Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-09-02
THE JOYS OF LEADERSHIP.
Some of the Things n Politician Is Called
Upon To DO

Some of the Things Politician Is Called
Upon to DO.
SITS all well enough TO have the honor
and glory Of being leader of your district il
there is any honor and glory attached to it,
but when you come TO analyze the mani
fold duties of the place you will discover
that it's not so pleasant" The speaker
was a typical Tammany district leader.
one of the big chiefs of the wigwam, and a
character who stands high up in the or
ganization because of his ability to "car-
ry" his district under the most trying cir
cumstances.
The political district leader, as he is
found here in New York, is thing indig-
enous TO the metropolis. You find him
nowhere else as he is here. He is an out
growth of the old ward boss. He is pro-
duct Of the system Of political organization
that obtains here. The Tammany lead
or" is a peculiarly interesting type of this
product. He is well known in his relation
to the organization, and in general way
the public knows pretty well how he runs"
his district and manipulates the machine
vote. But there is another side to his life
that less is known about and which is not
without interest
"The district leader" said the Tammany
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 constituents, and it is in
doing these things that he gets much of the
pull upon which his individual political
strength is based.
"There are many persons in every as
sembly district who look upon the district
leader rs 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 off to him
and tells him Of Mrs. Smiths strait. The
leader aseertains what he can about the
case and then does his best to provideforher.
Very often he has to go down into his own
pocket to do it, but that is part Of his bus
mess. Then, again, Mrs. Smith has no
money to pay her rent and is about to be
dispossessed. If she can only secure few
days more time in which TO get the money
to pay up she will be all right, and then
the leaders influence is brought to bearon
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
on to aid her. Mrs. Smiths husband is
arrested and is in sad need of a bondsman.
Smith has many friends, and each friend
has a vote. and the leader sees that the
bond is procured and does what he can to
pull Smith out of trouble. Sometimes il
Is Mrs. Smith who Gets Mr. Smith arrested.
Smith has indulged his pucilistic instinct
to the detrimen. of Mrs. Smiths eve, but
sure. the poor man is a fine fellow, and
so a jay or two after the arrest Mrs. smith
calls upon the leader and implores him 10
do his best to get Smith out of the peni
tentiary.
81 have lots of lust such cases as these
every month. The people seem 10 regard
the leader as a man who sbould know
everything. They pour their domestic n.
well as their financial troubles into his ears
and he il kent very busy irving 10 Olsen