Willie Stark's Rise to Power

Jack Burden remembers the years during which Willie Stark rose to power. While Willie was

Mason County Treasurer, he became embroiled in a controversy over the building contract for the

new school. The head of the city council awarded the contract to the business partner

of one of his relatives, no doubt receiving a healthy kickback for doing so. The political machine

attempted to run this contract over Willie, but Willie insisted that the contract

be awarded to the lowest bidder. The local big-shots responded by spreading the story that the

lowest bidder would import Black laborers to construct the building, and,

Mason County being redneck country, the people sided against Willie, who was trounced