Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-01-27
PIER II.

AT the Couvr of a SOVEREIGN.
That evening after suuDer | went
to see Dominick
In the lowar end of Pulaski there
was a large baer earden known as
Dominicks Headquarters. He re-
ceived half the prndts in return for
making it his loaGng-place. the seat
Of the source of all political honor
preferment and privilege in the
Third, Sixth and Seventh congression-
al districts. / foUnd him enthroned
at the end of a Ions table in the far
thest corner of the garden. On one
side of him sat James Spencer Judge
of the circuit court-"Dominicks
judge on the other side Henry De
Forest, principal owner of the Pulas-
XII Gas and Street Railway company
There wore several minor celebrities
in politics, the law and business
down either side of the table. then
Fessenden, talking with Cowley our
lieutenant governor. AS soon as I
appeared Fessenden nodded to me
rose, and said to the others generally:
Come on, boys, let's adjourn to the
next table. Mr.. Dominick wants to
talk to this young fellow"
I knew something of politics. but I
was not prepared To see that distin-
guished company rise, and, with not
shadow of resentment on any mans
face, with only a respectful, envious
glance at me. who was to deprive
them of sunshine for a few minutes
remove themselves and their glasses
to another table. When | knew Dom
mick better, and other bosses in this
republic of ours, | knew that the boss
is never above the weakness of the
monarch class for a rigid and servile
court etiquette. My own lack of this
weakness has been a mistake which
might have been serious had my DO
litical power been based upon men.
1t is a blunder to treat men without
self-respect as if they were your
equals, They expect to cringe; if they
are not compelled to do so, they are
likely to forget their place. At the
court of a boss are seen only those
who never had it. The first are the
lower though they rank themselves
and are ranked above the "iust natu
rally low"
But-Dominick was alone. his eter-
nal glass of sarsaparilla before him
He used the left corner of his mouth
both for his cigar and for speech.
To bid me draw near and seat myself
he had to shift his cigar. When the
few words necessary were half
spoken, half-grunted, he rolled his
cigar back to the corner which it
rarely left. He nodded condescend-
ingly and, as l took the indicated
chair at his right, gave me hand
that was fat and firm, not unlike the
tlabby yet tenacious sucker OF a moist
sea-creature.
He was huge, tall man, enormous
ly muscular with a high head like a
block, straight in front, behind and on
either side; keen, shifty, pig eyes,
pompous checks, 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 fighter thence into saloon Keep
er. 1t was as saloon-ke 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 I purposed to force
him TO speak first His voice was
omlnouSly surly as he shifted his