d out a card, and handed it to Peter. "Six o'clock sharp,"
he said. Then he went to headquarters, and told the result of his two
interviews. "Now who had better be there?" he asked. After consultation,
a dinner of six was arranged.

The meal proved to be an interesting one to Peter. First, he found that
all the guests were well-known party men, whose names and opinions were
matters of daily notice in the papers. What was more, they talked
convention affairs, and Peter learned in the two hours' general
conversation more of true "interests" and "influences" and "pulls" and
"advantages" than all his reading and talking had hitherto gained him.
He learned that in New York the great division of interest was between
the city and country members, and that this divided interest played a
part in nearly every measure. "Now," said one of the best known men at
the table, "the men who represent the city, must look out for the city.
Porter's a fine man, but he has no great backing, and no matter how well
he intends by us, he can't do more than agree to such bills as we can
get passed. But Catlin has the Monroe members of the legislature under
his thumb, and his brother-in-law runs Onandaga. He promises they shall
vote for all we want. With that aid, we can carry what New York City
needs, in spite of the country members."

"Would the country members refuse to vote for really good and needed
city legislation?" asked Peter.

"Every time, unless we agree to dicker with them on some country job.
The country members hold the interest of the biggest city in this
country in their hands, and threaten or throttle those interests every
time anything is wanted."

"And when it comes to taxation," added another, "the country members are
always giving the cities the big end to carry."

"I had a talk with Catlin," said Peter. "It seemed to me that he wasn't
the right kind of man."

"Catlin's a timid man, who never likes to commit himself. That's because
he always wants to do what his backers tell him. Of course when a man
does that, he hasn't decided views of his own, and naturally doesn't
wish to express what he may want to take back an hour later."

"I don't like straw men," said Peter.

"A man who takes other people's opinions is not a bad governor, Mr.
Stirling. It all depends on whose opinion he takes. If we could find a
man who was able to do what the majority wants every time, we could
re-elect him for the next fifty years. You must