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In Walzer's story, he created a young character named J.J. that is determined to make a fortune. This is a success story with a twist about a prosperous political entrepreneur that lost in the end because he failed to disperse authority. J.J. obtained land on both sides of a river and built a ferry that he ran. Since J.J. was a gregarious and funny man, he attracted many passengers. Soon people were building on his land. He liked this idea so he got more land and built a town. He created territorial law and built a town hall in which he lived. The townspeople paid taxes, rent, and were comfortable with his authority. When the town grew, J.J. appointed town officials that would help displace authority. One of those officials was the chief of police given to his son. However, many of the newer townsmen disagreed with this choice and held the first town meeting. Although only a few participated, they still created a stir. The citizens formed a committee and called for more meetings in which they discussed the way the town government should run. .
As a group, they decided that the town government was the "public" business and therefore the public should have a direct relation to the outcomes. Then the idea for elections formulated, however J.J. was in total disagreement. He argued "this is my town," and that he founded the place. His approach focused on the fact that he built the ferry, which started everything; he risked his capital on land so it could be built on and the townspeople knew how it ran before settling on the land. While everything he stated was true, the townspeople still argued that he was the founder not the owner. After a struggle, J.J. withdrew from office. " J.J. had occasionally confused business and politics." .
The main points of this story reflect the liberal views, which J.J portrays. Enmeshed in this story, Walzer describes the traditional views of authority and the workers place in society.