"Now that I'm down here I'll say this. I'll do everything I can, as mayor of Marion, to straighten things out to-night so that the people won't be left guessing. Guessing starts gabble and gabble starts trouble! Don't do any more shouting about 'state steal,' and don't allow others to shout. Most of us don't know what it means, anyway, and others don't care, so long as it gives 'em a chance to stir up riots and grab off something for themselves under cover of the trouble. There are a lot of outsiders in this country, standing ready to make just such plays! Don't let your ears be scruffed by mischief-makers, boys. Let's have our city come through with a clean name! I'm going to do my part as best I can. But you've all got to do yours—understand that!" He smacked his fist down into his palm.
"Do you bromise me dot Karl Trimbach gets dot seat?" boomed Mr. Weisner.
"The same question goes as to th' Hon'rable Danyel O'Donnell," said
Adherent Mulcahy.
"I cannot promise."
Then sounded that voice of the unknown troublemaker, sneeringly shrill, the senseless, passion-provoking common, human fife of the mob spirit, persistently present and consistently cowardly in concealment. "Of course you don't promise anything to the people! Dudes stand together! Go back and dance!"
Lanigan began to claw a passage for himself.
"Stand where you are, Joe!" commanded Stewart. "Don't flatter a fool by making any account of him!"
"Those kinds of fools are going to make trouble in this city before the night is over, Your Honor!"
"That's the trouble with politics," declared Mulcahy. "Ye can't get a square promise in politics fr'm th' Big Boys!"
Morrison put up a monitory forefinger.