all patriotism. He didn't care no more for his country'. He went to
the dogs.

He ain't the only one. There's a gravestone over some bright young
man's head for every one of them infernal civil service
examinations. They are underminin' the manhood of the nation and
makin' the Declaration of Independence a farce. We need a new
Declaration of Independence-independence of the whole fool civil
service business.

I mention all this now to show why it is that the politicians of two
big parties help each other along, and why Tammany men are
tolerably happy when not in power in the city. When we win I
won't let any deservin' Republican in my neighborhood suffer from
hunger or thirst, although, of course, I look out for my own people
first.

Now, I've never gone in for nonpartisan business, but I do think
that all the leaders of the two parties should get together and make
an open, nonpartisan fight against civil service, their common
enemy. They could keep up their quarrels about imperialism and
free silver and high tariff. They don't count for much alongside of
civil service, which strikes right at the root of the government. The
time is fast coming when civil service or the politicians will have
to go. And it will be here sooner than they expect if the politicians
don't unite, drop all them minor issues for a while and make a
stand against the civil service flood that's sweepin' over the country
like them floods out West.

Chapter 10. Brooklynites Natural-Born Hayseeds