He was rich, He was well known, His name was linked with lofty things, And adorned all noble committees. And he was a friend of art and music-- He gave them money! He was on the Library Board, And the Commerce Board, and every board For building up the city-- I admit these things. They were pawns on the board for him. That’s why I rise to enter my objection To hanging his picture here! We had no telephones in those days. But there was a certain man of power, A man who was feared, as one might fear A lion that hides in the jungle. And this man sat in a hidden room As a banded-epira waits and watches. And he went from this room to his house in a cab, And back to this room in a cab. But everyone knew that Archer Price Was doing the will of the man in the room, Though you never saw the two together, As you never could see together the leaders Of some of these late bi-partisan deals. But Archer Price was so much alike This secret man in the room; And did so much what we knew He wanted done, and built the city So near to the heart’s desire of this man That all of us knew that the two conferred In spite of the fact that telephones Had never been heard of then.... Well, because of this man in the room, As well as because of Price himself, Everyone feared him, no one knew Exactly how to fight him. Everyone hated him, although Everyone helped him to wealth and power. He was what you’d call a touch-me-not. If you clodded him you ran the risk Of hitting the teacher, or maybe a child. He always walked with the wind to his back: If you spit at him it would fly in your face. And though we suspected more than we knew Of his subtle machinations, No one could attack him for what was known. Because the things he was known to be doing Were service to those, who couldn’t allow The service to be imperiled. There never was a time This man was out of public office. He clung to the people’s treasury As a magnet clings to a magnet. Why didn’t your orator tell this audience He started in life as town assessor? That would have left me with nothing to say Except he traded the fixing of taxes For business! Oh, you people who unveil pictures! In his day no one was permitted to say this. And now everyone has forgotten it. It is useless to say it. And here in the year of Columbus You are unveiling his picture!