The Dolores star., 1909-07-30
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too well. The opposition organs. dur
ing the heat OF the campaign. dropped
vague hints regarding dinners to
singers and actresses and large stakes
In poker games. Newcomb. his oppo-
nent, was not handsome, but he had a
fine. clean-cut. manly face. an intrepid
eye. a resolute mouth. and tremend-
GUS ambition He lived we'll within
his income. the highest recommenda-
ton that may be paid to a young man
OF these days.
He threw himself into the fight with
all the ardor of which his nature was
capable; whereas willard was con-
tent to let the machine direct his
movements. The truth is. willard
was Indifferent whether he became
mayor or not. To him the conflict
was diversion, a new fish to Lu-
cullus: and when the Democratic or
gans wrote scathing editorials about
what they termed hts profigate ca.
reer. he would laugh and exhibit the
articles at the club. It was all huge
Joke. He made very few speeches.
and at no time could he be forced into
the foreign districts. He complained
that his olfactory nerve was too deli
cately educated. The leaders swal-
lowed their rancor; there was nothing
else for them to do. In Williard's
very lack of ambition lay his strength.
Poverty would have made a great man
out of him: but riches have peculiar
way Of numbing the appreciation of
the greater and simpler things in life
Newcomb went everywhere; the
Poles hurrahed for him, the Germans,
the Irish, the Huns and the Italians
And he made no promises which he
did not honestly intend to fulfil. To
him the night meant everything; 1t
meant fame and honor. a comfortable
addition to his income. and Washing
ton a. Anafty. He would purify the
Democrats while he annihilated the
pretensions Of the Republicans. He
was what historians call an active
dreamer. a man who dreams and then
goes forth to accomplish things. His
personality was engaging.
Besides all this (for the secret must
be told Newcomb was in love and
at the feet of his beloved, even II she
returned them. You will regularly
find 1t to be true that the single man
Is far more ambitious than his mar
ried brother. The latter invariably
turns over the contract to his wife.
willard was deeply in love, too,
with Senator Gordon's lovely daugh-
ter. and Senator Gordon was that mys-
terious power which directed the Re-
publican forces In his section of the
state. So you may readily believe
that Newcomb was forced to put up
a better fight than willard, who stood
high in Senator Gordon's favor. The
girl and the two young men had been
friends since childhood. and nobody
knew whether she cared for either of
them in the way they desired. Every
body in town, who was anybody, un-
derstood the situation; and everybody
felt confident that willard was most
likely to win. The girl never said aLy-
thing. even to her intimate friends;
but when the subject was brought up,
she smiled in way that dismissed it.
Such was the political situation at
the beginning Of the municipal cam
paign. There have been like situa-
tions In any number Of cities which
boast of one hundred thousand In
habitants or more; pehaps in your
town. and yours, and yours. That
bugaboo of the politician. reform.