year and six months in Sing Sing. Now, Croaker, when
you live in a land where such outrages are committed upon a man simply
because he is poor, you wonder what your fathers fought and bled and
died for, don't you, Croaker?"

"I dunno 'bout dat, Dennie, but 'f I cud talk like er you I'd bin an
Eyetalian Prince by dis time, wid a title wot ud reach across dis room
an' jewels ter match," and The Croak looked at his friend in undisguised
admiration.

But Dennie's humor was pensive. "Croaker," said he, drawing the
ten-dollar bill out of his pocket and nodding suggestively to the
bartender, "look out there in the street. See that banner stretched from
house to house. It reads: 'Liberty and Equality! Labor Must Have the
Fruits of Labor!' Now what infernal lies those are! There's no liberty
here; and as for equality, that cop blinking in here through the window
really believes he owns the town. That stuff about labor is all
humbug--molasses for flies. They're going to have an election to choose
a President shortly. What's an election, Croaker? It's political faro,
that's all. The politicians run the bank. Honest fellows, like you and
me, run up against it and get taken in. The crowd that does the most
cheating gets the pot. Ah, Croaker, what are we coming to?" This
thought was too much for Dennie. He threw back his head and solaced
himself with brandy.

"As I remarked a moment ago, Croaker," he said, "I have just returned
from--er--up the river. You have just returned from--er--the West. Our
bosoms are heaving with hopes for the future. We want to earn an honest
living. But when we come to think of what there is left for us to do by
which we can regain the proud position we once had in the community, we
find ourselves enveloped in clouds."

"I was t'inking er sumpin', Dennie," The Croak replied, reflectively,
"jess when I caught sight er you. Your speakin' bout polertics makes me
t'ink of it some more. W'y not get up a 'sociashun?"

"A what?"

"A 'sociashun. Ev'rybody's workin' de perlitical racket now; w'y not
take a hack at it, too?"

"Anything, Croaker, anything to give me an honest penny. But I don't
quite catch on."

"Dey's two coveys runnin' fer Alderman over on de Eas' Side. One of
'em's Boozy--you knows Boozy. He keeps a place in de Bowery. De udder's
a Dutchman, name er Bockerheisen. Boozy's de County Democracy man,
Bockerheisen's de Tammany. Less git up a 'sociashun. You'll be
president an' do de talkin.'