St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-06-21
CLANCY OF CHICAGO.
HOW THAT STATESMAN RAN THE
ELECTION IN THE FIFTH.

and Coming His Way In Hacks, but
When the Votes Were Counted "A "IIas
Been" Was Very Much In Evidence.
Thomas Clancy rose early. Stepping
to the window, he drew back the cur
tains and noted with apparent satisfac-
ton that the weather was misty, cold
and altogether cherries. "That, " said
Mr. Clancy, lis good. 1t makes it easier
to keep the boys in line "
II hope you'll be careful, " said his
mother.
To this warning Mr.. Clancy paid lit
tie heed, and when his sister added, 81
know you'll be hurt-ed," he shifted
disdaiufully, and intimated that what
women did not know about politics
would fill several large books.
well, hope your side wins any
way said Miss Clancy, smiling and
gazing fondly at her brother with such
lustrous eyes as are the Inheritance OF
every north Of Ireland girl. Somewhat
Modified by his sisters good wishes,
Mr. Clancy grinned and remarked that
"the boy as could throw Martie Honan
up in the air didn live in the Fifth
ward. "
Half way down the block he met the
vice president Of the ward club.
"How's every old thing?" remarked
the vice president by way Of greeting
"Comin our way an comm in hacks,
Terry, said Mr. Clancy.
Mr.. Clancy knew precisely where his
"bailiwick, as he called the Fifth
ward, ended and where it began. With
in these boundaries Mr.. Clancy counted
as his personal and intimate friends not
less than !, 900 ablebodied men, all en-
powered by age, length of residence
or by their naturalization papers to eX-
ercise the inestimable privileges of the
ballot
Having espoused the cause of his
friend, Martin W. Honan, who had
expressed aldermanic ambitions, Mr.
Clancy intended, as he himself put it,
''to see Martie winner if it took
leg"
OF the other candidates Mr.. Clancy
spoke no i'll, but announced kindly
though firmly, that he "passed 'em up
for better boy" Wall, one of the
candidates, Thomas disposed of by say
ing, He amt got no show at all nor
no call to run" Such in truth, APP
peared to be the fact
The polls did not open until 1 o'clock
in the afternoon. Pending that time
Clancy and the vice president busted
themselves in ways known to practical
politicians. They visited the lumber
yards down by the river and talked to
the lumber showers there employed.
Thence they went to the gas works and
sat on the cinder heaps singing the
praises of Honan. In brief, before noon
they had made pretty thorough can
vass of the ward, and not one man to
whom they talked but pledged his vote
to Martie Honan. Such was Tommy s
power in the ward.
Thomas Clancy went to the polling
| place and loaded his pockets with Ho-
nan tickets Pinning on his breast a
white silk badge with the name of his
precinct across it, Mr.. Clancy started to
work The fervor of battle was in him,
and he paused not for food or drink un-
til long after o'clock at night. How
he rode from polling place to polling
place, how he blarneyed and joked and
argued and pleaded, how he routed out
all the laggards and how he brought
them up in hacks and buses-all these
things may not be herein told, but they
are held in grateful memory by Mr. Ho-
nan, whose battles Tommy so manfully
fought.
Gan the best part of ut was" said
Mr.. Clancy when the battle rested, twas
thut there wasn't the least whence.
That such was the case is largely due
to the efforts of Mr.. Clancy and his
friends. When the turbulent ones
showed signs of Eruption, Mr.. Clancy
beckoned them from beyond the vision
of the police, and there babe them, as
they loved order and respected law, to
quit playin horse or he'd break in
their faces. D." AT one time, when the
strain became particularly tense, Mr.
Clancy felt compelled to choke one NAL
content into submission in the interests
of peace and good order There were
signs of fierce alteration when some
body whispered, Hist, Tommy, here
comes the father "
Tommy, with great speed and adroit-
ness, kicked the offender into a conven-
lent stairway and forthwith presented
an innocent and smiling front to the
good father who was passing by. Then
it was How do you do, Thomas?'
from the holy man, and a dignified
"Well, sir, an many thanks to you, ia
Their, " from Thomas, who, even as he
spoke, administered vigorous backward
kick to his enemy in the stairway
The peaceful conduct and the uniform
forbearance Mr., Clancy maintained
throughout the day were perhaps some
what due to the fact that he had seer
lit to leave what he called his gun
Mt home in tho morning As he PLACED
1t i'll the bureau drawer he had said, GO
won t give 'em no call to make kick, >
which was his own peculiar way o
granting the fact that Caesars wifi
must be above suspicion. A reformer
he felt could not afford to be caugh
carrying concealed weapons.
AT 1880 clock, when the vote was al