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ords　nor　beat　around　the　bush。　　Will　you　and　Tiernan　come　in　with　me　and　Edstrom　to　take　over　the　city　and　run　it　during　the　next　two　years？　If　you　will；　we　can　win　hands　down。　　It　will　be　a　case　of　share　and　share　alike　on　everythingpolice；　gas；　water；　highways；　street…railways；　everythingor　we'll　divide　beforehand　and　put　it　down　in　black　and　white。　　I　know　that　you　and　Tiernan　work　together；　or　I　wouldn't　talk　about　this。　　Edstrom　has　the　Swedes　where　he　wants　them；　and　he'll　poll　twenty　thousand　of　them　this　fall。　　There's　Ungerich　with　his　Germans；　one　of　us　might　make　a　deal　with　him　afterward；　give　him　most　any　office　he　wants。　　If　we　win　this　time　we　can　hold　the　city　for　six　or　eight　years　anyhow；　most　likely；　and　after　thatwell；　there's　no　use　lookin'　too　far　in　the　futureAnyhow　we'd　have　a　majority　of　the　council　and　carry　the　mayor　along　with　it。〃

〃If〃　commented　Mr。　Kerrigan；　dryly。

〃If；〃　replied　Mr。　Gilgan；　sententiously。　　〃You're　very　right。　　There's　a　big　'if'　in　there；　I'll　admit。　　But　if　these　two　wardsyours　and　Tiernan'scould　by　any　chance　be　carried　for　the　Republicans　they'd　be　equal　to　any　four　or　five　of　the　others。〃

〃Very　true；〃　replied　Mr。　Kerrigan；　〃if　they　could　be　carried　for　the　Republicans。　　But　they　can't　be。　　What　do　you　want　me　to　do；　anyhow？　Lose　me　seat　in　council　and　be　run　out　of　the　Democratic　party？　What's　your　game？　You　don't　take　me　for　a　plain　damn　fool；　do　you？〃

〃Sorry　the　man　that　ever　took　'Emerald　Pat'　for　that；〃　answered　Gilgan；　with　honeyed　compliment。　　〃I　never　would。　　But　no　one　is　askin'　ye　to　lose　your　seat　in　council　and　be　run　out　of　the　Democratic　party。　　What's　to　hinder　you　from　electin'　yourself　and　droppin'　the　rest　of　the　ticket？〃　He　had　almost　said　〃knifing。〃

Mr。　Kerrigan　smiled。　　In　spite　of　all　his　previous　dissatisfaction　with　the　Chicago　situation　he　had　not　thought　of　Mr。　Gilgan's　talk　as　leading　to　this。　　It　was　an　interesting　idea。　　He　had　〃knifed〃　people　beforehere　and　there　a　particular　candidate　whom　it　was　desirable　to　undo。　　If　the　Democratic　party　was　in　any　danger　of　losing　this　fall；　and　if　Gilgan　was　honest　in　his　desire　to　divide　and　control；　it　might　not　be　such　a　bad　thing。　　Neither　Cowperwood；　McKenty；　nor　Dowling　had　ever　favored　him　in　any　particular　way。　　If　they　lost　through　him；　and　he　could　still　keep　himself　in　power；　they　would　have　to　make　terms　with　him。　　There　was　no　chance　of　their　running　him　out。　　Why　shouldn't　he　knife　the　ticket？　It　was　worth　thinking　over；　to　say　the　least。

〃That's　all　very　fine；〃　he　observed；　dryly；　after　his　meditations　had　run　their　course；　〃but　how　do　I　know　that　you　wouldn't　turn　around　and　'welch'　on　the　agreement　afterward？〃　（Mr。　Gilgan　stirred　irritably　at　the　suggestion。）　〃Dave　Morrissey　came　to　me　four　years　ago　to　help　him　out；　and　a　lot　of　satisfaction　I　got　afterward。〃　Kerrigan　was　referring　to　a　man　whom　he　had　helped　make　county　clerk；　and　who　had　turned　on　him　when　he　asked　for　return　favors　and　his　support　for　the　office　of　commissioner　of　highways。　　Morrissey　had　become　a　prominent　politician。

