The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-11

many and how impregnable are the
barriers which present themselves. TO
get along without any trouble with
the representatives of all these differ.
ent natiOnalities was not a hard task,
provided you looked at mankind as
being all lineal descendants of Adam,
and not different in what they wanted,
but only different in the way they
went at it. The sanguine races ges-
ticulated, grew eloquent, rapt, even
poetical in asking for some small ia
vor. The taciturn races expressed
themselves briefly, and devoid of en-.
thusiasm.
Racial politics concerned itself care
fully as to the selection of the vari-
GUS ward halls in which to hold the
meetings, the hiring of bands, the en-
ployment of printers, the distribution
of ward patronage and all the in
tricacies of municipal politics. whats
in name?' Well, you can bet your ul-
innate sesterce that there was near
ly everything in a name when it came
to sorting out the petty jobs in a
ward. Why, an astute ward superin.
tendent (supposing he were an Irish
American) would turn down" with
cold disdain the request to put on an
other man of his nationality on a job,
if there already had been sufficient
representation of the race on the job
1t made heap of difference what a
mans name began or ended with in
municipal politics.
Of course everyone cannot be salts
| ned, but favors must be distributed as
| near evenly as possible to keep a
ward 'o1 sanization or party ma
chine ia good running order. And
lookout 10 see that there was no un-
due favositism practiced? 1 should
say. And they could tell you just how
things stood in the ward, and they
were ohnny-on-the-spot" if any
coarse work" was attempted.
When IN approaching election was
coming Gu the leaders of the party,
| of as many races as there were colors
in Joseph's coat, would assemble to
consider the personnel Of the ticket.
Not that ever heard them use the
| word personnel. These meetings
might take place in hotel, or party
headquarters, or if it was a straight
ward mee<ing of leaders in the ward,
| it might take place in a, say, school.
house.
Then AID there the various oualih-
cations G. the different prospective
candidates would be discussed and
argued, and "a slate" as it is called,
would be agreed upon. Sometimes
these "slxtes" went through ON con.
vention day without slip. Sometimes
there were battles in the convention,
and compromises effected.
! was present at one of these "cau.
cuses" of leaders, when there was
merely talk about the prospective
ticket, but no settlement of the ticket.
1t was an informal gathering, acci-
dental, but an earnest meeting never
theless. The main Office was spoken
of. A prominent German-American
was suggested. He was approved by
all present. Another Office was named.
1t was assigned to well-known Irish
American. A third Office came up.
After little wrangling popular
Scandinavian was selected. A fourth
Office was mentioned. An influential
Pole was the favorite. A fifth Office
became the topic of conversation and
the name of Bohemian citizen was
proposed and Hebrew who had been
active in the party. Finally during
the wrangle an Irish-American poll
tician said heatedly: 'Well, what's
the matter with giving it to a good
American? I know just the man, and
he's a c0rker." The leader of the
group looked at him disgustedly and
said: DO you mean that?" "Sure, /
mean it," was the reply. The leader
laid his heavy hand down with a quiet
force that made the glasses tilt as he
said: "This is business, see! want it
distinctly understood that I'm in IA
vor of no ID experiments" That
! settled it. ERNEST M'GAFFEY.
Copyright, 1908, by Jcxeph B. BowlcA ;