Most of the people there were Irish or Italian and in their early twenties. All were neatly dressed, with the boys wearing dark-colored jackets and slacks, and the girls in brightly colored dresses.

As soon as Hogan come into view his father come over to him and embraced him in a bear hug. Hogan's father, a burly Irishman with reddy cheeks and a double claim, whispered in his son's our that he should make a speech and then circulate among the workers to thank them personally.

Hogan thanked his supporters for all their efforts and told them that they had proved the experts wrong who had said that his candidacy would never get off the ground.

"We set the pace in this campaign. The other candidates copied our techniques and literature and while I don't plan to announce my candidacy for any other office tonight. I think we proved that we are a political force to be contended with."

Following his short speech Hogan began to circulate among his workers. He heard the same complaints he had heard earlier about the rain and about the tenacity of McCann's loyalists until one of the few older men in the crowd took him aside.

"John boy, you know McCann lost six times before he won his seat," the man said.

"I know," Hogan replied.