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 Kelly--was bought by him at so
much a head. The only organization it had was under the Kelly district
captains. Union labor was almost solidly Democratic--except 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 fizzle--thanks
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. But--he respected Dorn, while
Hull he held in much such esteem as he held his cigar-holder an