The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-28


cigar back to the corner which it
rarely left. He nodded condescend-
ingly, and, as I took the indicated
chair at his right, gave me a hand
that was fat and firm, not unlike the
flabby yet tenacious sucker of a moist
sea-creature.
He was huge, tall man, enormous
ly muscular. with high head like
block, straight in front, behind and on
either side; keen, shifty, pig eyes,
pompous cheeks, a raw, wide mouth;
slovenly dress, with a big diamond
as a collar button, and another on
hiS puffy little finger. He was about
40 years old. had graduated from
blacksmith too lazy to work into
prize-1ghter, thence into saloon keep
er. 1t was as saloon-keeper that he
founded and built his power, made
himself the local middleman between
our two great political factors, those
who buy and break laws and those
who aid and abet the lawlessness by
selling themselves as voters or as of
fee holders.
Dominick had fixed his eyes upon
his sarsaparilla. He frowned saw
agely into its pale brown foam when
he realized that l purposed to force
him TO speak first. His voice was
ominously surly as he shifted his
cigar to say: well, young fellow.
what can / do for your"
"Mr. Fessenden told me you want
ed to see me-" said l.
HE didn't say nothing Of the sort"
growled Dominick. I've knowed
Buck II years, and he amt no
liar"
l flushed and glanced at the distin-
guished company silently waiting to
return to the royal presence. Surely,
if these eminent fellow citizens of
mine endured this insulting monarch,
1 could, the youthful, the obscure,
/ the dependent Said /: Perhaps I
did not express myself quite accurate
! ly. Fessenden told me you were
4 considering making me your candi-
date fer county prosecutor, and sug-
gested that | call and see you"
Dominicy gave CLEAN and
grunt like a hog that had been fiat
tered with rough scratching of its
hide. But he answered: Il don't
I give no nominations. That's the
province of the party, young man"
But you are the party was my
reply. At the time I was not con-
scious that l had thus easily dropped
down among the hide-scratchers.
assured myself that l was simply stat
ing the truth and ignored the fact
that telling the truth can be the most
degrading sycophancy, and the sub
tlest and for that reason the most
shameless, lying.
We'll, l guess I've got little some
thing to say about the party" he con.
cluded. "Us young fellows that are
active in politics like to see young
many of US boys amt stuck on Ben
Cass-he's too stuck on himself. He's
getting out of touch with the com
mon people, and is boot-licking in
with the swells up town. So when
heard you wanted the nomination fol
prosecutor, l told Buck to trot yol
round and let US look you over. Coco
party MANI"
"Yes-and my father and GRANDPA
Their before me"
: NO reform germs in your sys
temp"
I laughed was really amused
such q relief was It to see CLEAN O
pleasantly in that pernicious mass
I'm not better than my party, said
land 1 don't desert it just because
doesn't happen to do everything &C
cording to my notions"
That's right" said Dominick, fall
: ing naturally into the role Of politica
schoolmaster. There amt no govern
> ment without responsibility, and Their
amt no responsibility without organ
= ization, and there amt no organize
ton without men willing to sink thei
differences" He paused
I looked my admiration wa
:. grateful to him for this chance
: think him an intellect Who like
: to admit that he bows before q meT
: brute? The compulsory courtiers
deputy may possibly and in part tie
: the truth about him, after they al
safe; but was there ever a volul
: tary courtier whose opinion Of h
: monarch could be believed? tn
: moro distinguished the courti'
q the greater his necessity TO exa
i gerate his royal master-or mistre
; Ito others and to himself
: Dominick forged on: Somebody
, got to lead. and the leaders got to
! obeyed Otherwise what becomes
r his party? Why, it goes to hell. al
y we've got anarchy"
e This was terse pointed. plausible
10 the stereotyped machine" argumel
;e l nodded emphatically.
se Ben Cass" he proceeded, "believ
le in discipline and organization a
8, leadership only when they've elect
u him to fat job. He wants to U
the party, but when the party war