Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-03
pOfIfECaI CIas,S

A CORE sp0Edent OF the Boston Journal, who
is evidently hard precSed, wishes infjrmat on
regarding perconal political clubs in wards,
which he reads about. He is 'anNious to know
how these clubs are formed" and ''it they
pay" He wants "COms general inforG1tion
how TO start one of them, and at be is ''just at
present out of business" he would like "some
lightemp'oyment" that would be fpleasant aud
profitable He signs his Communication
"Poins." The Journal replies to his inquiries
We scarcely know what reply to make, for
personal clubs of which he speaks areSJ netimes
genuine and sometimes spurious. TEE mem
at times that sentiment exists In favor Of
candidate which crystalliZes into a club, but
more often the club Is formed that ssntlme MT
may be thought to exist. When there is oGs
genuine club there is dozen eounterfeits. The
celebrated McShane Club OF Ward was the
model from which modern ward clubs have
copied. There were i've or six McShanes, and
they formed a political club, which went about
among candidates, gathering any odd dollars
that the tinid or oyer-sn1i0us might dispense.
The McShenes were noble fellows. They did
not neglect man because he was republican.
Their club was in perpetual Session during the
campaign season, always ready to hear the
report OF their committee before concluding
which they should favor. 1t was a cssh trans
action. The McShanes fiourished about cleo
ton times, and the balance of the year they
lived at Nahanta and Milton, for aught We know,
and paid a low rate OF taxation. They specu-
lated as brokers do upon the credulty OF their
fellow men. They predicted success or prom
lsed failure according as the candidates were
willing to be frightened or refused to be gdliei.
But "PoDs" wishes Instructions upon the
formation of q club. It is very easy. Invite
Bardolph and Pistol to meet you. Appoint
yourselves q committee to hire roOm-oysT
grOg thop, Ii you can. Appoint yourselves two
subcommittee to wait upon the two leading
candidates and see which will respond thu
loudest to your appeals for material aid. Ac-
cording to the ducats received let your deci si0n
be made. If the candidate is very desperate
about the nomination he Will bleed freely.
Don't spare him Poins, If you love your fellow
men, for the more he scatters his money among
such worthy fellows as you and Bard0lph, the
more he viii be called upon to do it. He will
be cured in time of corruption. Between now
and the meeting of the nominating convention
you can start at least six clubs. Somebody must
pay for the transparencies, and every polite
ian knows that q transparency ought TO cost ct
least 500. Don't let your club grow too large,
but keep forming new clubs. It pays better,
and that is all you ought to care about. If you
are short Of members promise a few offices in
regiment OF followers by doing this, and pro-
misses made before election are never consd-
cred valid after election.
If "Poins" Is energetic, we do not see why he
cannot make quite q hand ome sum within the
next forty days. III candidates propose to buy
their honors instead of having them thrust
upon them; II candidates desire 70 hire men 10
| create sentiment that does not exist, inste sd
Of waiting till they are called by the voice of
the people, there Is nothing dishororable,
"Poins," IN your making little money by SELL
ing what you do not possess. You are selling
| III there are political fats who want TO buy
what their common sense ought to tell them
| you do not possess, why, "Poins," you may,
without damage to your reputation, induce
Bardolph and Pistol to join you In getting up
political clubs, and thus lay mp few hundred