The Party Manager and the Gentleman
by Ambrose Bierce
Mr. Honest and the Party Man
Mr. Honest was sitting quietly in his garden. He liked to be peaceful. Mr. Pushy came to him. Mr. Pushy was a Party Man. Mr. Honest was just minding his own business.
Mr. Pushy spoke to Mr. Honest. "How much will you pay?" he asked. "You can get a special job. It is a town job." Mr. Pushy wanted money. He wanted money for the job. Mr. Honest listened.
Mr. Honest said, "Nothing." He would not pay money. He did not want to buy a job. He did not think it was right. He shook his head.
Mr. Pushy tried again. "Give some money," he said. "It helps my friends. It helps the party. This will help your job." Mr. Pushy waited for an answer.
Mr. Honest said, "Oh, no." He was very calm. "People must choose me. They choose me if they want me. I do not ask for the job. I do not give money for it. They choose me because I am good."
Mr. Pushy tried a new way. "This job is important," he said. "You help the town. It is a great honor. Many people want this job."
Mr. Honest spoke again. "I do not ask for a job," he said. "It is not right to ask. People must choose me. They choose me for my good work. They choose me because I am honest."
Mr. Pushy did not give up. "Say yes to our ideas," he said. "Say yes to the party's plan. You do not need to know them. Just say yes."
Mr. Honest said, "No." He spoke clearly. "I do not know these ideas. I cannot say yes to them. That would not be honest. I would be a liar. I must agree first. I must know the plan."
Mr. Pushy got very cross. "You are stubborn!" he shouted. "You do not understand. You do not know how things work!"
Mr. Honest stayed calm. He looked at Mr. Pushy. "I will always be honest," he said. "No matter what you say. I will be true."
Mr. Honest was still honest. It is always best to be honest and true to yourself.
Original Story
The Party Manager and the Gentleman
A Party Manager said to a Gentleman whom he saw minding his own business:
“How much will you pay for a nomination to office?”
“Nothing,” the Gentleman replied.
“But you will contribute something to the campaign fund to assist in your election, will you not?” asked the Party Manager, winking.
“Oh, no,” said the Gentleman, gravely. “If the people wish me to work for them, they must hire me without solicitation. I am very comfortable without office.”
“But,” urged the Party Manager, “an election is a thing to be desired. It is a high honour to be a servant of the people.”
“If servitude is a high honour,” the Gentleman said, “it would be indecent for me to seek it; and if obtained by my own exertion it would be no honour.”
“Well,” persisted the Party Manager, “you will at least, I hope, indorse the party platform.”
The Gentleman replied: “It is improbable that its authors have accurately expressed my views without consulting me; and if I indorsed their work without approving it I should be a liar.”
“You are a detestable hypocrite and an idiot!” shouted the Party Manager.
“Even your good opinion of my fitness,” replied the Gentleman, “shall not persuade me.”
Moral of the Story
True integrity means refusing to compromise one's principles, even when offered power or status.
Characters
The Party Manager ⚔ antagonist
A man of average height with a somewhat portly build, suggesting a life of comfort rather than physical labor. His movements are quick and calculating, though he can appear jovial when trying to persuade. His hands might be a bit soft, unaccustomed to manual work.
Attire: A dark, well-tailored three-piece suit made of wool or broadcloth, perhaps in charcoal grey or black, with a crisp white shirt and a silk cravat or tie. A gold watch chain might be visible across his waistcoat. His shoes are polished leather, sturdy and practical.
Wants: To secure political nominations and contributions, thereby maintaining his power and influence within the political party.
Flaw: His inability to comprehend genuine integrity or principles, leading him to misjudge people and situations.
He remains unchanged, his cynical view of politics reinforced by his failure to sway the Gentleman, leading him to dismiss the Gentleman as an 'idiot'.
Manipulative, persistent, cynical, pragmatic, easily frustrated.
The Gentleman ★ protagonist
A man of slender to average build, carrying himself with an understated dignity. His movements are calm and deliberate, suggesting a thoughtful nature. He appears well-maintained but not ostentatious.
Attire: A well-fitting, conservative suit, perhaps in a dark blue or grey, made of fine wool, but without excessive ornamentation. A simple, high-collared white shirt and a modest tie or cravat. His clothing is of good quality but not flashy, reflecting his comfortable, independent status.
Wants: To live according to his own principles of integrity and honesty, valuing personal comfort and truth over political gain or perceived honor.
Flaw: His unwavering adherence to principles might make him seem inflexible or aloof to others, potentially limiting his influence in practical matters.
He remains steadfast in his principles, serving as a foil to the Party Manager and demonstrating the strength of unyielding integrity.
Principled, independent, intelligent, calm, honest, unyielding.
Locations
Public Street / Town Square
A bustling public space, likely a street or town square, where the Party Manager encounters the Gentleman. The atmosphere is open and exposed, typical for casual public interactions in a late 19th-century American town.
Mood: Initially formal and business-like, quickly becoming confrontational and tense due to the differing ideologies.
The initial encounter where the Party Manager attempts to solicit the Gentleman for political office and campaign contributions.
Story DNA
Moral
True integrity means refusing to compromise one's principles, even when offered power or status.
Plot Summary
A Party Manager attempts to recruit a Gentleman for political office, first by asking for money for a nomination, then for campaign contributions, and finally for an endorsement of the party platform. The Gentleman steadfastly refuses each request, citing his principles and integrity. Frustrated, the Party Manager insults him, but the Gentleman remains unswayed, reaffirming his commitment to his values.
Themes
Emotional Arc
cynicism to affirmation of integrity
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common criticisms of political corruption and the transactional nature of politics in late 19th-century America, often associated with the Gilded Age.
Plot Beats (11)
- A Party Manager approaches a Gentleman who is minding his own business.
- The Party Manager asks the Gentleman to pay for a nomination to office.
- The Gentleman refuses, stating he will pay nothing.
- The Party Manager then asks for a contribution to the campaign fund.
- The Gentleman refuses again, stating people must hire him without solicitation if they want him to work.
- The Party Manager tries to appeal to the honor of being a public servant.
- The Gentleman counters that seeking servitude would be indecent and obtaining it by his own exertion would be no honor.
- The Party Manager then asks the Gentleman to endorse the party platform.
- The Gentleman refuses, stating it's improbable his views are accurately expressed without consultation, and endorsing it without approval would make him a liar.
- The Party Manager, exasperated, calls the Gentleman a "detestable hypocrite and an idiot."
- The Gentleman calmly replies that even the Party Manager's good opinion will not persuade him.
