So Jurgis found himself in a large hall, elaborately dec~
orated with flags and bunting; and after the chairman
had made his little speech, and the orator of the evening
rose up, amid an uproar from the band -- only fancy the
emotions of Jurgis upon making the discovery that the
personage was none other than the famous and eloquent
Senator Spareshanks, who had addressed the "Doyle Re~
publican Association" at the stockyards, and helped to
elect Mike Scully's ten-pin setter to the Chicago Board of
Aldermen!

In truth, the sight of the senator almost brought the tears
into Jurgis's eyes. What agony it was to him to look back
upon those golden hours, when he, too, had a place beneath
the shadow of the plum tree! When he, too, had been of
the elect, through whom the country is governed -- when
he had had a bung in the campaign-barrel for his own!
And this was another election in which the Republicans
had all the money; and but for that one hideous accident
he might have had a share of it, instead of being where he
was!

The eloquent senator was explaining the system of Pro~
tection; an ingenious device whereby the working-man per~
mitted the manufacturer to charge him higher prices, in
order that he might receive higher wages; thus taking his
money out of his pocket with one hand, and putting a part
of it back with the other. To the senator this unique
arrangement had somehow become identified with the
higher verities of the universe. It was because of it that
Columbia was the gem of the ocean; and all her future
triumphs, her power and good repute among the nations,
depended upon the zeal and fidelity with which each citi~
zen held up the hands of those who were toiling to main~
tain it. The name of this heroic company was "the
Grand Old Party" --

And here the band began to play, and Jurgis sat up with
a violent start. Singular as it may seem, Jurgis was making
a desperate effort to understand what the senator was say~
ing -- to comprehend the extent of American prosperity,

[[340]]

p339 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p340w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p341

v?