Easygoing but lucre-laden Texas rancher Maverick Brander is out on the range while his social lioness of a wife and his romance-ridden daughter, Bossy (along with Texas political bosses Bragg, Blow, and Yell), secure his election to Congress in order to ensure passage of the Eagle Rock Dam Bill. Opponents of the bill--Brassy Gall and his yellow rose, Dixie Style--have gone to Washington to scuttle the very same proposal and to try intimidating Brander with blackmail pictures, finally locking him up without even a hankie for modesty in a roominghouse outside of town. Maverick escapes, picking up a nightgown along the way, and returns to "the biggest circus in the world" in time to expose his opponents' treacherous trickery and force a successful re-vote on the bill. Bossy gets Fairleigh Bright in the bargain though Ma Brander is left holding Maverick's pants in the ensuing celebration.