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ng way would be worse than silence。
Said he： ‘‘I was finishing this when she came。 I'll be done in a minute。 Please read what I've written and tell me what you think。''
Selma took up the loose sheets of manuscript and stood reading his inaugural of the new New Day。 As she read she forgot the petty matter that had so agitated her a moment before。 This salutatorythis address to the working classthis plan of a campaign to take Remsen City out of the hands of its exploiters and despoilers and make it a city fit for civilized residence and worthy of its population of intelligent； progressive workingmenthis leading editorial for the first number was Victor Dorn at his greatest and best。 The man of action with all the enthusiasm of a dreamer。 The shrewd； practical politician with the outlook of a statesman。 How honest and impassioned he was； yet how free from folly and cant。 Several times as she read Selma lifted her eyes to look at him in generous； worshipful admiration。 She would not have dared let him see； she would not have dared speak the phrases of adoration of his genius that crowded to her lips。 How he would have laughed at herhe who thought about himself as a personality not at all； but only as an instrument。
‘‘Here's the rest of it；'' said he； throwing himself back in his chair and relighting his pipe。
She finished a moment later； said as she laid the manuscript on the table： ‘‘That's the best you've ever done。''
‘‘I think so；'' agreed he。 ‘‘It seems to me I've got a new grip on things。 I needed a turn such as your friend Davy Hull gave me。 Nothing like rivalry to spur a man on。 The old crowd was so stupidcunning； but stupid。 But Hull injects a new element into the struggle。 To beat him we've got to use our best brains。''
‘‘We've got to attack him；'' said Selma。 ‘‘After all； he is the enemy。 We can't let him disarm us by an act of justice。''
‘‘No； indeed；'' said Victor。 ‘‘But we'll have to be careful。 Here's what I'm going to carry on the first page。''
He held up a sheet of paper on which he had written with a view to effective display the names of the four most offensive local corporations with their contribution25；000 eachto the campaign fund of the Citizens' Alliance。 ‘‘Under it； in big type；'' proceeded he； ‘‘we'll carry a line asking； ‘Is the Citizens' Alliance fooling these four corporations or is it fooling the people？' I think that will be more effective than columns of attack。''
‘‘We ought to get that out on wall…bills and dodgers；'' suggested Selma； ‘‘and deluge the town with it once or twice a week until election。''
‘‘Splendid！'' exclaimed Victor。 ‘‘I'll make a practical politician of you yet。''
Colman and Harbinger and Jocelyn and several others of the League leaders came in one at a time； and the plan of campaign was developed in detail。 But the force they chiefly relied upon was the influence of their twelve hundred men； their four or five thousand women and young men and girls； talking every day and evening； each man or woman or youth with those with whom he came into contact。 This ‘‘army of education'' was disciplined； was educated； knew just what arguments to use； had been cautioned against disputes； against arousing foolish antagonisms。 The League had nothing to conceal； no object to gain but the government of Remsen City by and for its citizenswell paved； well lighted； clean streets； sanitary houses； good and clean street car service； honest gas； pure water； plenty of good schoolsthat first of all。 The ‘‘reform crowd''the Citizens' Alliancelike every reform party of the past； proposed to do practically the same things。 But the League met this with： ‘‘Why should we elect an upper class government to do for us what we ought to do for ourselves？ And how can they redeem their promises when they are tied up in a hundred ways to the very people who have been robbing and cheating us？''
There were to be issues of the New Day； there were to be posters and dodgers； public meetings in halls； in squares； on street corners。 But the main reliance now as always was this educated ‘‘army of education'' these six thousand missionaries； each one of them in resolute earnest and bent upon converting his neighbors on either side； and across the street as well。 A large part of the time the leaders could spare from making a living was spent in working at this army； in teaching it new arguments or better ways of presenting old arguments； in giving the enthusiasm； in talking with each individual soldier of it and raising his standard of efficiency。 