ts a sailor on the head. An alderman bites off a
sailor's ear. An athletic sailor fells the first six foes who advance
upon him. A shot is fired. The long line at the polls dissolves as if
by magic. The judges of election disappear out the back door.
There is nothing for the unoccupied alderman to do but to place 400
Lockwin ballots in the box.
The Lockwin ballot contains the name of delegates who are sworn for all
time to the alderman.
The police finally arrest all the fighting sailors and hurry them to
the station.
The attempt of Corkey to carry any wards or precincts outside of the
First and Second is futile. It passes the practicable. In theory it
was good.
Twelve wagon-loads of fighting sailors ought to be able to vote
anywhere.
A Napoleon would have massed his forces and conquered precincts.
But Napoleon himself sometimes displayed the white feather.
And that is the only way in which Corkey resembles Napoleon.
CHAPTER VIII
FIFTY KEGS OF BEER
"It is estimated," says the opposition press, "that Lockwin, the rich
man's candidate, backed by the machine, the organized toughs of the
'Levee,' and the gamblers, has spent over $25,000 of corruption money.
The primaries, which were held yesterday, were the most disgraceful
political exhibitions which have ever been offered in our civic
history. Harpwood was counted out in every ward but one. Corkey, the
sailors' candidate, carried two wards by the same tactics which the
police made use of elsewhere. In the First and Second, the officers
arrested all 'disturbers' on complaint of Corkeyites. Everywhere else
Corkeyites were either forced off the field or are now in the bull-pens
at the stations.
"As our interview with the mayor shows, he is unacquainted with facts
which everybody else possesses. It is well enough to repeat that we
shall never have a real mayor until the present rule-or-ruin machine
shall be destroyed.
"It is to be hoped that the split which threatens the convention of
to-day will herald the dawn of law-and-order rule, when bossism, clamor
for office, and saloon primaries will happily be things of the past."
The primaries which were held on Friday elected delegates to the
convention of Saturday. If we scan the large body which is now
gathering, it may be seen that the business of to-day is to be done by
men who either hold or control office. The sidewalk inspectors, the
health inspectors, the city and county
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