the conflict-第34章

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those　with　whom　he　came　into　contact。　　This　‘‘army　of　education''　was　disciplined；　was　educated；　knew　just　what　arguments　to　use；　had　been　cautioned　against　disputes；　against　arousing　foolish　antagonisms。　　The　League　had　nothing　to　conceal；　no　object　to　gain　but　the　government　of　Remsen　City　by　and　for　its　citizenswell　paved；　well　lighted；　clean　streets；　sanitary　houses；　good　and　clean　street　car　service；　honest　gas；　pure　water；　plenty　of　good　schoolsthat　first　of　all。　　The　‘‘reform　crowd''the　Citizens'　Alliancelike　every　reform　party　of　the　past；　proposed　to　do　practically　the　same　things。　　But　the　League　met　this　with：　　‘‘Why　should　we　elect　an　upper　class　government　to　do　for　us　what　we　ought　to　do　for　ourselves？　　And　how　can　they　redeem　their　promises　when　they　are　tied　up　in　a　hundred　ways　to　the　very　people　who　have　been　robbing　and　cheating　us？''

There　were　to　be　issues　of　the　New　Day；　there　were　to　be　posters　and　dodgers；　public　meetings　in　halls；　in　squares；　on　street　corners。　　But　the　main　reliance　now　as　always　was　this　educated　‘‘army　of　education''　these　six　thousand　missionaries；　each　one　of　them　in　resolute　earnest　and　bent　upon　converting　his　neighbors　on　either　side；　and　across　the　street　as　well。　　A　large　part　of　the　time　the　leaders　could　spare　from　making　a　living　was　spent　in　working　at　this　army；　in　teaching　it　new　arguments　or　better　ways　of　presenting　old　arguments；　in　giving　the　enthusiasm；　in　talking　with　each　individual　soldier　of　it　and　raising　his　standard　of　efficiency。　　Nor　could　the　employers　of　these　soldiers　of　Victor　Dorn's　complain　that　they　shirked　their　work　for　politics。　　It　was　a　fact　that　could　not　be　denied　that　the　members　of　the　Workingmen's　League　were　far　and　away　the　best　workers　in　Remsen　City；　got　the　best　pay；　and　earned　it；　drank　less；　took　fewer　days　off　on　account　of　sickness。　　One　of　the　sneers　of　the　Kelly…House　gang　was　that　‘‘those　Dorn　cranks　think　they　are　aristocrats；　a　little　better　than　us　common；　ordinary　laboring　men。''　　And　the　sneer　was　not　without　effect。　　The　truth　was；　Dorn　and　his　associates　had　not　picked　out　the　best　of　the　working　class　and　drawn　it　into　the　League；　but　had　made　those　who　joined　the　League　better　workers；　better　family　men；　better　citizens。

‘‘We　are　saying　that　the　working　class　ought　to　run　things；''　Dorn　said　again　and　again　in　his　talks；　public　and　private。　　‘‘Then；　we've　got　to　show　the　community　that　we're　fit　to　run　things。　　That　is　why　the　League　expels　any　man　who　shirks　or　is　a　drunkard　or　a　crook　or　a　bad　husband　and　father。''

The　great　fight　of　the　Leaguethe　fight　that　was　keeping　it　from　powerwas　with　the　trades　unions；　which　were　run　by　secret　agents　of　the　Kelly…House　oligarchy。　　Kelly　and　the　Republican　party　rather　favored　‘‘open　shop''　or　‘‘scab''　laborthe　right　of　an　American　to　let　his　labor　to　whom　he　pleased　on　what　terms　he　pleased。　　The　Kelly　orators　waxed　almost　tearful　as　they　contemplated　the　outrage　of　any　interference　with　the　ancient　liberty　of　the　American　citizen。　　Kelly　disguised　as　House　was　a　hot　union　man。　　He　loathed　the　‘‘scab。''　　He　jeered　at　the　idea　that　a　laborer　ought　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　powerful　employer　who　could　dictate　his　own　terms；　which　the　laborers　might　not　refuse　under　stress　of　hunger。　　Thus　the　larger　part　of　the　‘‘free''　labor　in　Remsen　City　voted　with　Kellywas　bought　by　him　at　so　much　a　head。　　The　only　organization　it　had　was　under　the　Kelly　district　captains。　　Union　labor　was　almost　solidly　Democraticexcept　in　Presidential　elections；　when　it　usually　divided　on　the　tariff　question。

Although　almost　all　the　Leaguers　were　members　of　the　unions；　Kelly　and　House　saw　to　it　that　they　had　no　influence　in　union　councils。　　That　is；　until　recently　Kelly…House　had　been　able　to　accomplish　this。　　But　they　were　seeing　the　approaching　end　of　their　domination。　　The　‘‘army　of　education''　was　proving　too　powerful　for　them。　　And　they　felt　that　at　the　coming　election　the　decline　of　their　power　would　be　apparent　unless　something　drastic　were　done。

