The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-12-28


Bob. From the night of his fight
with Haggin he began to take the
game seriously, devoting much
time and work to the perfection
of his organization. A few months
later the new field suddenly open
ed wider before him. An era of
reform" was impending.
Now the Steel City was ruled by
what was popularity and appro-
priately denominated the hog
combine"-a group of gentlemen,
headed and herded by Steele and
Harmon, voluntarily associated to
relieve the public of the burden of
government. The city was over
whelmingly republican, had been
SO ever since it returned it's ia
nous majority for Lincoln. Relig-
iously, twice a year, its busy citi-
zens cut their breakfasts short by
ten minutes, went forth to save the
nation by voting the republican
ticket, and rested from these ex-
hausting political labors with a
sense of duty fulfilled. 1t matter
ed little that the most of them
could not have told you the names
on their ballots and knew naught
of the motive power behind the
candidates. They had voted
straight" party ticket; all politi-
cal good lay in the republican par
ty; ergo, they had done all that
could be expected of an honest but
busy citizen.
While Steele, a born political
strategist and a man of magnetic
personality, the heart and brains
of the organization, lived. the ma
chine found smooth sailing. But
the combine" fell upon hard
times. Steele died and the Lender
ship devolved upon Harmon. Har-
mon possessed none of the person
al magnetism that had made
Steele's critics love the man while
they hated his misdeeds; also he
lacked the sagacity and caution of
the dead leader. So the machine
was allowed to fall into excuses
that Steele never would have per-
mitted. The tenderloin ran open
ly and flagrantly. A big boodling
escapade in the halls of the City
Fathers came to light. Certain
public contracts were let with
such incautiouS unfairness that
murmurs of discomfort began to
be heard. Thus even to the busy
citizens nostrils came a strong
odor of putridity. All this might
have had no important results of
Itself; but to cap tile climax Har-
mon, to satisfy a long cherished
dislike, dismissed Macpherson
from the directorate of public
works.
! Macpherson was Ratchet
faced, saturnine votary of Mann
mon. Also there was enough of
the Indian in him to make re-
4venge for all affronts a necessity.
He accepted his dismissal with
apparent equanimity, and insti-
tuted a campaign to destroy his
enemy. He worked upon the
discomfort Of some old-time ring
sters who hated Harmon for his
arbitrary manner and who had
seen, to their deep chagrin, GER
tain ripe and luscious plusms fall
into other mouths. A sturdy lit
tie band of reformers that had
fought long but fruitlessly to
overthrow Steele's defenses sud
denly and mysteriously took a
new lease on life. Macpherson
bought a morning and an evening
newspaper; sensational expos
ures followed startling revela-
lions with great effect. The city
began to stir uneasily. One day
MACPHERSON called few men in
to his office.
Gentlemen. said he, "let us
reform the city"
And thereupon the Citizens
Party" was formed.
So it happened that one even
ing Bob received a call from Rob-
bins, a MACPHERSON nenchman
who had the reputation of know
ing how to deal with all sorts of
men.
'McAdoo," Robbins greeted
him, without beating round the
bush, I'll tell you what I'm aft
er. | come from Mack. We want
you with us in our fight against