First printed more than a century ago, this muckraking classic attacked corrupt election practices and shady dealings in businesses and city governments across the nation. Taking a hard look at the unprincipled lives of political bosses, police corruption, graft payments, and other notorious political abuses of the time, the book set the style for future investigative reporting. Invaluable to students and teachers of early twentieth-century American history, the volume remains an inspiration for all reform-minded journalists.