The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-08-29
JOYS OF LEADERSHIP.
Some Of tho Things a Politician Is Called
Upon to DO.

Some OF tho Things a Politician Is Called
Upon to DO.
"It's all we'll enough to have the
honor and glory of being leader of your
district If there is any honor and glory
attached to it, but when you come to
analyze the manifold duties of the place
you will discover that it's not so
pleasant" The speaker was a typical
Tammany district leader, one of the old
chiefs of the wigwam, and 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, as he is
found here in New York, is a thing in
digenous to the metropolis You find
him nowhere else as he is here. He is
an outgrowth of the old ward boss. He
is product of the system of political
organization that obtains here. The
Tammany ''leader" is a peculiarly in
teresting type of this product He is
well known in his relations to the Or
ganization, and in general way the
public knows pretty we'll how he 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 con-
stituents, 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
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 off 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 he has to go down into his own
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 be dispossessed. If she can only Sc
cure few days more time in which to
get the money to pay up she will be all
i
brought to bear on the landlord.
lone of the leaders constituents dies
and leaves 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 bonds
man. Smith has many friends and each
friend has vote, and the leader sees
that the bond is procured and does 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
man is fine fellow when he is not in
licker.' and so a day or two after the 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 a man who should
know every thing. They pour theil
trouble into his ears, and he is KEEP
very busy trying to disentangle the
troubles of others.
"All this time an army of men is
hustling after him, and every mar
WauJS d BOOO JOD II you can PeJ nlu
into the public crib you must do you
best to see that no gets work in some
private concern. The alderman of the
district usually looks out for places
among the city departments and gets
what he can for his district
"One class of men very difficult to dis
pose of is composed of sons of fathers
who have toiled to educate them.
When the father thinks the boy has
education enough he comes to US to see
If we can't place him where he will carr
living. The young chaps always OBJ
ject to manual labor. They are edu
Gated down to fine for that and not
educated enough too take places of res.
possibility, so usually get them on the
horse cars as conductors. So you see
the leaders have pretty hard rows t.
hoe after all"
"How much does it cost to be Tam
many leader of big district?'
swell. have often figured that out
and find that it can not be done NJ
right on much less than S., 900 a year
That is what it costs the leader out OF
his own pocket"
'And where does the leader come imp
'%Oh he comes in all right DOM
worry about Hmm. Y. Times.