They　had　attempted　it　in　the　riot。　　The　riot　had　been　a　fizzlethanks　to　the　interposition　of　the　personal　ambition　of　the　until　then　despised　‘‘holy　boy；''　David　Hull。　　Kelly；　the　shrewd；　at　once　saw　the　mark　of　the　man　of　force。　　He　resolved　that　Hull　should　be　elected。　　He　had　intended　simply　to　use　him　to　elect　Hugo　Galland　judge　and　to　split　up　the　rest　of　the　tickets　in　such　a　way　that　some　Leaguers　and　some　reformers　would　get　in；　would　be　powerless；　would　bring　discredit　and　ridicule　upon　their　parties。　　But　Hull　was　a　man　who　could　be　useful；　his　cleverness　in　upsetting　the　plot　against　Dorn　and　turning　all　to　his　advantage　demonstrated　that。　　Therefore；　Hull　should　be　elected　and　passed　up　higher。　　It　did　not　enter　his　calculations　that　Hull　might　prove　refractory；　might　really　be　all　that　he　professed；　he　had　talked　with　Davy；　and　while　he　had　underestimated　his　intelligence；　he　knew　he　had　not　misjudged　his　character。　　He　knew　that　it　was　as　easy　to　‘‘deal''　with　the　Hull　stripe　of　honest；　high　minded　men　as　it　was　difficult　to　‘‘deal''　with　the　Victor　Dorn　stripe。　　Hull　he　called　a　‘‘sensible　fellow''；　Victor　Dorn　he　called　a　crank。　　Buthe　respected　Dorn；　while　Hull　he　held　in　much　such　esteem　as　he　held　his　cigar…holder　and　pocket　knife；　or　Tony　Rivers　and　Joe　House。

When　Victor　Dorn　had　first　begun　to　educate　and　organize　the　people　of　Remsen　City；　the　boss　industry　was　in　its　early　form。　　That　is；　Kelly　and　House　were　really　rivals　in　the　collecting　of　big　campaign　funds　by　various　forms　of　blackmail；　in　struggling　for　offices　for　themselves　and　their　followers；　in　levying　upon　vice　and　crime　through　the　police。　　In　these　ways　they　made　the　money；　the　lion's　share　of　which　naturally　fell　to　them　as　leaders；　as　organizers　of　plunder。　　But　that　stage　had　now　passed　in　Remsen　City　as　it　had　passed　elsewhere；　and　the　boss　industry　had　taken　a　form　far　more　difficult　to　combat。　　Kelly　and　House　no　longer　especially　cared　whether　Republican　party　or　Democratic　won。　　Their　businesstheir　source　of　revenuehad　ceased　to　be　through　carrying　elections；　had　become　a　matter　of　skill　in　keeping　the　people　more　or　less　evenly　divided　between　the　two　‘‘regular''　parties；　with　an　occasional　fake　third　party　to　discourage　and　bring　into　contempt　reform　movers　and　to　make　the　people　say；　‘‘Well；　bad　as　they　are；　at　least　the　regulars　aren't　addle…headed；　damn　fools　doing　nothing　except　to　make　business　bad。''　　Both　Kelly　and　House　were　supported　and　enriched　by　the　corporations　and　by　big　public　contracting　companies　and　by　real　estate　deals。　　Kelly　still　appropriated　a　large　part　of　the　‘‘campaign　fund。''　　House；　in　addition；　took　a　share　of　the　money　raised　by　the　police　from　dives。　　But　these　sums　were　but　a　small　part　of　their　income；　were　merely　pin　money　for　their　wives　and　children。

Yetat　heart　and　in　all　sincerity　Kelly　was　an　ardent　Republican　and　House　was　a　ferocious　Democrat。　　If　you　had　asked　either　what　Republican　and　Democrat　meant　he　would　have　been　as　vague　and　unsatisfactory　in　his　reply　as　would　have　been　any　of　his　followers　bearing　torch　and　oilcloth　cape　in　political　processions；　with　no　hope　of　gainbeyond　the　exquisite　pleasure　of　making　a　shouting　ass　of　himself　in　the　most　public　manner。　　But　for　all　that；　Kelly　was　a　Republican　and　House　a　Democrat。　　It　is　not　a　strange；　though　it　is　a　profoundly　mysterious；　phenomenon；　that　of　the　priest　who　arranges　the　trick　mechanism　of　the　god；　yet　being　a　devout　believer；　ready　to　die　for　his　‘‘faith。''

