the Burke party were
behind the "contemptible trick;" but the sheet which upheld the "City
Hall crowd," as all Roma termed its municipal authorities, gave a most
sensational account, telling it with a flippant and gleeful inaccuracy
which spoke volumes for the accomplishments of modern yellow journalism.
It headed its article thus:

"CANDIDATES IN COLLISION"

"Handsome Woman Candidate and Aristocratic Aspirant for Mayoralty
Flee from Joint Debate, only to Crash Together in the Woods and
Return in Electric Cab Together."

A portion of the article ran as follows:

"For weeks the advocates of higher education for women and the
shriekers for female suffrage who have been pushing the daughter
of the late Senator Van Deusen forward in her attempt to become
Mayor of Roma, have been laboring to arrange a joint debate in
which their candidate should take the platform and discuss the
issues of our city campaign with that scion of would-be American
Royalty, Jack Allingham. They have left no stone unturned to
interest the public in this expected clash of argument and trial
of brain-power. (We refrain from commenting here upon the minimum
quantity of the latter necessary to such a debate.) Finally they
had, with great flourish of trumpets and beating of drums--(we
are speaking politically, not literally now)--arranged for such a
debate on the very evening before election day.

"Last night Brocklebank Hall was crowded with the usual audience
of mixed social position and nationality in attendance at mass-
meetings of the Republican and Independent parties in Roma. They
had gathered to hear the accumulated perorations of wit and
wisdom on the part of their two candidates. They were to decide,
finally, which one to vote for today; to make up their little
minds whether to put into the mayor's chair a stiff, conservative
aristocrat who cares no more for the laboring classes of Roma
than he does for its work-horses--(or its mules) or a young woman
of good ancestry, but no actual knowledge of municipal affairs--
only an inherited cock-sureness of opinion on any and every
subject that may come up.

"Did they hear this great joint debate?

"No. Why? Because during the hours while the impatient
audience were beguiled by feeble arguments from mushroom
speakers, who attempted to amuse