the conflict-第50部分

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　　The　League　meetings　were　only　slightly　better　attended　than　during　the　last　campaign；　no　indication　there　of　the　League　‘‘landslide。''

Yet　Kelly　could　not；　dared　not；　doubt　that　poll。　　It　was　his　only　safe　guide。　　And　it　assured　him　that　the　long…dreaded　disaster　was　at　hand。　　In　vain　was　the　clever　trick　of　nominating　a　popular；　‘‘clean''　young　reformer　and　opposing　him　with　an　unpopular　regular　of　the　most　offensive　typemore　offensive　even　than　a　professional　politician　of　unsavory　record。　　At　last　victory　was　to　reward　the　tactics　of　Victor　Dorn；　the　slow；　patient　building　which　for　several　years　now　had　been　rasping　the　nerves　of　Boss　Kelly。

What　should　he　do？

It　was　clear　to　him　that　the　doom　of　the　old　system　was　settled。　　The　plutocrats；　the　upper…class　crowdthe　‘‘silk　stockings；''　as　they　had　been　called　from　the　days　when　men　wore　knee…breechesthey　fancied　that　this　nation…wide　movement　was　sporadic；　would　work　out　in　a　few　years；　and　that　the　people　would　return　to　their　allegiance。　　Kelly　had　no　such　delusions。　　Issuing　from　the　depths　of　the　people；　he　understood。　　They　were　learning　a　little　something　at　last。　　They　were　discovering　that　the　ever　higher　prices　for　everything　and　stationary　or　falling　wages　and　salaries　had　some　intimate　relation　with　politics；　that　at　the　national　capitol；　at　the　state　capitol；　in　the　county　courthouse；　in　the　city　hall　their　share　of　the　nation's　vast　annual　production　of　wealth　was　being　determinedand　that　the　persons　doing　the　dividing；　though　elected　by　them；　were　in　the　employ　of　the　plutocracy。　　Kelly；　seeing　and　comprehending；　felt　that　it　behooved　him　to　get　for　his　mastersand　for　himselfall　that　could　be　got　in　the　brief　remaining　time。　　Not　that　he　was　thinking　of　giving　up　the　game；　nothing　so　foolish　as　that。　　It　would　be　many　a　year　before　the　plutocracy　could　be　routed　out；　before　the　people　would　have　the　intelligence　and　the　persistence　to　claim　and　to　hold　their　own。　　In　the　meantime；　they　could　be　fooled　and　robbed　by　a　hundred　tricks。　　He　was　not　a　constitutional　lawyer；　but　he　had　practical　good　sense；　and　could　enjoy　the　joke　upon　the　people　in　their　entanglement　in　the　toils　of　their　own　making。　　Through　fear　of　governmental　tyranny　they　had　divided　authority　among　legislators；　executives　and　judges；　national；　state；　local。　　And；　behold；　outside　of　the　government；　out　where　they　had　never　dreamed　of　looking；　had　grown　up　a　tyranny　that　was　perpetuating　itself　by　dodging　from　one　of　these　divided　authorities　to　another；　eluding　capture；　wearing　out　the　not　too　strong　perseverance　of　popular　pursuit。

But；　thanks　to　Victor　Dorn；　the　local　graft　was　about　to　be　taken　away　from　the　politicians　and　the　plutocracy。　　How　put　off　that　unpleasant　event？　　Obviously；　in　the　only　way　left　unclosed。　　The　election　must　be　stolen。

It　is　a　very　human　state　of　mind　to　feel　that　what　one　wants　somehow　has　already　become　in　a　sense　one's　property。　　It　is　even　more　profoundly　human　to　feel　that　what　one　has　had；　however　wrongfully；　cannot　justly　be　taken　away。　　So　Mr。　Kelly　did　not　regard　himself　as　a　thief；　taking　what　did　not　belong　to　him；　no；　he　was　holding　on　to　and　defending　his　own。

Victor　Dorn　had　not　been　in　politics　since　early　boyhood　without　learning　how　the　political　game　is　conducted　in　all　its　branches。

Because　there　had　never　been　the　remotest　chance　of　victory；　Victor　had　never　made　preelection　polls　of　his　party。　　So　the　first　hint　that　he　got　of　there　being　a　real　foundation　for　the　belief　of　some　of　his　associates　in　an　impending　victory　was　when　he　found　out　that　Kelly　and　House　were　‘‘colonizing''　voters；　and　were　selecting　election　officers　with　an　eye　to　‘‘dirty　work。''　　These　preparations；　he　knew；　could　not　be　making　for　the　same　reason　as　in　the　years　before　the　‘‘gentlemen's　agreement''　between　the　Republican　and　the　Democratic　machines。　　Kelly；　he　knew；　wanted　House　and　the　Alliance　to　win。　　Therefore；　the　colonizations　in　the　slums　and　the　appointing　of　notorious　buckos　to　positions　where　they　would　control　the　ballot　boxes　could　be　directed　only　against　the　Workingmen's　League。　　Kelly　must　have　accurate　information　that　the　League　was　likely；　or　at　least　not　unlikely；　to　win。

Victor　had　thought　he　had　so　schooled　himself　that　victory　and　defeat　were　mere　words　to　him。　　He　soon　realized　how　he　had　overestimated　the　power　of　philosophy　over　human　nature。　　During　that　campaign　he　had　been　imagining　that　he　was　putting　all　his　ability；　all　his　energy；　all　his　resourcefulness　into　the　fight。　　He　now　discovered　his　mistake。　　Hopedefinite　hopeof　victory　had　hardly　entered　his　mind　before　he　was　organizing　and　leading　on　such　a　campaign　as　Remsen　City　had　never　known　in　all　its　historyand　Remsen　City　was　in　a　state　where　politics　is　the　chief　distraction　of　the　people。　　Sleep　left　him；　he　had　no　need　of　sleep。　　Day　and　night　his　brain　worked；　pouring　out　a　steady　stream　of　ideas。　　He　became　like　a　gigantic　electric　storage　battery　to　which　a　hundred；　a　thousand　small　batteries　come　for　renewal。　　He　charged　his　associates　afresh　each　day。　　And　they　in　turn　became　amazingly　more　powerful　forces　for　acting　upon　the　minds　of　the　people。

