“What do you mean?” “There was a torchlight last night, of nearly every voter in the ward, and nothing but Stirling prevented them from making the three delegates pledge themselves to vote for Porter. He said they must go unbound.” The interviewer’s next remark is best represented by several “blank its,” no allusion however being intended to bed-coverings. Then he cited the lower regions to know what it all meant. “It means that that chap Stirling has got to be fixed, and fixed big. I thought I knew how to wire pull, and manage men, but he’s taken hold and just runs it as he wants. It’s he makes all the trouble.” The interviewer left the court, and five minutes later was in Stirling’s office. “My name’s Green,” he said. “I’m a delegate to the convention, and one of the committee who has the arranging of the special train and accommodations at Saratoga.” “I’m glad you came in,” said Peter. “I bought my ticket yesterday, and the man at headquarters said he’d see that I was assigned a room at the United States.” “There’ll be no trouble about the arrangements. What I want to see you for, is to ask if you won’t dine with me this evening? There’s to be several of the delegates and some big men there, to talk over the situation.” “I should like to,” said Peter. The man pulled out a card, and handed it to Peter. “Six o’clock sharp,” he said. Then he went to headquarters, and told the result of his two interviews. “Now who had better be there?” he asked. After consultation, a dinner of six was arranged. The meal proved to be an interesting one to Peter. First, he found that all the guests were well-known party men, whose names and opinions were matters of daily notice in the papers. What was more, they talked convention affairs, and Peter learned in the two hours’ general conversation more of true “interests” and “influences” and “pulls” and “advantages” than all his reading and talking had hitherto gained him. He learned that in New York the great division of interest was between the city and country members, and that this divided interest played a part in nearly every measure. “Now,” said one of the best known men at the table, “the men who represent the city, must look out for the city. Porter’s a fine man, but he has no great backing, and no matter how well he intends by us, he can’t do more than agree to such bills as we can get passed. But Catlin has the Monroe members of the legislature under his thumb, and his brother-in-law runs Onandaga. He promises they shall vote for all we want. With that aid, we can carry what New York City needs, in spite of the country members.” “Would the country members refuse to vote for really good and needed city legislation?” asked Peter. “Every time, unless we agree to dicker with them on some country job. The country members hold the interest of the biggest city in this country in their hands, and threaten or throttle those interests every time anything is wanted.”