Nor could the employers of these soldiers of Victor Dorn's complain that they shirked their work for politics。 It was a fact that could not be denied that the members of the Workingmen's League were far and away the best workers in Remsen City； got the best pay； and earned it； drank less； took fewer days off on account of sickness。 One of the sneers of the Kelly…House gang was that ‘‘those Dorn cranks think they are aristocrats； a little better than us common； ordinary laboring men。'' And the sneer was not without effect。 The truth was； Dorn and his associates had not picked out the best of the working class and drawn it into the League； but had made those who joined the League better workers； better family men； better citizens。
‘‘We are saying that the working class ought to run things；'' Dorn said again and again in his talks； public and private。 ‘‘Then； we've got to show the community that we're fit to run things。 That is why the League expels any man who shirks or is a drunkard or a crook or a bad husband and father。''
The great fight of the Leaguethe fight that was keeping it from powerwas with the trades unions； which were run by secret agents of the Kelly…House oligarchy。 Kelly and the Republican party rather favored ‘‘open shop'' or ‘‘scab'' laborthe right of an American to let his labor to whom he pleased on what terms he pleased。 The Kelly orators waxed almost tearful as they contemplated the outrage of any interference with the ancient liberty of the American citizen。 Kelly disguised as House was a hot union man。 He loathed the ‘‘scab。'' He jeered at the idea that a laborer ought to be at the mercy of the powerful employer who could dictate his own terms； which the laborers might not refuse under stress of hunger。 Thus the larger part of the ‘‘free'' labor in Remsen City voted with Kellywas bought by him at so much a head。 The only organization it had was under the Kelly district captains。 Union labor was almost solidly Democraticexcept in Presidential elections； when it usually divided on the tariff question。
Although almost all the Leaguers were members of the unions； Kelly and House saw to it that they had no influence in union councils。 That is； until recently Kelly…House had been able to accomplish this。 But they were seeing the approaching end of their domination。 The ‘‘army of education'' was proving too powerful for them。 And they felt that at the coming election the decline of their power would be apparent unless something drastic were done。
They had attempted it in the riot。 The riot had been a fizzlethanks to the interposition of the personal ambition of the until then despised ‘‘holy boy；'' David Hull。 Kelly； the shrewd； at once saw the mark of the man of force。 He resolved that Hull should be elected。 He had intended simply to use him to elect Hugo Galland judge and to split up the rest of the tickets in such a way that some Leaguers and some reformers would get in； would be powerless； would bring discredit and ridicule upon their parties。 But Hull was a man who could be useful； his cleverness in upsetting the plot against Dorn and turning all to his advantage demonstrated that。 Therefore； Hull should be elected and passed up higher。 It did not enter his calculations that Hull might prove refractory； might really be all that he professed； he had talked with Davy； and while he had underestimated his intelligence； he knew he had not misjudged his character。 He knew that it was as easy to ‘‘deal'' with the Hull stripe of honest； high minded men as it was difficult to ‘‘deal'' with the Victor Dorn stripe。 Hull he called a ‘‘sensible fellow''； Victor Dorn he called a crank。 Buthe respected Dorn； while Hull he held in much such esteem as he held his cigar…holder and pocket knife； or Tony Rivers and Joe House。
When Victor Dorn had first begun to educate and organize the people of Remsen City； the boss industry was in its early form。 That is； Kelly and House were really rivals in the collecting of big campaign funds by various forms of blackmail； in struggling for offices for themselves and their followers； in levying upon vice and crime through the police。 In these ways they made the money； the lion's share of which naturally fell to them as leaders； as organizers of plunder。 But that stage had now passed in Remsen City as it had passed elsewhere； and the boss industry had taken a form far more difficult to combat。 Kelly and House no longer especially cared whether Republican party or Democratic won。 Their businesstheir source of revenuehad ceased to be through carrying elections； had become a matter of skill in keeping the people more or less evenly divided betwe