He had many influential newspapers, corporations, banks, at his
beck and call. Mollenhauer represented the Germans, some Americans, and
some large stable corporations--a very solid and respectable man. All
three were strong, able, and dangerous politically. The two latter
counted on Butler's influence, particularly with the Irish, and a
certain number of ward leaders and Catholic politicians and laymen,
who were as loyal to him as though he were a part of the church itself.
Butler's return to these followers was protection, influence, aid,
and good-will generally. The city's return to him, via Mollenhauer
and Simpson, was in the shape of contracts--fat ones--street-paving,
bridges, viaducts, sewers. And in order for him to get these contracts
the affairs of the Republican party, of which he was a beneficiary as
well as a leader, must be kept reasonably straight. At the same time it
was no more a part of his need to keep the affairs of the party straight
than it was of either Mollenhauer's or Simpson's, and Stener was not his
appointee. The latter was more directly responsible to Mollenhauer than
to any one else.
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