The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-09

Billy Ryan banked his fist on the
table with such force that Bartend.
err Jim Casey, in the outer room,
took his cigar out of his mouth,
and pointing with it, remarked
casually to the only customer at
the bar, They're maxim histh'ry
in there; tn same kind iv histh'ry
that tn flim-fam man makes, an
it's tn likes iv you that'll have to
pay FIR tn maxim iv it."
"Why will we have to pay?" de
manded the customer idly.
Because we don't obey tn
r-rules," replied Casey.
What rules?"
There's only wan" explained
Casey, IAN it's this: Keep ye'er eye
on tn politicians an ye-er hand on
ye-er pockitbook."
Jim Casey was a character. 1t
was the truth underlying his wit
that made it effective, but his
filings" though sharp, were given
in a good natured way, and moth
ing more serious than a laugh ever
came of them. But while giving the
impression of speaking freely. he
really guarded the secrets of his
regular customers with care, and
some of them had secrets that
needed guarding-political secrets
What we don't know he can't
tell" was his motto, and he lived
up to it faithfully. When serving
drinks in the back room it was not
unusual for him to remark, "Ye'd
| betther wait till m baik iv tn bar
before continooin ye-er talk New
ertheless, he was we'll posted on
local politics, and the subject was
| one he liked to discuss-with the
right people.
On this particular evening, there
being none of 1.-The right people
present, except those in conference
in the back room, Casey settled
himself comfortably on the top OF
a small ice chest near the head OF
the bar and waited for something
to happen.
In the back room, Billy Ryan
having given sufficient emphasis to
his remarks by banging his fist on
the table, proceeded in a calmer
tone to give reasons and details.
"The Old Man." he said, "has his
reasons, and you can lay dollars to
matches they're good ones. He
wants victory in the Twenty
fourth, and to get it wen have to
have a man who'll draw from the
republicans and also pull down the
endorsement of the Citizens Safe
ty league Darnell can do that"
"Darnell!" commented State Sen
ator Tom Pepper, scornfully. "Har-
old Darnell! How will that sound
on the democratic ticket? Good
Lord! why don't you make 1t Percy
DeVere or Willie Tidliwinks, or
something else that's real SWEET
81 suppose he's easy" com.
mented Alderman Jerry Bayler.
Most likely" returned Ryan
"but that isn't the point. We want
the ward; we never have had it.
and it will do us good"
whats the use, if we don't con-
troll the MANI" asked Bayler. "Why
this fellow has money to throw to
the birds. He may be easy for
campaign expenses that the Old
Man can salt away, but how the
devil are you going to reach him
when there's something doing"
"You talk like a child" retorted
Ryan, warmly Nov, listen to a
bit of reason: We can't elect the
kind of man you want from that
ward. If we put him up, he'll be
beaten-any democrat will be beat
en- that can't pull pretty near the
whole silk-stocking vote, democrat
and republican. 1t isn't our ward
any way you put it. In national pol
itics it's reform, with big r. You
know mighty well that, If you could
put a gang republican through in
that ward, you'd jump the party
and do it. Well, then, why not get
the credit of putting up good man
"a real, fine reform man? There's
nothing to lose, and it helps the
party. It's better than having a
reform republican to buck against,
isn't it? Maybe you can do some
thing with this fellow, and maybe
you can't, but it's something to
have him on the ticket, and it's
something more to carry the ward.
Put up the useful lads where you
can elect them, and where you
can't you might as well get the
credit for doing the right thing
That's right" broke in Senator
Pepper. 'I'm wise to the scheme
now. If the gang and the local
machine stand for such candi-
date as that, why, they're not half
as bad as they're made out to be-
It's bluff, and good one. We've
done 1t before, but not just on this
scale"
Now you're talking sense" as
serted Ryan.
But will the boys stand for
him. asked Pepper.
"Where were you born?' demand
ed Ryan sarcastically. do you
think we're running primaries on
the lottery plan? The boys will
stand for anything the Old Man
says, just as you will"
well" put in Alderman Bayler,
resignedly. 81 suppose it's all right,
but don't ask me to speak for him.
My 'constits' would have a fit, If
they thought I'd been cavorting
with Harold Darnell'