human
Man is the blindest of the mammals. You'd think as smart a man as Dr. Nesbit would see his own vices. Here he is mayor of Harvey, boss of the town. He buys men with Morty's father's money and sells 'em in politics like sheep--not for his own gain; not for his family's gain; but just for the joy of the sport; just as I follow the ladies, God bless 'em; and yet he stands up and reads me a lecture on the wickedness of a little more or less innocent flirting. The young man lighted his cigar at the alcohol flame on the counter.
gpt
Morty, he continued, squinting his eyes and stroking his mustache, and looking at the boy with vast vanity,
human
Morty, do you know what your old dad and yon virtuous Nesbit pasha are doing? Well, I'll tell you something you didn't learn at military school. They're putting up a deal by which we've voted one hundred thousand dollars' worth of city bonds as bonus in aid of a system of city water works and have given them to your dad outright, for putting in a plant that he will own and control; and that he will build for seventy-five thousand dollars. Van Dorn smiled a placid, malevolent smile at the group and went on:
gpt
And the sheik of the village there helped Daniel Sands put it through; helped him buy me as city attorney, with your father's bank's legal business; helped buy Dick Bowman, poor devil with a houseful of children for a hundred dollars for his vote in the council, helped work George here for his vote in the council by lending money to him for his business; and so on down the line. The Doc calls that politics, and regards it as one of his smaller vices; but me? scoffed the young man,
human
--here young Mr. Van Dorn drummed his fingers on the showcase and considered the universe calmly through the store window--
gpt
Well, say, --Brotherton was the first to speak--
human
Shame, shame! cried John Kollander, as he buttoned up his blue coat with its brass buttons.
gpt
Where was Blaine when the bullets were thickest? Answer me that.
human
Now, George, why, that's all right. Didn't the people vote the bonds after you fellows submitted 'em? Of course they did. The town wanted waterworks; Daniel Sands knew how to build 'em--eh? The people couldn't build 'em themselves, could they? asked the Captain triumphantly. Brotherton laughed; Morty Sands grinned,--and, shame be to Amos Adams, the rugged Puritan, who had opposed the bonds in his paper so boldly, he only shook a sorrowful head and lifted no voice in protest. Such is the weakness of our thunderers without their lightning! Brotherton, who still seemed uneasy, went on:
gpt
Say, men, didn't that franchise call for a system of electric lights and gas in five years and a telephone system in ten years more--all for that $100,000; I'm right here to tell you we got a lot for our money.
human
And don't forget the street car franchises you gave away at the same time. Water, light, gas, telephone and street car franchises for fifty years and one hundred thousand to boot! It seemed to me you were giving away a good deal!