came back. The league reported that "two hundred and fifty-two
votes were returned in a division that had less than one hundred
legal voters within its boundaries." Repeating and ballot-box
stuffing were common. Election officers would place fifty or more
ballots in the box before the polls opened or would hand out a
handful of ballots to the recognized repeaters. The high-water
mark of boss rule was reached under Mayor Ashbridge,
"Stars-and-Stripes Sam," who had been elected in 1899. The
moderation of Martin, who had succeeded McManes as boss, was cast
aside; the mayor was himself a member of the Ring. When Ashbridge
retired, the Municipal League reported: "The four years of the
Ashbridge administration have passed into history leaving behind
them a scar on the fame and reputation of our city which will be
a long time healing. Never before, and let us hope never again,
will there be such brazen defiance of public opinion, such
flagrant disregard of public interest, such abuse of power and
responsibility for private ends."

Since that time the fortunes of the Philadelphia Ring have
fluctuated. Its hold upon the city, however, is not broken, but
is still strong enough to justify Owen Wister's observation: "Not
a Dickens, only a Zola, would have the face (and the stomach) to
tell the whole truth about Philadelphia."

St. Louis was one of the first cities of America to possess the
much-coveted home rule. The Missouri State Constitution of 1875
granted the city the power to frame its own charter, under
certain limitations. The new charter provided for a mayor elected
for four years with the power of appointing certain heads of
departments; others, however, were to be elected directly by the