The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-01-06
From Poverty and Obscurlty He Has Become
One of the Most Notable Figures
in the Country.
His Extraordinary Popularity Has Enabled
Him to Repeatedly Be Elected
Against Great Odds.

sometimes becomes hate. In Jersey
City, young married people used when
the crisis arrived, to go to Mark;
they'd tell him on each other;" and
he listened and seemed to judge But
what he really did was to get every
thing said and done with, and then
when they were tired and satisfied and
sorry, he fixed 'em up"
So far there is nothing so very ;.x-
traordinary about Mark Fagan. He is
a type of the men who, winning the
faith and affection of their neighbors,
become political leaders. Popularity"
makes them available" as candidates
or ward BOSSES" Nothing was fur
ther from Marks mind, but it was in
evitable that he should go into politics,
and the way he went in was natural
and commonplace. One Sunday morn
ing, as he was leaving church, several
young fellows stopped him to propose
that he run for the Board of Free
holders. He was mot adapted" he
said; why didn't one of them run?
They explained that Bob Davis, the
boss, wouldn't let them run; wouldn't
let anybody run in their party who
wouldn't knuckle under to him. But
Mark was Republican. The ward,
like the city and county, was heavily
Democratic, and since there was so
little chance of winning, the Repub-
lican ring would let anybody have the
! nomination. If Mark would let them,
they would arrange it, fight with him,
and he might be elected. They couldn't
persuade Mark himself, but they knew
how to get him. They went to his
mother. They explained it to her, and
she bade Mark run. He asked her il
she understood it all, and she said
she didn't, except that it seemed TO
be a chance to do some good in the
ward.
Thus Mark Pagan was started in
politics. When he took the nomina-
ton and his popularity showed, the
got out. They had to; they were
called off by the bosses who ran the
two parties as one. That made Mark
fight the harder. Left high and dry
by 1.-The organization" he went to the
people of his district II was bound
to win," he says, land felt that if !
wasn't known to enough of the voters
And anyhow, wanted to know my
people in my ward" So he started at
! 5:45 one morning at one corner of his
ward, and he went systematically
through it, knocking at every door
seeing every man, woman and child;
he climbed 3,7o0 flights of stairs in
seventeen nights and he promised to
"serve the people of his ward faith
fully and honestly" Mark was elected
and Jersey City was amazed.
i Now comes the first remarkable
thing about this remarkable man. The
corruption, political and financial out
side of Boston is built up on the be.
trayal of the people by the leaders
big and little, whom they trust, and
the treason begins in the ward. The
| ward leader, having the full, fine, per.
sonal faith of his neighbors, takes
their confidence and their votes, ant
/ he delivers these things and his owl
!, soul to the party bosses, who sell ou
| the interests Of the city, state ant
!: nation to the business leaders, who
, as we know now-use the money WI
. entrust to them to rob us and corrup
t our political, commercial and oul
J, higher life. When Mark Pagan hat
| taken his oath-the other, older free
| holders came to him, and they invited
/, him into "the combine" There wa'
| no mystery about it. There was {
combine, and this was graft. Some
thing-the man doesn't know exactl!
t what it was-something which HI
; thinks is religious, made him declln'
!, to go in. He is a quiet man and h
!, made no outcry. He didn't perfect!
understand anyhow, then, just what i