Arthur Somers Roche

“ He says not to let politics interfere with love. But I am not as noble as my father. I can not love a man who calls my father dishonest, or permits him to be called dishonest.”
The great issue was raised, as Minot had known all along it must sooner or later be raised.
“Janet,” he said, “if your father does not carry political differences into private life, why should you? Your father and I look at things differently. He thinks that it is all right to promise contracts to Stewart Morris' company, for it's Morris who owns the Morgantown Construction Company. ”

“ It was some time after the Citizens' Ticket had defeated the makeshift slate of the machine, and consigned Boss Morris to political oblivion, that that worthy was asked if he thought every man had a price of some sort. ”

“ Last week the Merchants' Association got the tip that unless they withdrew their advertising from the Sun the city ordinances would be enforced; fire-escapes would have to be built, sidewalks kept clear. Like suckers they write him a letter, and now he's published it.
“The people are beginning to believe that he's persecuted because of his attacks on us. They're beginning to believe in him and—Landers, you won't succeed yourself as Mayor of Morgantown unless he's called off.” ”

“ We've got the last piece of meat for the voters to chew on! It's the Citizens' Ticket in a walk and then—my boy, victory! For you—for the Sun, for——”
“What's up?” snapped Minot.
“It's up to you to write the biggest editorial you ever pounded out! The Clinton Avenue School collapsed at five o'clock this morning. If it had been four hours later nine hundred kiddies would have gone down beneath it—to death! And the Morgantown Construction company built it! It proves what you've been shouting all along—that their work is rotten ”

“ Atherton was a very shrewd young man. He knew that Constant was a lawyer of parts, whose weakness for drink had made him sink to the level of a henchman for Morris. He knew that Constant's brain had often been invaluable to the boss, and that if Ćonstant wanted to talk—would talk——
Atherton managed, by heavy bribes, to get to the room in which Constant was drinking. It was easy to make the drunken lawyer talk, as Atherton did not scruple to state that he was a friend of Morris's, sent down to keep the lawyer company. ”

“ And beneath that was a short editorial by Minot, in which he declared that not all the power of the invisible government of Morgantown could prevent him from continuing to expose the rottenness of the ring that governed the city.
Though the Sun be stripped of every line of advertising the Sun should still continue to expose the grafters. The Sun bore no ill will toward the members of the Merchants' Association; the Sun pitied them for their cowardice in not daring to defy the boss of Morgantown. ”

“ I think we'll need them in a few short months.”
“Maybe,” said Minot, “but, Jack—a good fight, in a good cause—isn't that recompense enough? Even for defeat?”
“It's your money,” said Frazee. “And—and Tom, as your business manager I can't advise you to throw away your chances for making this paper a success, but as your friend, and as man to man—Tom, I'm proud of you!”
THEIR hands struck together; then, as if ashamed of such emotion, Frazee hurried from the editorial office. Minot struck a bell. A boy entered the room. ”

“ Weak, a creature of the boss, Landers, of one of Morgantown's oldest families, prided himself on his gentility. It was not part of his gentility to know the methods of the boss. He closed his eyes to the details always, obeying his orders, and comforting himself with the reflection that politics was different from business anyway.
“Every man has his price, Landers,” said the boss sententiously. “Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's power, and sometimes it's woman. We've tried the first with Minot ”

“ And now—Minot's centering his attack on the Morgantown Construction company; he's making that his main issue. He says that everything we build is overpaid and underdone. If a Citizens' Ticket wins, he'll have the new Mayor and council cancel the contracts already made. ”

“ A little more of that talk and I'll hang one on your ear! Just because I'm a few years older than you and blessed with a lot more horse sense doesn't mean I'm a quitter! You can't stop me from giving you advice ”