Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-08
LIQUOR SELLERS IN POLITICS

A Clear Explanation of the Manner
III Which they Gain Great Power.
The strength OF our political organiza-
! tiOns arises from their development as
social bodies; many OF the hardest work
ers In their ranks are neither ofiicehold-
ers nor yet paid henchmen, but merely
members who have gradually learned TO
identity their fortunes with the party
whose hall they have come to regard as
the headquarters IN which to spend the
most agreeable of their leisure moments,
! says Theodore Roosevelt, writing in the
Century on "Machine Politics in New
York" Under the American system it
Is impossible for man to accomplish
anything by himself; he must associate
himself with others, and they must throw
their weight together. This is just what
the social functions of the political clubs
enable their members 10 do. The great
aud rich society clubs are composed of
men who are not apt to take much inte-
terest In politics anyhow, and who never
act as body. The immense effect pro-
duced by social organization for politi-
cal purposes is shown by the career of
the Union League Club; and equally strlk-
ing proof can be seen by every man who
attends a ward meeting. There is thus,
however much to be regretted it may he,
constant tendency toward the cOncen-
tratiOn Of political power in the hands of
those men who by taste and educ alton are
fitted to enjoy the social side Of the va
rlous political organizations,
1t is this that gives the liquor-seilers
their enormous influence in politics.
Preparatory to the general election Oi
1884 there were held in the various dis
tricts of New York ten hundred and sew
en- primaries and political conventions
Of all parties, and OF these no less than
six hundred and thirtv-tbree took place in
liquor saloOns-a showing that leaves
small ground for wonder at the low aver
age grade Of the nominees. The reason
for such condition of things is perfectly
evident; it is because the liquor saloons
are places of social resort for the same
men who turn the local political Organl-
cations into social clubs. bartenders
form, perhaps, the nearest approach to
leiZure class that we have at present on
this side of the water. They naturally
are on semi-intimate terms with all who
frequent their houses. There is no place
where more gossip is talked than in bar
rooms, and much OF this gossip is about
politics-thst is, the politics OF the ward,
not of the nation. The tariff and the silver
question may be alluded to, but the real
interest comes in discussing the doings
of the men with whom they are person
ally acquainted; why Billy So-and So,
the Alderman, has quarreled with his
former chief supporter; whether "old
man X" has really managed to fix the
delegates to a given convention; the rea-
son why one faction bolted at the last prIm-
airy; and ii it is true that great down
town boss who has an intimate friend
Of opposite political faith runningin an up
town district has forced the managers
OF his own party to put up man Of straw
against him. The barkeeper is a man of
much local power, and is of course hail
fellow we'll met his visitors, as be and
they can be OF mutual assistance to one
another. Even if of different politics
their feelings toward each other are in
fluenced by personal considerations pure
ly, and indeed, this is true of most of the
smaller bosses as regards their dealings
among themselves, for, as one OF them
once remarked to me with enigmatic
truthfulness, "there is no politics in poll
tics" of the lower sort-which, being in
terpreted. means that professional po-
litIcian is much less apt to be swayed by
the fact of mans being Democrat or a
Republican than he is by his being per-
sonal friend OF foe. The liquor saloons thus
become the social headquarters of the lit
tie knots or "liques of men who take most
interest III local political affairs; and by
an easy transition they become the pOliti-
cal headquarters when the time for pre-
pairing for the elections arrives; and, of
coarse, the good will Of the owners of the
places is thereby propitlated-an import
ant point with men striving to control
every vote possible.