Chapter 128
The Republican Party's Promise
Chapter 128 The Republican Party's Promise
Jimmy Walker's death occupied only a few days' worth of newspaper space in New York before being overshadowed by new trivialities.
The city's metabolism is incredibly fast.
No matter who comes or goes, the sun will rise as usual the next morning, and it won't affect the lives of New Yorkers.
A few days later, one afternoon, Arthur was once again invited to Elizabeth's brownstone townhouse.
A fireplace was burning in the living room of the villa. The firewood in the fireplace crackled and popped.
Elizabeth personally poured Arthur a cup of black tea from Ceylon.
She placed the teacup in front of Arthur, picked up another cup for herself, and sat down opposite him.
Elizabeth looked at Arthur and said, "Arthur, you've done a fantastic job these past few months, especially with Jimmy Walker being forced to resign. The whole of New York's high society is talking about you."
Arthur sat on the sofa, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Ms. Elizabeth, I only wrote a few reports. Jimmy Walker's downfall was the inevitable result of his own greed."
Elizabeth shook her head: "Yesterday morning, I received several calls from Albany. Several key members of the state Republican Committee spoke highly of your performance."
She looked at Arthur and earnestly relayed the comments from the state legislators: "They believe that you, with a pen, have done what the Republican Party couldn't do in the past decade, destroying a Democratic flag in New York City and bringing Tammany's fortress to the brink of collapse. It's a great feat."
Seeing that Arthur didn't react much, Elizabeth sighed and explained, "They highly value your skills and influence. Because of our family's ties with the Republican Party, they asked me to convey a message to you."
"In next year's New York City mayoral special election, the Republican Party will be pushing LaGuardia to run. If you're willing, the Republican Party can provide you with comprehensive campaign funding support."
"For example, we can do a lot of GG advertising in the New York Herald to help you expand your distribution channels. We can also help you coordinate relationships at the state level and other media sectors."
Arthur was somewhat tempted; he knew the conditions behind the promise.
LaGuardia is a Republican, but his real network of connections during his years in Congress is in East Harlem, in that working-class neighborhood teeming with Italian immigrants and Jews.
Those people don't care about party affiliation; they care about who you are. LaGuardia standing there naturally gets their votes, but that's not enough to guarantee a win in New York.
So the Republican Party needs Arthur to mobilize them, to attract the subscribers and supporters of the New York Herald, the dockworkers, and especially those lining up at relief stations.
Elizabeth then relayed the Republicans' personal promises to Arthur: "Once LaGuardia takes office, you can become his chief press advisor, or even go directly to the city council. This isn't an empty promise; it's in the agreement."
Arthur held the cup of black tea, watching the steam rise from it, and remained silent for a few seconds.
He remembered Walker's face at the hearing, Danny's words in the witness stand, the threatening letter pieced together from newspaper clippings, the burned-down printing plant, and the workers who came to help.
Arthur had made up his mind. He looked up and smiled. "Please convey my sincere gratitude to the gentlemen of the committee. But Ms. Elizabeth, you know my answer."
Elizabeth smiled, her face showing an expression that said, "I knew this would happen."
She said to Arthur, "I told them long ago that you're not the kind of person who can be bought off by bureaucratic titles. But as the middleman, I have to pass on the message."
Elizabeth was well aware of the Republican Party's intentions.
Those people were just trying to seize the spoils of victory after the Democratic Party fell from power.
They didn't care what Walker had done, nor the truths printed in the newspapers; they only cared about who could take their place, consolidate the Republican Party's voter base, and expand its influence.
Recruiting Arthur was only part of the plan.
Arthur continued, "Even if you oust that pig Jimmy Walker and replace him with another bunch of pigs dressed in Republican garb, the essence of Manner Farm remains unchanged. I have no interest in this kind of spoils game."
Elizabeth nodded, expressing her approval to Arthur: "Maintain your independence, Arthur. That's your most powerful weapon. If you get involved in partisan strife, your pen will lose its sharpness. Those people want to turn you into their tool, but tools aren't remembered by readers."
Arthur stood up, gave a slight bow, and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Ms. Elizabeth. There is still a lot of follow-up work to be done at the newspaper, so please excuse me for not being able to stay longer today."
Elizabeth also stood up, walked to the door, and saw Arthur off. At the door, she said, "Arthur, what you've done goes beyond just a few articles. You've taught those people one thing: some things can't be bought off, and you must persevere."
Arthur nodded and walked out of the brownstone villa.
A gust of cold wind, mixed with snow, swept over him. The door closed behind him, shutting out the warmth of the room into another world.
He stood under the porch, looking at the scene on East 65th Street.
The streets were quiet, with only a few cars passing by, and a newsboy pushing a cart was calling out his wares in the distance.
He walked down the steps and headed east along the sidewalk. The snow under his feet was compacted and slippery. He turned up his coat collar to block the wind.
He recalled what Elizabeth had said in the living room earlier.
The Republican Party has been waiting for ten years in New York State.
The last time the Democratic Party suffered a complete defeat in New York City was in 1920, when Harding swept the nation, and the election results in New York State were reversed.
But that was just a fleeting moment.
Over the past decade, the Tammany Association has weathered several crises, but it has always managed to survive thanks to its organizational network and the transfer of benefits.
But this time is different.
Walker didn't just collapse like that; he was stripped naked in public.
He figured the Republicans were probably in a room in Albany right now, settling scores.
They were calculating how much weight the Tammany Association's reputation still carried.
Will those districts that have been swinging in Brooklyn and Queens for over a decade, those Irish and Italians who sided with Smith in 1928, continue to listen to Tammony now?
However, Arthur did not want to get involved.
He knew he was tired of the political games in this city.
He didn't want to see any more of the deals those people were planning in the office, the agreements they were making behind the scenes, or the people waiting to split the spoils.