ting, and ballot-box stuffing being immense. In a doubtful
mayoralty campaign the first and second wards alone, coupled with a
portion of the third adjoining them, would register sufficient
illegitimate votes (after voting-hours, if necessary) to completely
change the complexion of the city as to the general officers nominated.
Large amounts of money were sent to Tiernan and Kerrigan around
election time by the Democratic County Committee to be disposed of as
they saw fit. They merely sent in a rough estimate of how much they
would need, and always received a little more than they asked for.
They never made nor were asked to make accounting afterward. Tiernan
would receive as high as fifteen and eighteen, Kerrigan sometimes as
much as twenty to twenty-five thousand dollars, his being the pivotal
ward under such circumstances.

McKenty had recently begun to recognize that these two men would soon
have to be given fuller consideration, for they were becoming more or
less influential. But how? Their personalities, let alone the
reputation of their wards and the methods they employed, were not such
as to command public confidence. In the mean time, owing to the
tremendous growth of the city, the growth of their own private
business, and the amount of ballot-box stuffing, repeating, and the
like which was required of them, they were growing more and more
restless. Why should not they be slated for higher offices? they now
frequently asked themselves. Tiernan would have been delighted to have
been nominated for sheriff or city treasurer. He considered himself
eminently qualified. Kerrigan at the last city convention had
privately urged on Dowling the wisdom of nominating him for the
position of commissioner of highways and sewers, which office he was
anxious to obtain because of its reported commercial perquisites; but
this year, of all times, owing to the need of nominating an unblemished
ticket to defeat the sharp Republican opposition, such a nomination was
not possible. It would have drawn the fire of all the respectable
elements in the city. As a result both Tiernan and Kerrigan, thinking
over their services, past and future, felt very much disgruntled. They
were really not large enough mentally to understand how
dangerous--outside of certain fields of activity--they were to the
party.

After his conference with Hand, Gilgan, going about the city with the
promise of ready cash on his lips, was able to arouse