now a subject of contention. Streets were
clean, contracts fairly executed; the general municipal interests as
satisfactorily attended to as could be expected. Only the grade crossing
war remained as an issue, and that would require still another vote
after this. His record was the only available campaign argument.

On the other side, however, were the two organizations of the locally
defeated great parties, and the railroad. The latter, insistent in its
bitterness, now organized these two bodies into a powerful opposition.
Newspapers were subsidized; the national significance of the campaign
magnified; a large number of railroad-hands colonized. When the final
weeks of the campaign arrived a bitter contest was waged, and money
triumphed. Five thousand four hundred votes were cast for the mayor.
Five thousand four hundred and fifty for the opposing candidate, who was
of the same party as the successful presidential nominee.

It was a bitter blow, but still one easily borne by the mayor, who was
considerable of a philosopher. With simple, undisturbed grace he
retired, and three days later applied to one of the principal shoe
factories for work at his trade.

"What? You're not looking for a job, are you?" exclaimed the astonished
foreman.

"I am," said the mayor.

"You can go to work, all right, but I should think you could get into
something better now."

"I suppose I can later," he replied, "when I complete my law studies.
Just now I want to do this for a change, to see how things are with the
rank and file." And donning the apron he had brought with him he went to
work.

It was not long, however, before he was discharged, largely because of
partisan influence anxious to drive him out of that region. It was said
that this move of seeking a job in so simple a way was a bit of "grand
standing"--insincere--that he didn't need to do it, and that he was
trying to pile up political capital against the future. A little later a
local grocery man of his social faith offered him a position as clerk,
and for some odd reason--humanitarian and sectarian, possibly--he
accepted this. At any rate, here he labored for a little while. Again
many said he was attempting to make political capital out of this simple
life in order to further his political interests later, and this
possibly, even probably, was true. All men have methods of fighting for
that which they believe. So here he worked for a time, while a large
number of agen