The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-12
sr!SPArRlcx's DAT GRAND MARsHAL,
The Preliminary Steps Necessary TO an
Eleotion-The Choice This Year.

AANA . wv 'A'A AfNNN ~ 'N - ANh'
OF reverence for a very goot aud noble probate,
the day itself has a Significance and usefulness
that Is even deeper In its good influence on tho
Notwithstanding race generally than were
the works OF the holy st. Patrick. People
who take this entirely secular view regard the
day rs the annual safety valve OF the Irish. No
1rishmnn can 30 abroad in the land acting out
his lively nature TO the full without bringing
himself constantly in conflict with the law Of
the land aud the comfort OF his fellowmen,
The natural repression to which all good Irish
citizens arc subject because they are good citi-
zcns makes the need OF q safety valve impera-
tive. There are few. indeed, who have not
noticed that from the LIST Of January until the
18th OF March the natural 1rc in the Irlshm0u's
eye burns more brightly. aud his grip OH his
shillalah, which IN this degenerate and civil
lied ago has taken the form of Il prospic um-
brella or walking stick. becomes tighter and
tighter, ana inst ms the steam begins to siz2le
and pun tGY.n the safety valve Just before the
SO from the ist OF March 10 the nth OF March
there are crcsccnde Irish muttcriugs in che air,
none more highly regarded by the observers Of
Irish nhenomcnn thnn the formol!ty tor more
Marshal for the st. Patrick's day parade.
1t Is. in. entire .conformance with the TT
ness OF things that the body OF lrlshmen
which is most oppressed by the excitement
IL Is REFRESHING within it's bosom should have
the preference in being allowed to indulge, in
cicnt Order Of hibcrnians generally takes
charge OF the election Of the Grand Marshal;
no small importance to the success Of a 81. Pat
riek's day parade. The office requires for its
proper administration a man Of the, greatest
wisdom. tact and craftsmanship. He must
his fellow Irishmen. He must be one who is in
his Irish blood and his hatred OF his country's
cruel oppressors. He must be. able to ride a
horse So as not to provoke INQUIRIES from the
which he rented the beast. And it is no easy
thing to. show skiltul horsemanship on the
tamest OF apimals, when the streets are crowd
ed with lrishmen enjoying 81, Patrick's day
feelings and bands playing ,",Tbe Wearing Of
Irish that horses have run away with Grand
Marshals on st. Patrick's day, and have thrown
them into the street to the dismay and horror
the enemies OF the sons OF Erin.
1t Is also essential to the election of u Grand
place. The Grand Marshal who is elected by
unanimous consent may do for a. German
s sa%oFthy 81 a Ct sF f 6nF C tFrG dny p6 oalldi but p es Is
the Ancient Order Of Hibernians begins to look
for the best mantle hold the office it sets about
best man is. The Irishman's philosophy is
that order cannot be secured except out. Of
the chaos the more distinguished will be the
variety of order that results from it, Once the
candidates have begun to gather partLsans to
election begins. This is divided into w parts;
one is the effort to see that the best man shall
be elected. and the other Is to see that the op-
+ YOU ask an e1perienced ,HibeIGiap about
interest" But it is really done to take, up the
superluons energy and friction which deyelop
M nata afeG as ths i7t Glt OF March iae hP appfosche 81 ifiSn
The election of a Grand Marshal for the
coming St. Patrick's day parade took place last
election all the other Irish societies confessed
the right OF the Ancient Order OF Hihernians to
take charge. This was entirely TRADITIONAL and
proper. For fifty years all the other Irish So
cieties have protested against the supervision
City wye Years nn the op p5eHf 1' has n'S ali been d hnH afr
ed into thin air when the crisis came. This.
too. as any IIiishman will tel you, is to keep
forward We're Patrick Fl. Lennon, who is
Tax Department in the borough Of the Bronx.
Daniel I. Clancy and. Thomas Banks. Many
5 lTahag tb ielt III that SSa this 81 sseI Ir r n Of ffo2idlda sSS
of administrative ability on the, part of the
committee had sadly deteriorated. They said
lily became. so. hot that all the existing def
ciencies of which they complained were at
most spirited could have asked. The Commit
tee on Credentials. Immediately after the as
sembling Of the convention; retired to do its
different candidates and OF, the other ques-
ton which had arisen occupied the delegates
III IL bull. II lL0 tillo lhV .
turned all. was well. A stranger ignorant Of
the way of the Celt, entering the hall. would
riot alarm Tor the police In the effort to
keep UP interest, it frequently happens that
the adherents Of the different candidates be-
nize defeat when IL comes upon them. no mat
ter what may be the preponderanSe Of, votes
OF no man other than their own as
Grand Marshal. Thus It has happened that
there have been two, and tradition says oven
fhran Grand MnrShaIS on the same 81. pafrIpk'9
day. with as many parades marching behind
them: These parades have met upon the
those whose highest aim is TO keep up in
t%erest." The proceedings this year lacked.
tisSns Of Clancy and Of Banks. When once the
turmoil subsidized enough so that the an
m%ds sadibfe. 0 acd heesSniS at o onee' B SGu. Tp f Pe
the moment that this announcement was
made it was perfectly Getty apparent that the Par Par
all. A delegate, who had shown the slightest
been Missed ont Of the hall by every true Irish
man. there. The main contest in the voting
Eard sst Hs g pe aeoaRn r a%n Giianfs. ftH * n is RE-
and at the end oi'the election his name is al.
other candidates were.'' He doesn't care.
though, and his friends don't care SO long as
bate which was carried on by delegates ali over
the hall are the like OF this:
ANY. one WOuli. tnlnR you were making
Paddy Lennon President OF the United States"
You'd never get me to follow John Clancy.
not It was, a funeral procession and 1 was in
the hearse."
why don't you compromise with US. and
make Banks the Chairman OF the Committee
n ~Stragglers? ?"
The end OF the convention was marked by q
state OF affairs that was a distinct innovation
and one regarded for a lime as most regrettable.
The police, who ACKNOWLEDGMENT conyentionsin
pass that the paTtisans II each candidate shall
leave the hall by, a different door. This
year. however. the leader of the Lennon forces
invited the leader OF the Clancy forces 70 ceie-
brate the occasion with a drink. At previous
elections this offer would have been consid-
cred an insult. to be smothered 10 patriotic
gore. Tothe ama2ement and. indeed, to the CON
sternation Of the older delegates. the offer was
accepted, and though they did their best TO
avert such q eetastrophe everybody followed
came very near TO ending in n dismal hand
shaking on the sidewalk but fortunately a
Clancy delegate. waving his glass in the air In
forycnt admiration Of, a ,nGw-found Lennon
brother. let 1t slip. 1t landed in the eye of n
Banks man down near the end Of the bar.
Then the convention ended in the full glory OF
complete success.