Difficult　though　the　task　was　of　showing　the　average　Remsen　City　man　that　Republican　and　Democrat；　Kelly　and　House；　were　one　and　the　same　thing；　and　that　thing　a　blood…sucking；　blood…heavy　leech　upon　his　veinsdifficult　though　this　task　was；　Victor　Dorn　knew　that　he　had　about　accomplished　it；　when　David　Hull　appeared。　　A　new　personality；　a　plausible　personality；　deceptive　because　self…deceivingyet　not　so　thoroughly　self…deceived　that　it　was　in　danger　of　hindering　its　own　ambition。　　David　Hulljust　the　kind　of　respectable；　popular　figurehead　and　cloak　the　desperate　Kelly…　House　conspiracy　needed。

How　far　had　the　‘‘army　of　education''　prepared　the　people　for　seeing　through　this　clever　new　fraud　upon　them？　　Victor　Dorn　could　not　judge。　　He　hoped　for　the　best；　he　was　prepared　for　the　worst。

The　better　to　think　out　the　various　problems　of　the　new　situation；　complicated　by　his　apparent　debt　of　gratitude　to　Davy；　Victor　went　forth　into　the　woods　very　early　the　next　morning。　　He　wandered　far；　but　ten　o'clock　found　him　walking　in　the　path　in　the　strip　of　woods　near　the　high　road　along　the　upper　side　of　the　park。　　And　when　Jane　Hastings　appeared；　he　was　standing　looking　in　the　direction　from　which　she　would　have　to　come。　　It　was　significant　of　her　state　of　mind　that　she　had　given　small　attention　to　her　dress　that　morning。　　Nor　was　she　looking　her　best　in　expression　or　in　color。　　Her　eyes　and　her　skin　suggested　an　almost　sleepless　night。

He　did　not　advance。　　She　came　rapidly　as　if　eager　to　get　over　that　embarrassing　space　in　which　each　could　see　the　other；　yet　neither　could　speak　without　raising　the　voice。　　When　she　was　near　she　said：

‘‘You　think　you　owe　something　to　Davy　Hull　for　what　he　did？''

‘‘The　people　think　so；''　said　he。　　‘‘And　that's　the　important　thing。''

‘‘Wellyou　owe　him　nothing；''　pursued　she。

‘‘Nothing　that　would　interfere　with　the　cause；''　replied　he。　　‘‘And　that　would　be　true；　no　matter　what　he　had　done。''

‘‘I　mean　he　did　nothing　for　you；''　she　explained。　　‘‘I　forgot　to　tell　you　yesterday。　　The　whole　thing　was　simply　a　move　to　further　his　ambition。　　I　happened　to　be　there　when　he　talked　with　father　and　enlisted　him。''

Victor　laughed。　　‘‘It　was　your　father　who　put　it　through。　　I　might　have　known！''

‘‘At　first　I　tried　to　interpose。　　ThenI　stopped。''　　She　stood　before　him　with　eyes　down。　　‘‘It　came　to　me　that　for　my　own　sake　it　would　be　better　that　you　should　lose　this　fall。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　if　you　won　you　would　be　farther　out　of　my　reach。''　　She　paused；　went　steadily　on：　　‘‘It　was　a　bad　feeling　I　had　that　you　must　not　get　anything　except　with　my　help。　　Do　you　understand？''

‘‘Perfectly；''　said　he　cheerfully。　　‘‘You　are　your　father's　own　daughter。''

‘‘I　love　power；''　said　she。　　‘‘And　so　do　you。　　Only；　being　a　woman；　I'd　stoop　to　things　to　get　it；　that　a　manat　least　your　sort　of　manwould　scorn。　　Do　you　despise　me　for　that？　　You　oughtn't　to。　　And　you　will　teach　me　better。　　You　can　make　of　me　what　you　please；　as　I　told　you　yesterday。　　I　only　half　meant　it　then。　　Nowit's　true；　through　and　through。''

Victor　glanced　round；　saw　near　at　hand　the　bench　he　was　seeking。　　‘‘Let's　sit　down　here；''　said　he。　　‘‘I'm　rather　tired。　　I　slept　little　and　I've　been　walking　all　morning。　　And　you　look　tired；　also。''

‘‘After　yesterday　afternoon　I　couldn't　sleep；''　said　she。

When　they　were　seated　he　looked　at　her　with　an　expression　that　seemed　to　say：　　‘‘I　have　thrown　open　the　windows　of　my　soul。　　Throw　open　yours；　and　let　us　look　at　each　other　as　we　are；　and　speak　of　things　as　they　are。''　　She　suddenly　flung　herself　against　his　breast　and　as　he　clasped　her　she　said：

‘‘Nono！　　Let's　not　reason　coldly　about　things；　Victor。　　Let's　feellet's　LIVE！''

It　was　several　minu