The Washington times., 1911-05-17
CHAPTER XIII (Continued).

once about then was tAn'
they were still finding an
outlet for their pioneer IN
stinct not only in their professions ana
their business, but in the interest they
took in the new pioneer. Shoulder 10
shoulder with the modern Pilgrims they
were pushing forward their investlga-
tions in medicine, in science, in econo-
mics.
They were adapting old laws to new
conditions; they were developing the
new West; they were the new thinkers
and the new politicians.
I don't suppose that If had lived for
fifty years under the old conditions
would have met one of them. There was
no meeting ground for us, for we mad
nothing in common.
I couldn't possibly interest them and
I'm sure l was too busy with my own
troubles to take any interest IN them
even If had known of their existence.
Even down here 1 resented at nrst
their presence as an intrusion. When-
ever / met them was inclined to play
the cad and there's no bigger man on the
face of the earth than Worklngnah
who is beginning 20. feel his oats.
But as i watched them and saw now
earnest they were and how really val
liable their efforts were ! was aple 10
distinguish them from still another
crowd who faunted their silly charlues
in the newspapers.
But these other quiet men and women
were OF different calibre; they were the
ones who established pure milk sta
tions, who encouraged the young men
Of real talent like Giuseppe, and VINO
headed all the real work for GOOD oohe
down here.
them when perhaps l was swinging too
far in my belief that the emlgrant was
the only force for progress IN our ma
tion. -
/ know they checked me in some wilo
thinking in which l was beginning to
indulge.
I find I have been wandering a little
But what we thought counted ICr 51S aS
much toward the goal as what We dtd
and even il the thinking is only that OF
one man-and an ordinary man at that
why, so far that matter was the whole
venture.
l want to say again that all In try
ing to do is to put down is well as
can remember and as well as am able,
my own acts and thoughts and nothlng
or course, that means Ruths and
Dicks so as far as l understood them,
fer they were part of my own. don
want what l write TO be taken as the
report of an investigation but just as
the diary of one mans experience.
If ] had had the time l could have
seen at least two Of Shakespere pays
presented by amateurs. to be sure, but
amateurs with talent and enthusiasm
and guided by professionals, l could
have heard At least half dozen good
classics. 1 could have listened to as
many concerts by musicians of good
standing. l could have heard lectures
on a dozen subjects of vital interest.
Then there were entertainments de-
signed confeSsedly to entertain In ad-
dition to these there were many more
lectures in the city itself open free to
the public ard which l now for the first
time learned about.
There was one series in particular
which was addressed once week by
men Of international renown. 1t was
q liberal education in itself. Many OF
my neighbors attended.
But as for Dick he was too busy with
his studies and Ruth was too glad to sit
at home and watch him, to go out at
night.
What spare time l myself had began
10 devote to a new interest Raterty mad
first reused me tC my duty as a citizen in
the matter of local politics and through
the winter called often enough to keep
my interest whetted. But even with
out him l couldn't have escaped the
question. Politics was live issue
down here every day in the year. One
campaign was no sooner ended than
another was begun.
Sweeney was no sooner elected than
he began to lay wires for his fellows
in the coming city election who in their
turn would sustain him in whatever
further political ambitions he might
have. If the hold the boss had on a
ward or a city was a mystery to me
at first, it didn't long remain so.
The secret of his power law in the
fact that he never let go. He was at
had an organization with which he
could keep in touch through his lieu
tenants whether he was in Washing
ton or at home.
right there in his ward wherever his
body might be.
The Sweeney Club rooms were al
ways open Night after night you
Ind hiG tnR mo
Here the man out of a job came, and
from here was recommended to one
contractor or another or to the city"
here the man with the sick wife came
which perhaps for some reason would
not ordinarily receive her; here the
men in court sent their friends for
bail; herr came those with bigger
plans afoot in the matter of special
contracts.
II Sweeney couldn't get them what
they wanted, he at least sent them
away with a feeling of deep obligation
to him. Naturally then when cleo
ton time came around these people
obeyed Sweeney's order.
1t wasn't reasonable to suppose that
a campaign speech or two could affect
their loyalty.
OF course the rival party followed
much the same methods, but the man
in power had a tremendous advantage.
The only danger he needed to fear was
split in his own faction as some
young man loomed up with ambitions
that moved faster than Sweeney's
own for him.
OF course the rival party followed
much the same methods, but the man
IN power had a tremendous advan-
tage. The only danger he needed to
fear was a split IN his own faction as
some young man loomed up with am
biuons that moved faster than Swee-
ney's own for him
Such a man i began to suspect
though IT was looking a long way into
the future-Wes Rafferty, That win
ter he took Sdt his naturalization pa
pers, and soon afterward he began an
active campaign for the common
council.
1t was partly my interest in him and
partly a new sense of duty I felt to-
wards the whole game that made me
resolve tQ have a hand in this
owed that much to the ward
in which I lived and which was doing
so much for me.
In talking with some of the active
settlement workers down there, I found
them as strongly pretudiced against the
party in power as 1t had been, and when
spoke to them of Rafferty, 1 found him
damned in their eyes as soon as l men,
toned his party.
The whole system is corrupt from
top to bottom" said the head of one
settlement house to me.