city have, in consideration of
his abilities, concluded to place Mr. Shund in the position which he
ought to occupy. Are you going, on to-morrow, to vote against the
decision of the leading men? Are you actually going to make yourselves
guilty of such an absurdity? You may, of course, if you wish, for every
citizen is free to do as he pleases. But the men of influence are also
at liberty to do as they please. I will explain my meaning more fully.
You, gentlemen, are, all of you, mechanics--shoemakers, tailors,
blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. From whom do you get your living? Do you
get it from the handful of hypocrites and men of darkness? No; you get
your living from the liberals, for they are the moneyed men, the men of
power and authority. It is they who scatter money among the people. You
obtain employment, you get bread and meat, from the liberals. And now
to whom, do you think, will the liberals give employment? They will
give it to such as hold their views, and not--mark my word--to such as
are opposed to them. The man, therefore, that is prepared recklessly to
ruin his business has only to vote against Mr. Shund."

"That will do the business, that will fetch them," said Greifmann.
"Just look how dumfounded the poor savages appear!"

"It is brutal terrorism!" protested Seraphin indignantly.

"But don't misunderstand me. Mr. Spitzkopf! I am neither a hypocritical
devotee nor a Jesuit!" exclaimed the coppersmith deprecatingly. "If
Shund is good enough for them," pointing to the leaders under the
rotunda, "he is good enough for me."

"For me, too!" exclaimed a tailor.

"There isn't a worthier man than Shund," declared a shopkeeper.

"And not a cleverer," said a carpenter.

"And none more demoralized," lauded a joiner, unconscious of the import
of his encomium.

"That's so, and therefore I am satisfied with him," assured a
shoemaker.

"So am I--so am I," chorussed the others eagerly.

"That is sensible, gentlemen," approved the bald man. "Just keep in
harmony with liberalism and progress, and you will never be the worse
for it, gentlemen. Above all, beware of reaction--do not fall back into
the immoral morasses of the middle ages. Let us guard the light and
liberty of our beautiful age. Vote for these men," and he produced a
package of printed tickets, "and you will enjoy the delightful
consciousness of having disposed of your vote in the interests of the
common good."

Spitzkopf distributed the tickets o