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Show 95 "We told Hugo you only meant no gambling in saloons and public houses," Tommie Digman said, "but Hugo's determined to be more honest than the president of the United States." "That ain't so honest," Jack Kratzer joked, and all the men laughed. Harry Ward frowned. He didn't like anyone to joke about William Howard Taft, who had the backing of the steel corporation in his bid for reelection to the presidency. "If you vote for Taft in November," Ward told them, "you'll be keeping an honest man in the White House, and the steel mills will do better than ever. What's good for the steel mills is good for the borough of Canaan; just remember that, when it's time to vote." Glancing around at them, Ward cleared his throat. "As for the government of Canaan, I personally guarantee you men that I'm cleaning out any corruption I find in any of the departments. Just yesterday I fired the chief of police because I learned he was taking graft. The minute I found out about it, I fired him." "Ye fired the chief of the police, did I hear ye say?" Mayo Culley asked. "That's what I just said. I fired him yesterday." "And you'll be appointin' a new one, is it?" "That's right, Mayo. A decent, honest man...as soon as I can find one somewhere," Ward said, making the cardplayers laugh again. "Well, the Lord himself couldn't come up with a more decent man that Hugo Kerner here," Mayo declared. "You'd be doin' all of Canaan a favor if you'd appoint Hugo chief of the police." |