The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-02-13
An American in Politics
q RACE ron NOMINATION.
nv ERNEST m0ArFEY

whore 4 resided was a stormy onc.
livery year there was an aldeFmanic
contest. one Of tho Two aldermen u
the ward finished his two year term
in the city council. and bis colleague
holding over until the year following
This practice OF alternating. together
viii a mayoralty election which Co.
cluded With % a batch OF 35 alder
men 90 BE- elected in the various
wards and a roster Of city and coun
~ officials. kept the political pot boil
ing "a al the wards. n especially
the doubtful districts. the 'debatahle
ground Of both parties.
The once OF alderman was one OF
the most important Il not the very
greatest In the gift Of the people, as
the people themselves saw IL, that IS.
IN many wards. Il mattered COM.
paratiyeiy little who was mayor. Il
nattered less who Was president. but
Il made a big lot Of difference as 10
who was alderman.
Now Il so happened in our ward
that the opposition party had praeti-
cally determined on rolling their
nominee. To roll" q candidate means
TO shelve him. and put him out OF
business" The selected victim IN
this instance had served one term as
alderman. bat while perfectly honest,
be had not proved acceptable to his
party. 90 he had been marked for
slaughter. The nomination was as
sured him; also a defeat a. the polls.
THIS fact being generally known, ex-
cept TO the sacriacial individual him.
SELF. q grand rush vas being made on
our side for the aldermanic nomina-
ton. Il being considered IN the ma.
ture Of what was commonly known as
a raW-hlde cinch" 20 beat this nom.
inee. who was 10 the language Of the
vulgar. merely IA fan guy put up 10
have a large and Juicy lemon handed
% him.
Certain downtown elements began
90 get busy on my behalf about this
time. loudly proclaiming that J was
TOO vers man for the place. a faci
which 7 BATTERED myself was fairly
apparent But there were elements
in che ward which wanted another
man. and suli another faction which
espoused the cause OF q third man,
aud 50 the race stood. a triangular
fight with myself Rnd another man
leading, and one also ran trailing.
hoping 10 get some Of cur delegates
Ia case o. . split, and not enough for
either of ne 20 win.
Tel Il not IN Gath. but you can.
not run a political campaign without
money Money TO thoroughly circu
lariEo & ward with your platform and
premises: money "a hire help 10 ad-
dress envelopes and hire boys 20 dis
tribute hahd-hlus. money for print
ing money Tor halls money for
bands money Tor cab fare 20 speak
ere money for the precinct captain
on election day. money Tor campaign
literature. money for this. that and
cvcrythlng And iu many Instances n
bis roll for the saloon keepers ia
your uard. n % was a saloon ward
Aiy ward was not strictly speaking q
saloon Uard. but there were a great
many saloons 30 a. Ny plan % cam
paigu. however. did NOT include a ga
NMHM NMAHHA"Ma N4NNs NNHNaNtH" w SAY 4 /
kept I'd myself bus az ! was not a
kangaroo around buhets Il was
probably BurmiseA what my course Of
action would be. never could see
any logical reason why a a d man
should 70 into saloon after saloon.
throw down a ten-dollar bin for about
$40 worth ~ liquor. aud have the
harkeep" sweep The cash into his
san without Insulting you with the
return % any beEgarly change Il
looked quite a. reasonable a pcopo /.
aition 10 me that ne should 30 into
all The other leghuEed places Of
business n the Ward. after meat. gro
ccries. hardware. furniture. cigars
drugs clothing and follow the same
course winding ~ az the undcriak
inE establishments. aud arranging for
q cluster of funerals
was ~slngularly we'll equipped 90
look at this matter ln a strictly con.
sentative light / had never been TO-
-tozicatea In my nfe. nor had ever
taken ihs pledge when Ia the course
Of human events q became necessary
FOR me 20 take a drink. J usually took
une Ia tho summer time being a
lover 81 h~utteffnilk. l sent lnto sa
looms frequently that carried a line
az THE cheering beverage. and got d
and paid for g. n happened to want
a glass az beer. or y ~schoppen" of
Rhine wine. and aeitEer. J got that
or 70 ! desired rs cents worth 81
the demon rum ! took that / b.
llcyc there is considerable lntemper
n e Ia eating Al wen as drinking
and that much human misery may be-
laid TO oyerinduleence "a the demon
pie crust
However that may b.. paste this In
your has for future reference Win
malice towards mons and charity TO
all : am free TO maintain that who're
fhn ufsuHanN ~ aftf~nunh4- a. 4.--.a