n't like them," said Peter; "but that's the politicians,
not the party."

"Shure," said Dennis, "what's the party but the men that run it?"

"You've seen something of Mr. Bohlmann lately, Dennis?"

"Yes."

"Well, he was the man who put Goldman in charge of that cow stable. Yet
he's an honest man."

Dennis scratched his head. "It's a convincin' way yez have wid yez," he
said; "but it's scoundrels the Republicans are, all the same. Look at
them in the district; there's not one a decent man would invite to drink
wid him."

"I think, Dennis," said Peter, "that when all the decent men get into
one party, there'll be only one worth talking about."

"Av course," replied Dennis. "That's the reason there's only the
Democratic party in New York City."

"Tell me about this primary," said Peter, concluding that abstract
political philosophy was not the way to liberalize Dennis.

"It's most important, it is," he was told, "it's on top Patsy Blunkers
an' his gang av dirty spalpeens (Dennis seemed to forget that he had
just expressed the opinion that all the "decent" men were Democrats)
have been this two years, but we've got orders for a new enrollment at
last, an' if we don't knock them this time, my name isn't Dinnis
Moriarty."

"What is the question before the meeting?"

"Afther the enrollment, it's to vote for delegates."

"Oh! Then it's just a struggle over who shall be elected?"

"That's it. But a fine, big fight it will be. The whole district's so
excited, sir, that it's twice Oi've had to pound the b'ys a bit in my
saloon to keep the peace."

"What do you want of me?"

"Shure, every vote counts on a night like this. An' ye'd be afther
helpin' us big, for the district likes yez."

"But, Dennis, I can't vote without knowing something about the way
things are. I shouldn't know whether I was voting rightly."

"Why, a man votes right when he votes for his friends!"

"No; a man votes right when he votes for his convictions."

"Convictions, is it?"

"Yes. That is, he votes as he thinks is best for the country."

"That, maybe, is the way yez do it where yez come from," said Dennis,
"but it's no good it would be here. Convictions, whatever they be, are
never nominated here. It's real things we're afther votin' for in New
York."

Peter laughed. "I've got to take you in hand, Dennis, and you've got to
take me in hand. I think we both need each other's help. Yes, I'll come
to the primary. Will they let me vot