the men who have made this country--What are the few
millions a man may amass, in compensation for what he has to endure?
Why, Sayler, I've not the slightest doubt you could find well-meaning,
yes, really honest, God-fearing people, who would tell you I am a
scoundrel! I have read _sermons_, delivered from _pulpits_ against me!
_Sermons_ from _pulpits_!"

"I have thought out a plan," said I, after a moment's silent and shocked
contemplation of this deplorable state of affairs, "a plan to end
Dunkirk and cheapen the cost of political business."

At "cheapen the cost" his big ears twitched as if they had been tickled.

"You can't expect to get what you need for nothing," I continued, "in
the present state of public opinion. But I'm sure I could reduce
expenses by half--at least half."

I had his undivided attention.

"It is patently absurd," I went on, "that you who finance politics and
keep in funds these fellows of both machines should let them treat you
as if you were their servants. Why don't you put them in their place,
servants at servants' wages?"

"But I've no time to go into politics,--and I don't know anything about
it--don't want to know. It's a low business,--ignorance, corruption,
filthiness."

"Take Dunkirk, for example," I pushed on. "His lieutenants and heelers
hate him because he doesn't divide squarely. The only factor in his
power is the rank and file of the voters of our party. They, I'm
convinced, are pretty well aware of his hypocrisy,--but it doesn't
matter much what they think. They vote like sheep and accept whatever
leaders and candidates our machine gives them. They are almost
stone-blind in their partizanship and they can always be fooled up to
the necessary point. And we can fool them ourselves, if we go about it
right, just as well as Dunkirk does it for hire."

"But Dunkirk is _their_ man, isn't he?" he suggested.

"Any man is their man whom you choose to give them," replied I. "And
don't _you_ give them Dunkirk? He takes the money from the big business
interests, and with it hires the men to sit in the legislature and
finances the machine throughout the state. It takes big money to run a
political machine. His power belongs to you people, to a dozen of you,
and you can take it away from him; his popularity belongs to the party,
and it would cheer just as loudly for any other man who wore the party
uniform."

"I see," he said reflectively; "the machine rules the party, and money