The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-09-06
ADVOCATE OF BREAD
AND BUTTER" POLICIES
Has Built His Machine Upon a Broad Com
plaisance-Knew How to Make Capital
From Political Ambitions of Others

from 9l,uuV,Vuu 10 So.uUo,UuV. Inc
first figure is probably a bit too
small, the second much too large.
Seeking for the source of this for
tune, we find the Ogden Gas deal"
is at once the chief admission of
Roger and the chief allegation of
the people of Chicago. About this
much-discussed and long drawn out
transaction congratulations bristle
like picket fence In the moonlight,
but specifications are not so OBJ
yious, A search for them takes us
back along tho trail 3f sullivan to
q time in the year 10 when a rud-
dy-faced Irish-Americsn lad of nine
teen, whose home was on the prai-
RE, a hundred miles to The west,
rode into town in a hay wagon and
got job as ''maid of all work in
the machine shop Of the West side
car barns. His wages were S32.50
per month He paid SEQ a month
for his board to Barney McDevitt,
the superintendent of tho shop;
sent home $40 to his mother in
Boone County. where there wore
ether mouths to feed, and tho re-
naming $3.50 he reserved for his
personal expenses. Roger was an
energetic, likable young chap who
lived soberly but got lot of fun
out Of life and made heaps Of friends
in the social circles around the car
barn
In 1882 came a mayoralty cam
paign. The Republican primaries
were on. Barney McDevitt mar
shaled the car barn vote for the es-
housed candidate of the street car
rCmpany whoever that was. and
asked Roger to assist HIM AL
though Democrat by Inheritance,
the young man obeyed his employer
and proved an efficient worker, dem
anstrating that he had the natural
instinct OF his race for the kind of
hing then and since called ward
politics.
When the Democratic primary ap-
preached, Matt Clancy, noticing
Rogers aptitude and knowing his
Democratic learnings. said: Roger
I'm making a little fight for one or
two fellows at the primaries. | want
You to come in and help me-
But to Sullivan's establishment,
when Democratic primary day came
Barney McDevitt said Roger, II
want You to come down and hel.
ne at the primaries again"
But you are a Republican" pro
tested Roger. This is a Democratic
primary"
"All the same, that is my bust
uoss, too" declared McDevitt firmly,
thereby giving the young man one
of his first lessons in corpor1tio,
politics, a game whereat young
Roger was greatly to better the in l
etruction of his tutor.
well, I'm sorry" replied Roger.
but ! promised Clancy to help him
and have to stick 70 my word"
Politics and Bread md Butter
Sticking by his word was an early
principle of Roger. He holds to il
now. Men admit that Roger fools
them, that he tells them 81 per cent
OF the truth and leaves them to he
misled about the other per cent, |
and might If cornerci preyaricate
sufficiently for his purpose, but they
declare that once his pledged word
as passed it becomes a bond that
will not lightly break.
''0h. all right" said NrDevjtt.
and they went off to the primary
where Roger worked busily in the
cause of his friend, and McDevitt
Just as busily in the cause of his
bread and butter. The next dav
Roger, all unsuspecting, was dis
charged, fiat and cold.