the titan-第72章

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〃I　know　of　you　well　enough；〃　smiled　the　Irishman；　with　a　soft　brogue。　　〃You　don't　need　an　introduction　to　talk　to　me。〃

〃Very　good；〃　replied　Hand；　extending　his　hand。　　〃I　know　of　you；　too。　　Then　we　can　talk。　　It's　the　political　situation　here　in　Chicago　I'd　like　to　discuss　with　you。　　I'm　not　a　politician　myself；　but　I　take　some　interest　in　what's　going　on。　　I　want　to　know　what　you　think　will　be　the　probable　outcome　of　the　present　situation　here　in　the　city。〃

Gilgan；　having　no　reason　for　laying　his　private　political　convictions　bare　to　any　one　whose　motive　he　did　not　know；　merely　replied：　〃Oh；　I　think　the　Republicans　may　have　a　pretty　good　show。　　They　have　all　but　one　or　two　of　the　papers　with　them；　I　see。　　I　don't　know　much　outside　of　what　I　read　and　hear　people　talk。〃

Mr。　Hand　knew　that　Gilgan　was　sparring；　and　was　glad　to　find　his　man　canny　and　calculating。

〃I　haven't　asked　you　to　come　here　just　to　be　talking　over　politics　in　general；　as　you　may　imagine；　Mr。　Gilgan。　　I　want　to　put　a　particular　problem　before　you。　　Do　you　happen　to　know　either　Mr。　McKenty　or　Mr。　Cowperwood？〃

〃I　never　met　either　of　them　to　talk　to；〃　replied　Gilgan。　　〃I　know　Mr。　McKenty　by　sight；　and　I've　seen　Mr。　Cowperwood　once。〃　He　said　no　more。

〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Hand；　〃suppose　a　group　of　influential　men　here　in　Chicago　were　to　get　together　and　guarantee　sufficient　funds　for　a　city…wide　campaign；　now；　if　you　had　the　complete　support　of　the　newspapers　and　the　Republican　organization　in　the　bargain；　could　you　organize　the　opposition　here　so　that　the　Democratic　party　could　be　beaten　this　fall？　I'm　not　talking　about　the　mayor　merely　and　the　principal　city　officers；　but　the　council；　toothe　aldermen。　　I　want　to　fix　things　so　that　the　McKenty…Cowperwood　crowd　couldn't　get　an　alderman　or　a　city　official　to　sell　out；　once　they　are　elected。　　I　want　the　Democratic　party　beaten　so　thoroughly　that　there　won't　be　any　question　in　anybody's　mind　as　to　the　fact　that　it　has　been　done。　　There　will　be　plenty　of　money　forthcoming　if　you　can　prove　to　me；　or；　rather；　to　the　group　of　men　I　am　thinking　of；　that　the　thing　can　be　done。〃

Mr。　Gilgan　blinked　his　eyes　solemnly。　　He　rubbed　his　knees；　put　his　thumbs　in　the　armholes　of　his　vest；　took　out　a　cigar；　lit　it；　and　gazed　poetically　at　the　ceiling。　　He　was　thinking　very；　very　hard。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　and　Mr。　McKenty；　as　he　knew；　were　very　powerful　men。　　He　had　always　managed　to　down　the　McKenty　opposition　in　his　ward；　and　several　others　adjacent　to　it；　and　in　the　Eighteenth　Senatorial　District；　which　he　represented。　　But　to　be　called　upon　to　defeat　him　in　Chicago；　that　was　different。　　Still；　the　thought　of　a　large　amount　of　cash　to　be　distributed　through　him；　and　the　chance　of　wresting　the　city　leadership　from　McKenty　by　the　aid　of　the　so…called　moral　forces　of　the　city；　was　very　inspiring。　　Mr。　Gilgan　was　a　good　politician。　　He　loved　to　scheme　and　plot　and　make　dealsas　much　for　the　fun　of　it　as　anything　else。　　Just　now　he　drew　a　solemn　face；　which；　however；　concealed　a　very　light　heart。

〃I　have　heard；〃　went　on　Hand；　〃that　you　have　built　up　a　strong　organization　in　your　ward　and　district。〃

〃I've　managed　to　hold　me　own；〃　suggested　Gilgan；　archly。　　〃But　this　winning　all　over　Chicago；〃　he　went　on；　after　a　moment；　〃now；　that's　a　pretty　large　order。　　There　are　thirty…one　wards　in　Chicago　this　election；　and　all　but　eight　of　them　are　nominally　Democratic。　I　know　most　of　the　men　that　are　in　them　now；　and　some　of　them　are　pretty　shrewd　men；　too。　　This　man　Dowling　in　council　is　nobody's　fool；　let　me　tell　you　that。　　Then　there's　Duvanicki　and　Ungerich　and　Tiernan　and　Kerriganall　good　men。〃　He　mentioned　four　of　the　most　powerful　and　crooked　aldermen　in　the　city。　　〃You　see；　Mr。　Hand；　the　way　things　are　now　the　Democrats　have　the　offices；　and　the　small　jobs　to　give　out。　　That　gives　them　plenty　of　political　workers　to　begin　with。　　Then　they　have　the　privilege　of　collecting　money　from　those　in　office　to　help　elect　themselves。　　That's　another　great　privilege。〃　He　smiled。　　〃Then　this　man　Cowperwood　employs　all　of　ten　thousand　men　at　present；　and　any　ward　boss　that's　favorable　to　him　can　send　a　man　out　of　work　to　him　and　he'll　find　a　place　for　him。　　That's　a　gre…a…eat　help　in　building　up　a　party　following。　　Then　there's　the　money　a　man　like　Cowperwood　and　others　can　contribute　at　election　time。　　Say　what　you　will；　Mr。　Hand；　but　it's　the　two；　and　five；　and　ten　dollar　bills　paid　out　at　the　last　moment　over　the　saloon　bars　and　at　the　polling…places　that　do　the　work。　　Give　me　enough　money〃and　at　this　noble　thought　Mr。　Gilgan　straightened　up　and　slapped　one　fist　lightly　in　the　other；　adjusting　at　the　same　time　his　half…burned　cigar　so　that　it　should　not　burn　his　hand〃and　I　can　carry　every　ward　in　Chicago；　bar　none。　　If　I　have　money　enough；〃　he　repeated；　emphasizing　the　last　two　words。　　He　put　his　cigar　back　in　his　mouth；　blinked　his　eyes　defiantly；　and　leaned　back　in　his　chair。