In　the　last　week　of　the　campaign　it　became　common　talk　throughout　the　city　that　the　‘‘Dorn　crowd''　would　probably　carry　the　election。　　Kelly　was　the　only　one　of　the　opposition　leaders　who　could　maintain　a　calm　front。　　Kelly　was　too　seasoned　a　gambler　even　to　show　his　feelings　in　his　countenance；　but；　had　he　been　showing　them；　his　following　would　not　have　been　depressed；　for　he　had　made　preparations　to　meet　and　overcome　any　majority　short　of　unanimity　which　the　people　might　roll　up　against　him。　　The　discouragement　in　the　House…Alliance　camps　became　so　apparent　that　Kelly　sent　his　chief　lieutenant；　Wellman；　successor　to　the　fugitive　Rivers；　to　House　and　to　David　Hull　with　a　message。　　It　was　delivered　to　Hull　in　this　form：

‘‘The　old　man　says　he　wants　you　to　stop　going　round　with　your　chin　knocking　against　your　knees。　　He　says　everybody　is　saying　you　have　given　up　the　fight。''

‘‘Our　meetings　these　last　few　days　are　very　discouraging；''　said　Davy　gloomily。

‘‘What's　meetin's？''　retorted　Wellman。　　‘‘You　fellows　that　shoot　off　your　mouths　think　you're　doing　the　campaigning。　　But　the　real　stuff　is　being　doped　up　by　us　fellows　who　ain't　seen　or　heard。　　The　old　man　says　you　are　going　to　win。　　That's　straight。　　He　knows。　　It's　only　a　question　of　the　size　of　your　majority。　　So　pull　yourself　together；　Mr。　Hull；　and　put　the　ginger　back　into　your　speeches；　and　stir　up　that　there　gang　of　dudes。　　What　a　gang　of　Johnnies　and　quitters　they　are！''

Hull　was　looking　directly　and　keenly　at　the　secret　messenger。　　Upon　his　lips　was　a　question　he　dared　not　ask。　　Seeing　the　impudent；　disdainful　smile　in　Wellman's　eyes；　he　hastily　shifted　his　glance。　　It　was　most　uncomfortable；　this　suspicion　of　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　Kelly　messagea　suspicion　ALMOST　confirmed　by　that　mocking　smile　of　the　messenger。　　Hull　said　with　embarrassment：

‘‘Tell　Mr。　Kelly　I'm　much　obliged。''

‘‘And　you'll　begin　to　make　a　fight　again？''

‘‘Certainly；''　said　Davy　impatiently。

When　he　was　alone　he　became　once　more　involved　in　one　of　those　internal　struggles　to　prevent　himself　from　seeingand　smellinga　hideous　and　malodorous　truth。　　These　struggles　were　painfully　frequent。　　The　only　consolation　the　young　reformer　found　was　that　they　were　increasingly　less　difficult　to　end　in　the　way　such　struggles　　must　be　ended　if　a　high…minded　young　man　is　to　make　a　career　in　‘‘practical''　life。

On　election　day　after　he　had　voted　he　went　for　a　long　walk　in　the　woods　to　the　south　of　the　town；　leaving　word　at　his　headquarters　what　direction　he　had　taken。　　After　walking　two　hours　he　sat　down　on　a　log　in　the　shade　near　where　the　highroad　crossed　Foaming　Creek。　　He　became　so　absorbed　in　his　thoughts　that　he　sprang　to　his　feet　with　a　wild　look　when　Selma's　voice　said；　close　by：

‘‘May　I　interrupt　a　moment；　Mr。　Hull？''

He　recovered　slowly。　　His　cheeks　were　pale　and　his　voice　uncertain　as　he　replied：

‘‘You？　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　This　campaign　has　played　smash　with　my　nerves。''

He　now　noted　that　she　was　regarding　him　with　a　glance　so　intense　that　it　seemed　to　concentrate　all　the　passion　and　energy　in　that　slim；　nervous　body　of　hers。　　He　said　uncomfortably：

‘‘You　wished　to　see　me？''

‘‘I　wonder　what　you　were　thinking　about；''　she　said　in　her　impetuous；　direct　way。　　‘‘It　makes　me　almost　afraid　to　ask　what　I　came　to　ask。''

‘‘Won't　you　sit？''　said　he。

‘‘No；　thanks；''　replied　she。

‘‘Then　you'll　compel　me　to　stand。　　And　I'm　horribly　tired。''

She　seated　herself　upon　the　log。　　He　made　himself　comfortable　at　its　other　end。

‘‘I've　just　come　from　Victor　Dorn's　house；''　said　she。　　‘‘There　was　a　consultation　among　the　leaders　of　our　party。　　We　have　learned　that　your　peopleKelly　and　Houseare　going　to　steal　the　election　on　the　count　this　evening。　　They　are　committing　wholesale　frauds　now　sending　round　gangs　of　repeaters；　intimidating　our　voters；　openly　buying　votes　at　the　polling　places　paying　men　as　much　not　to　vote　as　they　usually　pay　for　votes。''

Davy；　though　latterly　he　had　grown　so　much　older　and　graver　that　no　one　now　thought　of　him　as　Davy；　co