The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-09-17

what may be we'll
termed racial poll.
tics" To an outsider. the facts are OF
course not apparent enough to make II
interesting, but to man on the lin.
side" the drama is chock-full OF inter.
est. As I had. and have, no sort OF
prejudice against any race or creed
my experience In municipal politics
was as good as an extended course of
travel in foreign countries. I saw the
various outs and ms Of politics unfold
themselves, viewing matters with a
strictly impartial eye. There was moth
ing in the life of the city that was not
In some way. either remote OF immi.
nent, connected with the political
game. A man might stay at home and
abjure politics II he wished to. and
most of the native Americans did this,
but his sin would find him out Then.
when he made his roar of protest
against existing conditions, he had no
one but himself to blame.
The ward lived in was, for our
city. singularly free from an admixture
OF races There we're quite a number
Of Germans. large array Of Swedes,
Norwegians and Danes, some Irish and
Irish-Americans, a strong colony OF
Poles, a few English and Welsh, some
Bohemlans, and scattering of Greeks,
Arablans, Jews, Armenians, Italians,
Spanish, Chinese. Firms, Scotch, Rus
SLAMS and some Americans, with an oc.
casional Patagonlan or a native OF
the Cannibal Islands. But It was not
one OF those wards of the city where
all races under the sun were repre-.
sented; and n few besides.
BY and large the Irish-Americans
ran" the ward. That is, in our par
ty. It was the simplest thing in the
world. They were born politicians,
taking to politics as a duck does TO
water, and having real love for the
game. They were ready speakers.
and sometimes good ones; they were
invincible "hustlers;" they always at
tended the ward meetings, and usual
ly held the offices; they were active in
getting acquainted, liberal in their pur-
suit of their natural prey-the other
races-and resourceful. They were not
too scrupulous in attaining desired
end, and they never lost heart In de-
feat. They could and did rejoice in a
victory, but they were never cast down
when they lost It's all well enough
to talk about the alleged volatility OF
the Irish race, but they make good
soldiers, don't they? Well, there's a
deal Of discipline and other military
ingredients In political life. and while
It Is true that in the rural districts the
American comes out strong for poll
tics. in the majority of the cities, big
and little, the Irish-American poll.
tlclans run things" II you don't be
lleye this. travel little and inquire.
OF course in ward where there Is a
heavy vote Of the more stolid races,
the Irish-American politicians will put
up member OF one of those races All
they ask In the world is TO control him
after ne is elected. And this they gen
orally do. And why should there be
howl about II? | don't know! If the
other peoples prefer to sit In their par.
Tors on stormy and bitter nights, re
fusing to take any interest In politi
cal. life, why shouldn't somebody else
run things for themY THE tools to
the men who can use them" was in
ward OF 10000 people. There were
many Americans of my party in the
ward, but never saw them at the
ward meetings. at the primaries, al
the caucuses. or anywhere else except
at the polls on election day. They
would manage to crawl out OF their
holes and vote. some OF them, on such
occasions.
But politics is such disagreeable
work. don't you know" OF course
don't you know" But the result Of
letting politics go hang while one
keeps his nose stuck tenaciously tc
the grindstone of business often re
suits In disaster to the entire commu
nifty "doncherknow" And I for one
had nothing but bitter contempt fol
the people Of my race who lifted pro
testing hands and gave voice TO the
"lily-livered" dictum that politics wal
something gentleman couldn't en-
gage in"
But speaking of Americans" 81
far as the cities are concerned. where
are they?
English and Irish. Dutch and Danish.
German, Italian, French and Spanish,
Crossing their veins until they vanish,
In one conglomeration:
SO subtle tangle OF blood indeed
NO Heraldry-Harvey could ever succeed
In finding the circulation"
You can find regulation Americans
down in Kentucky, for instance, mel
who can trace their ancestors cleal
down to Daniel Boone in an unbrokeI
line. You may find them INDUCING II
such pieasantrles as burning tobacco
warehouses or shooting at each othe
from behind rail fences, for they arr
quite as handy with a rife as DAME
was.
The Poles we're a clannish nation
and no one else could do anything
In their wards. Where they repre-
sented only smattering of strength
they could be handled fairly well b.
the leaders" in the ward but the,
were live members" and wanted som'
share in the "spoils' of Office. II
their particular wards, where they hat
assembled in almost solid forces, the!
voted solidly for their own people, and
curiously enough, they would give al
alderman OF their own nationality
clear majority on one side of the tick
ct, and mayoralty candidate a clea
majority on the other side OF the pc
liticai slate And vet Won will hea