〃That's　very　easy　to　say；〃　replied　Gilgan；　irritably；　〃but　it's　not　true　of　me。　　Ask　any　man　in　my　district。　　Ask　the　men　who　know　me。　　I'll　put　my　part　of　the　bargain　in　black　and　white　if　you'll　put　yours。　　If　I　don't　make　good；　show　me　up　afterward。　　I'll　take　you　to　the　people　that　are　backing　me。　　I'll　show　you　the　money。　　I've　got　the　goods　this　time。　　What　do　you　stand　to　lose；　anyhow？　They　can't　run　you　out　for　cutting　the　ticket。　　They　can't　prove　it。　　We'll　bring　police　in　here　to　make　it　look　like　a　fair　vote。　I'll　put　up　as　much　money　as　they　will　to　carry　this　district；　and　more。〃

Mr。　Kerrigan　suddenly　saw　a　grand　coup　here。　　He　could　〃draw　down〃　from　the　Democrats；　as　he　would　have　expressed　it；　twenty　to　twenty…five　thousand　dollars　to　do　the　dirty　work　here。　　Gilgan　would　furnish　him　as　much　and　morethe　situation　being　so　critical。　Perhaps　fifteen　or　eighteen　thousand　would　be　necessary　to　poll　the　number　of　votes　required　either　way。　　At　the　last　hour；　before　stuffing　the　boxes；　he　would　learn　how　the　city　was　going。　　If　it　looked　favorable　for　the　Republicans　it　would　be　easy　to　complete　the　victory　and　complain　that　his　lieutenants　had　been　suborned。　　If　it　looked　certain　for　the　Democrats　he　could　throw　Gilgan　and　pocket　his　funds。　　In　either　case　he　would　be　〃in〃　twenty…five　to　thirty　thousand　dollars；　and　he　would　still　be　councilman。

〃All　very　fine；〃　replied　Mr。　Kerrigan；　pretending　a　dullness　which　he　did　not　feel；　〃but　it's　damned　ticklish　business　at　best。　　I　don't　know　that　I　want　anything　to　do　with　it　even　if　we　could　win。　　It's　true　the　City　Hall　crowd　have　never　played　into　my　hands　very　much；　but　this　is　a　Democratic　district；　and　I'm　a　Democrat。　If　it　ever　got　out　that　I　had　thrown　the　party　it　would　be　pretty　near　all　day　with　me。

〃I'm　a　man　of　my　word；〃　declared　Mr。　Gilgan；　emphatically；　getting　up。　　〃I　never　threw　a　man　or　a　bet　in　my　life。　　Look　at　me　record　in　the　eighteenth。　　Did　you　ever　hear　any　one　say　that　I　had？〃

〃No；　I　never　did；〃　returned　Kerrigan；　mildly。　　〃But　it's　a　pretty　large　thing　you're　proposing；　Mr。　Gilgan。　　I　wouldn't　want　to　say　what　I　thought　about　it　offhand。　　This　ward　is　supposed　to　be　Democratic。　　It　couldn't　be　swung　over　into　the　Republican　column　without　a　good　bit　of　fuss　being　made　about　it。　　You'd　better　see　Mr。　Tiernan　first　and　hear　what　he　has　to　say。　　Afterward　I　might　be　willing　to　talk　about　it　further。　　Not　now；　thoughnot　now。〃

Mr。　Gilgan　went　away　quite　jauntily　and　cheerfully。　　He　was　not　at　all　downcast。



Chapter　XXXVI



An　Election　Draws　Near

Subsequently　Mr。　Kerrigan　called　on　Mr。　Tiernan　casually。　　Mr。　Tiernan　returned　the　call。　　A　little　later　Messrs。　Tiernan；　Kerrigan；　and　Gilgan；　in　a　parlor…room　in　a　small　hotel　in　Milwaukee　（in　order　not　to　be　seen　together）；　conferred。　　Finally　Messrs。　　Tiernan；　Edstrom；　Kerrigan；　and　Gilgan　met　and　mapped　out　a　programme　of　division　far　too　intricate　to　be　indicated　here。　　Needless　to　say；　it　involved　the　division　of　chief　clerks；　pro　rata；　of　police　graft；　of　gambling　and　bawdy…house　perquisites；　of　returns　from　gas；　street…railway；　and　other　organizations。　　It　was　sealed　with　many　solemn　promises。　　If　it　could　be　made　effective　this　quadrumvirate　was　to　endure　for　years。　　Judges；　small　magistrates；　officers　large　and　small；　the　shrievalty；　the　water　office；　the　tax　office；　all　were　to　come　within　its　purview。　　It　was　a　fine；　handsome　political　dream；　and　as　such　worthy　of　every　courtesy　and　consideration　but　it　was　only　a　political　dream　in　its　ultimate　aspects；　and　as　such　impressed　the　participants　themselves　at　times。

