The Alaska citizen., 1911-05-29

had grown to look forward to grew empty iu prospect. l. meant noth. ing Even as manager and il might uc a dozen years before he won that would he nothing be y,nd. But in the political field there would be no limit to ambition; Eo might go or. and on. and on,
 Knowing nothing of politics be- fund the casual chitchat of the news papers and he had read little of that Jim Warren started out 10 learn something. l. was not that he had decided to take a hand in the game: he was merely looking over the rules The further he went in his quest fol information. the more a>roniShed he was al the con di'ians he found in his own par 'i,ular ciry and his own particular state Commonplace enough they were. but marvellous and incompre- uensihle to Jim Warren, because he had known nothing of such things in he beginning. He had heard ru- mars. yc~: but here he was finding hem To he true,
 On the one hand. was Francis E,v- orard Lewis. who. beginning as pcml1css lawyer. dozen years pre- yiously. had risen To opulence in the ten years he had been in the legislature from the WarburtOn dis 'rict on a salary of eight hundred dollars a year, He had no other in me and made no further pretense nf pra5fiCing his profession. Yet not only had he grown rich. but he had become political dictator of his end of thc state His power was absolute. his will undispured within his own kingdom He made men and un made hem al word; he made laws and uumade them at nod; his host of followers stuck like hound to heel
 Jim Warren wondered
 On rhe other hand. Big Tom Sim m ndS q Saloonkeepcr who. in those ~cant years when his machine was 1hlc To wresr the city of Warbur in from Lewis grasp. was monarch If all he surveyed His throne was q small round table in the corner of his barroom
 In power he was despot jam ming ordinances of his own liking down the throat of his city, gob- hin4 contracr here and there, -alling franchise now and then; and when out of power he spent his lime planning tG get back. He. too. had grown opulenr and fat There Was no enmity between Francis Eycrard Lewis and Big Tom Sim mond~ They understood each other perfectly.
 C mmonplace enough, all this. as I have said but Jim Warren's clean mind failing 10 understand how such conditions had become possible. reel ed at he rOttcnness of il all Two or three things he could lay his cal oHsed hands on and understand First and foremost. of course. Lewis was q crook. else he never could have done the things he had done and grown rich at il; he could never have held his power save by cOrrup- 'iln and prostitution of office. and bribery; and if he had given bribes Spmoone had received them. Big Tom SimmOnds was of the same type. cast in a coarser mould.
 So this was the particular brand of political lnavery that afflicted his city and state, An unpalatable mess. on the surface al least; but what a gorgeous opportunity for a young nan who was immune 10 the lure of gold! In the matter of legislation he would he useless singlehapded. but if he got in right what a stunning row he could kick up, But getting in right how could il be done? He would nave to pass in review before one or both of the hOsseS-IewiS and Sim mondS-an kOwtOw to the earth. But if he got his hooks in
 II was in contemplation of this evil brew that an idea came to Jim War rcn-the big deal. Slowly. as the big idea disseminated itself through his gray matter and he was able to get a good grip on it, a grin grew on his face. The grin became a chuckle. 'he chuckle deep-throated laugh. Then suddenly his freckled face be- came grave. his sky-blue eyes deep ly thoughtful. his whimsical mouth hard-set.
 "Obviously." he said to himself, this game is played with marked cards think I'll mark me a pack and sit in. If l can get by once with any job. city CT state. Tll'-he laugh cd nervously-"h hang it. I'll be the neXt governor"
 When a wise man wants water" says the Yogi. he goes to the well" Likewise when a wise man wants political job he goes to the source of supply Sc. unashamed. Jim Warren