“That is very nice,” said Peter, “because there are a great many things of which I want to tell you.”

“Goody!” said Leonore, forgetting again she was now bound to conduct herself as befit a society girl.  “And you’ll not laugh at me if I ask foolish questions?”

“No.”

“Then what do the papers mean by calling you a boss?”

“That I am supposed to have sufficient political power to dictate to a certain extent.”

“But don’t they speak of a boss as something not nice?” asked Leonore, a little timidly, as if afraid of hurting Peter’s feelings.

“Usually it is used as a stigma,” said Peter, smiling.  “At least by the kind of papers you probably read.”

“But you are not a bad boss, are you?” said Leonore, very earnestly.

“Some of the papers say so.”

“That’s what surprised me.  Of course I knew they were wrong, but are bosses bad, and are you a boss?”

“You are asking me one of the biggest questions in American politics.  I probably can’t answer it, but I’ll try to show you why I can’t.  Are there not friends whose advice or wish would influence you?”

“Yes.  Like you,” said Leonore, giving Peter a glimpse of her eyes.

“Really,” thought Peter, “if she does that often, I can’t talk abstract politics.”  Then he rallied and said:  “Well, that is the condition of men as well, and it is that condition, which creates the so-called boss.  In every community there are men who influence more or less the rest.  It may be that one can only influence half a dozen other intimates.  Another may exert power over fifty.  A third may sway a thousand.  One may do it by mere physical superiority.  Another by a friendly manner.  A third by being better informed.  A fourth by a deception or bribery.  A fifth by honesty.  Each has something that dominates the weaker men about him.  Take my ward.  Burton is a prize-fighter, and physically a splendid man.  So he has his little court.  Driscoll is a humorist, and can talk, and he has his admirers.  Sloftky is popular with the Jews, because he is of their race.  Burrows is a policeman, who is liked by the whole ward, because of his kindness and good-nature.  So I could go on telling you of men who are a little more marked than the rest, who have power to influence the opinions of men about them, and therefore have power to influence votes.  That is the first step in the ladder.”

“But isn’t Mr. Moriarty one?”

“He comes in the next grade.  Each of the men I have mentioned can usually affect an average of twenty-five votes.  But now we get to another rung of the ladder.  Here we have Dennis, and such men as Blunkers, Denton, Kennedy, Schlurger and others.  They not merely have their own set of followers, but they have more or less power to dominate the little bosses of whom I have already spoken.  Take Dennis for instance.  He has fifty adherents who stick to him absolutely, two hundred and fifty who listen to him with interest, and a dozen of the smaller bosses, who pass his opinions to their followers.  So he can thus have some effect on about five hundred votes.  Of course it takes more force and popularity to do this and in this way we have a better grade of men.”