party man; he had always worked inside the organization. The fact
that whenever he ran for an elective office the reformers indorsed
him and the best elements in the opposition parties voted for him
did not shake his loyalty to his own people. And to Hamilton
Cutler, as one of his party leaders, as one of the bosses of the
"invisible government," he was willing to defer. But while he could
give allegiance to his party leaders, and from them was willing to
receive the rewards of office, from a rich brother-in-law he was
not at all willing to accept anything. Still less was he willing
that of the credit he deserved for years of hard work for the
party, of self-denial, and of efficient public service the rich
brother-in-law, should rob him.

His pride was to be known as a self-made man, as the servant only
of the voters. And now that ambition, now that he was district
attorney of New York City, to have it said that the office was the
gift of his brother-in-law was bitter. But he believed the
injustice would soon end. In a month he was coming up for
re-election, and night and day was conducting a campaign that he
hoped would result in a personal victory so complete as to banish
the shadow of his brother-in-law. Were he re-elected by the
majority on which he counted, he would have the party leaders on
their knees. Hamilton Cutler would be forced to come to him. He
would be in line for promotion. He knew the leaders did not want to
promote him, that they considered him too inclined to kick over the
traces; but were he now re-elected, at the next election, either
for mayor or governor, he would be his party's obvious and
legitimate candidate.

The re-election was not to be an easy victory. Outside his own