The Red Cloud chief., 1890-09-05
JOYS OF LEADERSHIP.

Some NJ b rhiags . Politician Il Called
Upon 20 In.
"It's all we'll enough to have tho
honor and glory Of being leader Of your
district il there is any honor and glory
attached to it, but when you como to
analyze the manifold duties of the place
you will discover that it's not SO
pleasant" The speaker was q typical
Tammany district leader. one Of the old
chiefs Of the wigwam. and a character
who stands high up in the organization
because of his ability to ''carry" his dis
trict under the most trying circum.
stances
The political district leader, Il he Is
found here in New York, is . thing in
-digenous o the metropolis You find
him nowhere else as he is here. lie is
an outgrowth of the old ward boss. lie
is q product Of the system OF political
organization that obtains here. The
Tammany 'Ieader" is q peculiarly in
teresting typo Of this product lie is
we'll known in his relations to the or
ganization, and in a general way the
public knows pretty we'll how no runs
his district and manipulates the machine
vote. But there is another side to his
life that less is known about which is
not without interest.
THE district leader" said the Tam
many man, has more personal duties
to perform for constituents than many
persons have any idea Of. He must be
both father and mother to a portion Of
his flock. He is called upon to perform
almost all sorts of services for his Son
%stituents, and 1t is in doing these things
hat he gets much Of the pull" upon
which his individual political strength
Is based.
There are many persons in every
Assembly district who look upon the dis
trict leader as the man who can help
them out Of all their troubles. Poor
Mrs. Smith Is all out of coal and food,
and Mr.. Brown. who knows the leader.
hurries of to him and tells him of Mrs.
Smiths trait. The leader ascertains
what he can about the case and then.
does his best to provide for her. Very
often no has to go down into his wi
pocket to do it, but that is part of his
business. Then, again, Mrs. Smith has
no money to pay her rent and is about
to he dispossessed. II she can only se-
cure a few days more time in which to
get the money to pay up she will he all
right and then the leaders influence is
brought to bear on the landlord.
Zone Of the leaders constituents dies
and leaves a will. The widow does not
Know what to do and the leader Is called
to aid her. Mrs Smiths husband is
arrested and is in sad need Of q bonds
man. Smith has many friends and each
friend has a vote. and tho leader secs
that the bono is procured and doe what
he can to pull Smith out Of trouble.
Sometimes it is Mrs Smith who gets
Mr.. Smith arrested. Smith has INDUCED
his pugilistic instinct to the detriment
of Mrs. Smiths eye. but, sure, the poor
is q fine fellow when he is not in
licker,' and so a day or two after tho ar
rest Mrs. Smith calls upon the leader
and implores him to do his best to get
Smith out Of the ~penitentiary.
Il have lots of just such cases as these
every month. The people seem to re-
gard the leader as q man who should
know every thing. They pour their
domestic as we'll as their financial
into his ears, and he is kept
very busy trying TO disentangle the
troubles Of others
"All this time an army OF men is
hustling after him. and every man
wants a good job. II you can't get him
into the public crib you must do your
best to see that no gets work in some
district usually looks out for places
among the city departments and gets
nc can for his district Il
Zone classof me- very difficult to dis
pose of is composed of IONS Of fathers
who have tOiled to educate them.
When the father thinks the boy has
enough he comes to US to see
II We can't place him where he viii earn
, living. The young chaps always OBJ
jcct to manual labor. They are edu-
down to fine for that and not
educated enough too take places Of res
possibility, so I usually got them on the
horse cars IS conductors. So you see
the leaders have pretty hard row to
hoe after ALL"
"How much does 1t cost to be Tam
many leader of . big DISTRICT"
swell. l have often figured that out
Ind I find that 1t ear not be done up
right on much less than s.. 600 . year.
That Is what it costs the leader out Of
his own pocket"
"And where does the leader come in?"
'Oh he comes in all right Don't
worry about Hmm. Y. Times
New MexicoHs White Cans,