The　campaign　was　now　in　full　blast。　　The　summer　and　fall　（September　and　October）　went　by　to　the　tune　of　Democratic　and　Republican　marching　club　bands；　to　the　sound　of　lusty　political　voices　orating　in　parks；　at　street…corners；　in　wooden　〃wigwams；〃　halls；　tents；　and　parlorswherever　a　meager　handful　of　listeners　could　be　drummed　up　and　made　by　any　device　to　keep　still。　　The　newspapers　honked　and　bellowed；　as　is　the　way　with　those　profit…appointed　advocates　and　guardians　of　〃right〃　and　〃justice。　　Cowperwood　and　McKenty　were　denounced　from　nearly　every　street…corner　in　Chicago。　Wagons　and　sign…boards　on　wheels　were　hauled　about　labeled　〃Break　the　partnership　between　the　street…railway　corporations　and　the　city　council。〃　〃Do　you　want　more　streets　stolen？〃　〃Do　you　want　Cowperwood　to　own　Chicago？〃　Cowperwood　himself；　coming　down…town　of　a　morning　or　driving　home　of　an　evening；　saw　these　things。　　He　saw　the　huge　signs；　listened　to　speeches　denouncing　himself；　and　smiled。　　By　now　he　was　quite　aware　as　to　whence　this　powerful　uprising　had　sprung。　　Hand　was　back　of　it；　he　knewfor　so　McKenty　and　Addison　had　quickly　discoveredand　with　Hand　was　Schryhart；　Arneel；　Merrill；　the　Douglas　Trust　Company；　the　various　editors；　young　Truman　Leslie　MacDonald；　the　old　gas　crowd；　the　Chicago　General　Companyall。　　He　even　suspected　that　certain　aldermen　might　possibly　be　suborned　to　desert　him；　though　all　professed　loyalty。　　McKenty；　Addison；　Videra；　and　himself　were　planning　the　details　of　their　defenses　as　carefully　and　effectively　as　possible。　　Cowperwood　was　fully　alive　to　the　fact　that　if　he　lost　this　electionthe　first　to　be　vigorously　contestedit　might　involve　a　serious　chain　of　events；　but　he　did　not　propose　to　be　unduly　disturbed；　since　he　could　always　fight　in　the　courts　by　money；　and　by　preferment　in　the　council；　and　with　the　mayor　and　the　city　attorney。　　〃There　is　more　than　one　way　to　kill　a　cat；〃　was　one　of　his　pet　expressions；　and　it　expressed　his　logic　and　courage　exactly。　Yet　he　did　not　wish　to　lose。

One　of　the　amusing　features　of　the　campaign　was　that　the　McKenty　orators　had　been　instructed　to　shout　as　loudly　for　reforms　as　the　Republicans；　only　instead　of　assailing　Cowperwood　and　McKenty　they　were　to　point　out　that　Schryhart's　Chicago　City　Railway　was　far　more　rapacious；　and　that　this　was　a　scheme　to　give　it　a　blanket　franchise　of　all　streets　not　yet　covered　by　either　the　Cowperwood　or　the　Schryhart…Hand…Arneel　lines。　　It　was　a　pretty　argument。　　The　Democrats　could　point　with　pride　to　a　uniformly　liberal　interpretation　of　some　trying　Sunday　laws；　whereby　under　Republican　and　reform　administrations　it　had　been　occasionally　difficult　for　the　honest　working…man　to　get　his　glass　or　pail　of　beer　on　Sunday。　On　the　other　hand　it　was　possible　for　the　Republican　orators　to　show　how　〃the　low　dives　and　gin…mills〃　were　everywhere　being　operated　in　favor　of　McKenty；　and　that　under　the　highly　respectable　administration　of　the　Republican　candidate　for　mayor　this　partnership　between　the　city　government　and　vice　and　crime　would　be　nullified。

〃If　I　am　elected；〃　declared　the　Honorable　Chaffee　Thayer　Sluss；　the　Republican　candidate；　〃neither　Frank　Cowperwood　nor　John　McKenty　will　dare　to　show　his　face　in　the　City　Hall　unless　he　comes　with　clean　hands　and　an　honest　purpose。

〃Hooray！〃　yelled　the　crowd。

〃I　know　that　ass；〃　commented　Addison；　when　he　read　this　in　the　Transcript。　　〃He　used　to　be　a　clerk　in　the　Douglas　Trust　Company。　He's　made　a　little　money　recently　in　the　paper　business。　　He's　a　mere　tool　for　the　Arneel…Schryhart　interests。　　He　hasn't　the