〃Very　good；〃　commented　Hand；　simply；　〃but　how　much　money？〃

〃Ah；　that's　another　question；〃　replied　Gilgan；　straightening　up　once　more。　　〃Some　wards　require　more　than　others。　　Counting　out　the　eight　that　are　normally　Republican　as　safe；　you　would　have　to　carry　eighteen　others　to　have　a　majority　in　council。　　I　don't　see　how　anything　under　ten　to　fifteen　thousand　dollars　to　a　ward　would　be　safe　to　go　on。　　I　should　say　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　would　be　safer；　and　that　wouldn't　be　any　too　much　by　any　means。〃

Mr。　Gilgan　restored　his　cigar　and　puffed　heavily　the　while　he　leaned　back　and　lifted　his　eyes　once　more。

〃And　how　would　that　money　be　distributed　exactly？〃　inquired　Mr。　Hand。

〃Oh；　well；　it's　never　wise　to　look　into　such　matters　too　closely；〃　commented　Mr。　Gilgan；　comfortably。　　〃There's　such　a　thing　as　cutting　your　cloth　too　close　in　politics。　　There　are　ward　captains；　leaders；　block　captains；　workers。　　They　all　have　to　have　money　to　do　with　to　work　up　sentimentand　you　can't　be　too　inquiring　as　to　just　how　they　do　it。　　It's　spent　in　saloons；　and　buying　coal　for　mother；　and　getting　Johnnie　a　new　suit　here　and　there。　　Then　there　are　torch…light　processions　and　club…rooms　and　jobs　to　look　after。　　Sure；　there's　plenty　of　places　for　it。　　Some　men　may　have　to　be　brought　into　these　wards　to　livekept　in　boarding…houses　for　a　week　or　ten　days。〃　He　waved　a　hand　deprecatingly。

Mr。　Hand；　who　had　never　busied　himself　with　the　minutiae　of　politics；　opened　his　eyes　slightly。　　This　colonizing　idea　was　a　little　liberal；　he　thought。

〃Who　distributes　this　money？〃　he　asked；　finally。

〃Nominally；　the　Republican　County　Committee；　if　it's　in　charge；　actually；　the　man　or　men　who　are　leading　the　fight。　　In　the　case　of　the　Democratic　party　it's　John　J。　McKenty；　and　don't　you　forget　it。　　In　my　district　it's　me。　　and　no　one　else。〃

Mr。　Hand；　slow；　solid；　almost　obtuse　at　times；　meditated　under　lowering　brows。　　He　had　always　been　associated　with　a　more　or　less　silk…stocking　crew　who　were　unused　to　the　rough　usage　of　back…room　saloon　politics；　yet　every　one　suspected　vaguely；　of　course；　at　times　that　ballot…boxes　were　stuffed　and　ward　lodging…houses　colonized。　　Every　one　（at　least　every　one　of　any　worldly　intelligence）　knew　that　political　capital　was　collected　from　office…seekers；　office…holders；　beneficiaries　of　all　sorts　and　conditions　under　the　reigning　city　administration。　　Mr。　Hand　had　himself　contributed　to　the　Republican　party　for　favors　received　or　about　to　be。　　As　a　man　who　had　been　compelled　to　handle　large　affairs　in　a　large　way　he　was　not　inclined　to　quarrel　with　this。　　Three　hundred　thousand　dollars　was　a　large　sum；　and　he　was　not　inclined　to　subscribe　it　alone；　but　fancied　that　at　his　recommendation　and　with　his　advice　it　could　be　raised。　　Was　Gilgan　the　man　to　fight　Cowperwood？　He　looked　him　over　and　decidedother　things　being　equalthat　he　was。　And　forthwith　the　bargain　was　struck。　　Gilgan；　as　a　Republican　central　committeemanchairman；　possiblywas　to　visit　every　ward；　connect　up　with　every　available　Republican　force；　pick　strong；　suitable　anti…Cowperwood　candidates；　and　try　to　elect　them；　while　he；　Hand；　organized　the　money　element　and　collected　the　necessary　cash。　　Gilgan　was　to　be　given　money　personally。　　He　was　to　have　the　undivided　if　secret　support　o