'sNor beat him, apparently" added Tom Lurch.
 ..No,' said Judge Belknap, the real "boss" of the county. We've got to take care of him. Being business man gives him standing that is hard to knock. I've been thinking that it would be q good scheme to have Dustin appoint him commission- CT of public works
 Heavens" exclaimed the major; that's too good 8 job. It's worth $3,5o0 8 year in salary and five times that in graft in ordinary years, and this year 20 times as much with the new water works to be built"
 That's just it. replied the other quietly. i've studied the man. He won't take cheap office. We've got to sacrifice something to get him and I'm convinced he can't be depend ed on after we get him. He's too ann bilious. He'll take the commission ership. He needs the money. Then we'll see to 1t that he is offered enough on the water works job to tempt him and then we'll raise row, have an Investigation and pose as purists and reformers and he'll be eliminated from politics forever even if he escapes the pen.'
 But it is bIanked shame to let go that water works graft after all the work we have done to get it framed up.' 4 x
 He accepted the appointment and plunged into the added work with enthusiasm.
 Then came the great temptation. When the bids for the new water works came up he was delicately shown where he could clean up $50,- 900 by favoring 8 certain contracting concern in a way that apparently no hint of crooked work could leak out.
 Then indeed did Duncan wrestle with the evil one. The price was so high. his necessity so great and his desire to achieve some sort of inde- pendence so he could marry Alice and begin career apart from the, busi- ness he despised so heartily that he was swept off his feet. After a long wrestle with his conscience wherein he succeeded in downing the trouble: some member, he went to call on Alice. Of course he said nothing of IA .T TxaP+ the house he was all at sea again. The conversation had turned on eth ics and the high stand she took and the glimpse she gave him of her great soul brought it home to him that he never could lay down to her the spells of corruption.s
 The next day the gang was as tonished to learn of his refusal of the offer. The. .situati tion then became des- perate, because the construction com pany played an important part in the plans of the party leaders, that if the contract went elsewhere their hold on party workers would be weak ened to an extent that their suprem- acy would be weakened and even party success imperi1ed. Another card must be played and played quick. So the mayor was again called in and Taylor was summoned to his office and informed that the contract must go to this company in order to keep things together" Dun can was told that whispers of the dis graceful offer made him reached the executive and he was complimented on his integrity. The bid now to be made, however. was to be absolutely t.on the square, the mayor had been informed, and must be accepted for political reasons. And his honor pointed out that Duncan's political future was identified with that of the administration and hinted at high honors ahead for the young man if he were ttwise.''
 But when Duncan thought it over he decided that he would not be party to the deal and would run his own office. So he informed the mayor in note in answer to which he re- ceived 8 prompt request for his resig- nation. This aroused his fighting blood and he promptly published the correspondence in the newspapers, together with 8 statement of the case and his determination to retain the office until the water works were built, unless he was removed. This took the underpinning from the gang" for they knew the council would never dare approve of 3 change under the circumstances.
 We'll, that's about all there is to it. The water works were honestly built. The powers behind the construction company threatened the overthrow of the party and the dominant fac tion were so impressed that they evaded the nomination. Duncan saw his opportunity, went after the nom- ination and got it easily, as the gang" saw an easy way to eliminate him from politics through the defeat that they shied at. But they reck- oned without the people and Dun can's level head. He was elected and on the reputation and notoriety ac- quired during the events here nar- rated and the record he made as mayor captured the nomination as