The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
MINERAL WATERS AND PoLI7ICs,
Conditions witch Enable the Men who
Sell Them to Obtain Popularity.

There may not seem TO he any direct con-
nectiOn between mineral waters, the resource
OF the temperate, and politics, where liquids
OF n stronger quality count for more than car
donated beverages, but IL is n fact that tho
dealers In mineral waters who number but
n few In town. have, whenever they have en-
gagged in politics, succeeded In gaining n large
measure of success. About every one up town
on tho west side. certainly every Democrat.
knows John d. Sexton. Tammany Hall leader
In the Nineteenth district and formerly Sheriff.
and nearly every one, Republican as well as
Democrat, knows the Sexton mineral watcr
firm In West Fifty-second street. Further
down on the same side Of town, Louis Mum
Finger, Tammany Hall state Senator from tho
Sixteenth district, has been engaged In the
sale Of mineral waters for many years. VIII
liam Ward. in the Seventh ward. on East
broadway. and Fred Hafner, former Demo-
cratic Assemblyman from the Fifteenth dis
trIct. now the Thirteenth, are but a few Of
these dealers whose names old politicians will
recall, and some new politicians, too.
Tho most plausible explanation which can
be given for the general success of mineral
water dealers in the field of politics is this:
That while brought into intimate association
with liquor dealers through business. they are
dealers in . way which might be detrimental
ullke TO HehlID anu success IN WDuU MT. L. L.
Platt has called political diplomacy"
The wine dealer, the liquor salesman, the
beer bre very collector. the agent of an i'm.
ported beverage, seeking customers among re-
tail saloon men,, %partakes sometimes not
wisely but too welD of his own wares. and he
becomes not only a business associate of sa-
loon keepers. but their patron as well. But
with the mineral water man It Is different.
He is not expected to drink to excess of his
own mineral waters. and the very nature of
his business precludes him from accepting
some of the invitations which on long can
yassing tours have been known to lead to eX'
cesses In the line Of drink. The mineral water
man comes in the natural course of his bust
ness to acquire Il valuable circle of political
acquaintance who can promote. III so dis
posed, his interests, and as most of his wares
are bought Oh credit. and most saloon men are
in debt to the mineral water man at all times.
he. can count generally on the sincerity. if not
the suff1cienCy. of their support. There is. too,
quite a prejudice among many voters against
q man directly in the saloon business. and In
not expect to get the full measl are of the vote
of his party when running for office. No such
prejudice operates to the disad vantage of the
mineral water man. who Is looked upon gen
orally as n friend of sobriety. and n man to he
encouraged by law-ablding people. Bos, cigar
dealers have the same sort OF business rela-
lions with saloon keepers rs mineral water
men, but subject to the condition that being
employers of labor they are almost inevitably
involved in labor disputes which often turn
out disastrously for them when candidates for
number OF employees to strike. and 10 walk
ing delegates to mollify. and he is able, there
fore. to pursue his political wav with. often.
very little enCumbranCe.