"Now you may think I am going rather far afield for an explanation of
this very peculiar decision to prosecute Mr. Cowperwood, an agent of the
city, for demanding and receiving what actually belonged to him. But
I'm not. Consider the position of the Republican party at that time.
Consider the fact that an exposure of the truth in regard to the
details of a large defalcation in the city treasury would have a very
unsatisfactory effect on the election about to be held. The Republican
party had a new city treasurer to elect, a new district attorney. It
had been in the habit of allowing its city treasurers the privilege of
investing the funds in their possession at a low rate of interest for
the benefit of themselves and their friends. Their salaries were small.
They had to have some way of eking out a reasonable existence. Was Mr.
George Stener responsible for this custom of loaning out the city money?
Not at all. Was Mr. Cowperwood? Not at all. The custom had been in vogue
long before either Mr. Cowperwood or Mr. Stener came on the scene. Why,
then, this great hue and cry about it now? The entire uproar sprang
solely from the fear of Mr.
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