y Owen Wister's observation: "Not a Dickens, only a
Zola, would have the face (and the stomach) to tell the whole truth
about Philadelphia."

St. Louis was one of the first cities of America to possess the
much-coveted home rule. The Missouri State Constitution of 1875 granted
the city the power to frame its own charter, under certain limitations.
The new charter provided for a mayor elected for four years with the
power of appointing certain heads of departments; others, however,
were to be elected directly by the people. It provided for a Municipal
Assembly composed of two houses: the Council, with thirteen members,
elected at large for four years, and the House of Delegates, with
twenty-eight members, one from each ward, elected for two years. These
two houses were given coordinate powers; one was presumed to be a check
on the other. The Assembly fixed the tax rate, granted franchises, and
passed upon all public improvements. The Police Department was, however,
under the control of the mayor and four commissioners, the latter
appointed by the Governor. The city was usually Republican by about 8000
majority; the State was safely Democratic. The city, until a few years
ago, had few tenements and a small floating population.

Outwardly, all seemed well with the city until 1901, when the inside
workings of its government were revealed to the public gaze through
the vengeance of a disappointed franchise-seeker. The Suburban Railway
Company sought an extension of its franchises. It had approached the
man known as the dispenser of such favors, but, thinking his price
($145,000) too high, had sought to deal directly with the Municipal
Assembly. The price agreed upon for the House of Delegates was $75,000;
for the Council, $60,000. These sums were placed in safety vaults
controlled by a dual lock. The representative of the Company held one of
the keys; the representative of the Assembly, the other; so that neither
party could take the money without the presence of both. The Assembly
duly granted the franchises; but property owners along the line of the
proposed extension secured an injunction, which delayed the proceedings
until the term of the venal House of Delegates had expired. The
Assemblymen, having delivered the goods, demanded their pay. The
Company, held up by the courts, refused. Mutterings of the disappointed
conspirators reached the ear of an enterprising newspaper reporter.
Thereby the Circuit Attorney, Joseph W