The Politician first encounters Dan McGinty behind a soup wagon. He explains to the bum that to earn two dollars, all he has to do is vote under another name. He defends the practice, and feels insulted when McGinty mentions "repeating," claiming that just because a few citizens are too lazy, sick, or deceased to vote, that's no reason that Mayor Tillinghast should be cheated out of their support. To his astonishment, McGinty not only repeats, he votes 37 times, an act which compels the Politician to present him to the Boss for payment.