Meanwhile the drawing of jurors for Ruef's trial progressed, inexorably.
CHAPTER LXXXV
THE SEVEN PLAGUES
Several weeks passed. Politics were in a hectic state, and people grumbled. Frank discussed the situation with his Uncle Robert. "Why don't they oust these grafters from office?" he asked.
Windham smiled. "Because they daren't, Frank," he answered. "If the prosecution forced the Supervisors to resign, which would be easy enough, do you know what would happen?"
"Why, they'd fill their posts with better men, of course."
"Not so fast, my boy. The Mayor has the power to fill all vacancies due to resignations. Don't you see what would happen? Schmitz could select another board over whom the prosecution would hold no power. Then, if necessary, he'd resign and his new board would fill the Mayor's chair with some one whom Ruef or the Mayor could trust. Then the city government would once more be independent of the law."
"Lord! What a tangle," Frank ruminated. "How will they straighten it out?"
"Remove the Mayor--if they can convict him of felony."