The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-24
Established 1923,
WILSON
WHISkEY
That's All!
Czz WILSON DrsrIILxrso CO.


of man. What's the use OF being an
American he asked. contemptuously.
THE BEST FELLOW" WINS.
A fight for leadership in the "organiza-
ton is really a fight for friends, so that
the best fellow" as a rule, gets there"
A striking instance was the recent strug-
gle for the district leadership between
Pat Diver and Tom" Foley. Diver
had been leader for years. and the mechan-
ioal power of the organization was exerted
i'm his favor. His friends were in Office.
and TO retain his position would normally
have been plain sailing. But he had failed.
I'm a striking manner, 10 do his duty Sew
eral years ago. the story runs, he went to
Hot Springs. leaving several OF his friends.
who had been arrested for cheating al the
polls. TO their fate. He was guilty Of that
blacklist Of sins ingratitude. Of careless
ness of paying his debt TO many a crook.
or semi-crook. who had faithfully given
him political support. Accordingly he be-
came unpopular with what Is called the
younger element OF Tammany Hall,
which seems to mean the more radically
crooked the more businessliko element OF
that good-natured organization So the
story goes. at any rate, and III IL Is not
true. it is at least typical. IL was for that
reason, for similar reasons. that DIVER
lost his power which passed into the hands
Of Foley, a better fellow" who stands by
his friends. they say. through thick and
thin.
To stand by ones friends. a general prin-
ciple ethics in Tamany. is the peculiar
obligation of the district leader. IL he Is
good leader he works from morning 10
night for his friends. procures for them
Jobs" lends them money. settles their
quarrels keeps them out OF jail, or IL they
are unfortunate enough TO be put IN jail,
helps them out as quickly as possible. hls
functions many and almost as
| paternal as those OF Jewish rabbi, who
acts as the shepherd OF an orthodox COM
munity.
Every social means is taken to foster the
sentiment of friendship and gratitude In
the rank and file. The cohesive power OF
public plumber" is an unkind and unjust
| phrase, because il expresses only half the
truth. The beefsteak suppers, chowder
| parties picnics and balls so lavishly pro-
vided for the entertainment OF the people,
intended as they are TO strengthen the po-
! litical organization. are yet a spontaneous
manifestation of social good Will
A FRIENDLY SPIRIT
This general spirit OF kindness. friendn-
ness, and gratitude is no less real than IL IL
were not part and parcel of business sys-
tenn. We know that corruption and senti-
mentality often go hand in hand; that hard
ness and feeling are often curiously allied
Nothins is more characteristic of hard
dealing business man than uncommon soft
ness towards his family and friends. have
often been struck with the false, eNag-
gerated sentimentality i'm personal ways or
men who put out very tough 'front.' N
deed to the world.
Talk with any eloquent tough" you meet
on the Bowery, ard you Will nnd that the
dear old objects OF virtue are the things
nearest his heart. In almost any low music
| hall sentimental songs about self-sacrince.
! love, mother and home are almost the rule.
In one of these places l heard a song tell
| Ing of how young man appealed 10 the
| judge to have mercy on an old woman
! convicted of theft. For" the song went,
| 'the pris' ner is the mother OF the girl
f,x+a \ arl al he Of daN
| the Bowery between two representatives OF
! the rank and file OF Tammany Hall. After
one of them had frankly admitted that he
would accept a dollar 20 be right on cleo
| ton day, they entered into a discussion as
| TO whether General Lee was morally Justi-
| fed in leaving the United States army TO
! fight with the Confederates. The man who
was quite willing to sell his vote main
tanned that Lee could not have done other
wise in Justice to his mother. whom he
! consulted before he took the step.
-" Mother he said, where shall i fight,
with the North OF with the SouthP Me
boy, she said, you live in Richmond. night
in Richmond " That tale quite overcame
| the other disputant, i0r who could defend
\ filial ingratitude?
AS matter of fact. the Tammany man is
as good as the ideals Of the community per-
NIT. and the attacks made upon his personal
! character are often intolerant and unjust.
although, OF course, these attacks are
| is needed-that is, in raising the ideals or
the community I'm educating the public 10
| demand greater SenSltlNeneSS IN matters OF
business and political morality. Good-na-
| tured Tammany men are more apt TO feel
| the personal injustice than the public ne
| cessity of the periodic reform movements.
| After the last election a Tammany captain
| of an election district pointed out, with
tears in his eyes, what seemed TO him the
enormity OF the situation.
They've bounded US like n" he said,
land what for? Because we do lot Of
| dirty work for the city, work you couldn't
get the reformers to do more than once In
! twenty years. They stick to their own
| busipess where their graft Is bigger. and
let the common people rule the town. and
| when the common people try 10 get little
| graft these rich reformers. whose graft is
/ a hundred times bigger than ours. begin 10
/ holler. ] call that mean-dont your?
| Tammany Hall has no moral right TO
| rule; IL does untold evil 10 the community:
| but il does. too. immense amount OF
| charity work. and fosters immense
| amount OF geniality and relative comfort
! among the poor. For that reason Tam
| many Hall, similar organizations, In
| spite of the great wholesale evil for which
1 they are responsible. will continue TO be
! powerful until a time when the reformers
! who represent the sweetness and light" OF
| the community will be unwearied in a
| continued effort 10 do good in detail-to
| many, very many individuals-as they are
] now occasionally vigorous I'm trying TO
| stamp out a wholesale evil.
QUEER CASE OF JEALOUSY.