Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-13
FOURTH EPISODE.
"The LoOtcrs."
CHAPTER VII.
"a Plunge Into Politics."
CHAPTER VII.
FIRST DAY.

The manner III which John Burton.
tenth Marquis of Castleton. was duped
by Boss" N,aloncy and his gang must
I've told with batcd breath. For one
thing. the story is not creditablc to
Burtons intelligence. For another,
there arc limitations TO such recitals
IN cold print The one rcdecminE fca-
ture in sordid record is tho fact that
Maioney himself was as badly fooled
as anybody.
And the boss was hard man to
heat at his own dirty game-as TO
that element in the situation there
could be no manner of doubt whatso-
ever
Those who disItkcd him moSt-the
clcan-minded, God-fearins men and
women who can he found in every COM
munity--conceded to Maloney meas
ure of srudEing respect. He was
genial, shrewd. far-sceing scoundrel.
His wolves invariably wore Sleeps
clothing till time came for what he
termed "a show down" Even when
the disguise was dropped his oppo-
nents never knew whether the pack
would snarl or fawn. In word. Ma
loncy's strategy was to keep the other
fellow guessing. but. like the bewil
dered generals whom the young Ma
poleon brushed out of his path during
those wonderful Italian and Austrian
campaigns of his earlier years. the
men who fought Maioney were apt To
find themselves beaten with sudden
and most diSconcerting completeness,
though, on looking oack through the
records Of the campaign, hey could
never determine just when ar low he
fatal blow was delivered.
Thus, when wave "t reform swept
over the town in which Burton had
established himself. and 4 well-mcan-
ing citizen named Kramo" Was noin!-
mated for tho mayoralty. II was Ma
lone VS. subtle brain which suggested a
really effective counterstroke The
boss" knew we'll that laxincss on tho
part of honest folk alone permits any
community to he run by Il gang of
disreputable politicians. People simply
refuse TO DO bothered by attention to
municipal details. They endure tho
lesser evil Of being judiciously Aeeced
rather than devote days and nights to
the thanklcss and unremunera tive
labor OF public life
Sooner or later. however. some Pc
culiarly scandalous act. or a crusade
a new spirit in n community, and the
inchoate mass decides that the power
of tho wardheelcrs must he broken.
Such power, of course. is irresistible,
and Mahoney was the last man on
earth to defy the lightning.
He recognized the symptoms of the
impending revolt. Preachers. editors.
earnest-eycd young mon who pre-
ferred Christian Endeavor or pleasant
Sunday afternoons 10 wide-open sa-
looms and gambling hells, were bocom-
ing Increasingly active and ou;spoken.
2 cir energies seemed to center around
Kramer, big, loud voiced. breezy sort
# man who said quite plainly that II
ne were Mayor tho town would he run
straight by its officials or ii" would
Know the reason why.
Now. weaker potcntate than Ma
loney would have fought the rcformers
by every, evil and undetermined device
at his. SHpmahd. and. in the result.
me professional politician would have
tecn badly beaten,
Maloncy had wcathercd political
storms before. but he sized ,his one
UP as moral hurricane. AS he could
not hone to face the gale. he decided
10 iun with II. Ia plain English, he
came out boldly as a more thorough
going reformcr than Kramer himself.
OF course. he personally could not
appear i'm the open THAT would lie
too obvious a joke. No sheep ever
reared was big enough TO provide a
fleece that would cover "A wolf Of Ma
ioney's bulk. so he looked around for
the right sort 81 candidate and Sc
lcctod none other than John Burton.
nh,
Sentials He was a fine orator lie
could talk to working men in the Ian
ruacc they understood He appre-
ola;cd the nature Of their Joys and
SORROWS He knew what il meant to
toll long hours for inadequate pay
Above all n" was visionary. and
Wei calculated TO stampede an cleo
t"rate away from the sane. moderate
practical common-scnae platfrom put
forward By Kramer
In his neEotiatlons with Burton.
therefore. Mnloney was suavc as :,
o'shop and plausible as a corporation
la"%"r Tho pity was that John could
not hear and soc the boss" throncd
IN tn" rn!fs, of Tho scoundrels who
fa''ered on the tvs finances
typical sccre was that a, which
Johns name was SYST put forward for
the mavoralty f 20 tho n,oa,ir,
which consisted ~ few Counc,,mor
mostly ~ The saloonkeepcr class. Ma
ioney had 'ustrur,cd his partner. Hank
Park'ns. tina, the MARQUIS" wac 10 he
STAGED as = candidate T. vac
marked characteristics ~ ,he man Inn,
he worked mainly through b,s len
tenants, Hence ParEins was given
the credit % rnak'ue no pronnsitlon
itself Malon"y ~as only 10 approv.
OF it--duhiously q, nrs- I'm, win
growing enthusiasm
Yes" agreed tho his man. affect.
ms 10 debate the suggestion scrioua,v
Burton might be all nigh, lie ,s
young. good looking and fool enough
TO believe what ne sayg HIS nom.
lar with the working people. ana ~, oeo
here NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. hove ,y.
must keep an eye on 'hcm-v,iu ,aL.
him TO the.r rnaihcnly hosorns az orcc
And then, h" is az rich rs Gin. srd
WI! come across with ris check D.,
campaign expenses"
The speaker puelled the r,urinur -,
approval which greeted 'h's ro,o.rl
~. h.