The Utah County Democrat. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1898-1909, 1908-09-10

fee aggregating about a quarter OF a
million dollars.
And instances like these kept the
young lawyers on the Out vlve for
possible like happening in their cases.
But the reverse OF the medal was in
the incident OF very bright young
lawyer OF my acquaintance. who got a
nomination. lost the election. took to
whisky as cure. established a
touching route where he collected
dollars, half-dollars and quarters for
awhile, and then died shortly after. a
victim to the political bug" and the
whisky bug" combined. than which
no more fatal and totally destructive
combination was ever invented.
The most successful OF the local
politicians we're those who had lived
In one ward all their lives. who had
made politics their life-game. and
who could deliver the delegates" In
conventions. as the delegates made
the nominations. the more delegates
a man absolutely controlled the more OF
power he was. The young and am.
bilious political worker always started
out to control the delegates in his pre-.
clint. Then he reached out after other
precincts. and when the time came
that he could control his ward he had
arrived at the proud position OF
ward boss" This however. required
years of the most unremitting atten.
ton to detail, an immense amount Of
wire-pulling and strategy and a rigid
distribution on as even terms as pos.
slble Of all patronage" which might
come his way. The delegates were
usually very much the same individ.
uals from year to year. They might
be shifted from one convention ticket
to another, but the names Of the
faithful" would be pretty sure to
turn up annually unless in case Of
| death, aud in that event someone
would be selected who could be con.
trolled' like a tin soldier.
Suppose you take ward of $4,000
people; say there are $4,000 voters in
the ward. Say the number of dele
gates have been determined as 10.
In that event imagine Is men whom
only a bakers dozen" of the
voters know, having the power to
speak for that ward In the conven.
tons. Well, they do II! The petty
politicians in the ward select the dele
gates; the delegates select" the can
didate, always az the direction OF the
politicians, and the people are allowed
TO come out and vote at the polls on
election day. II they behave them.
selves.
In this way you can see how real
ly important these little seemingly In
significant ward politicians may be
Your average man never concerns
himself about the delegates. He says
to himself: II will vote for the best
candidate, and II my party does not
put up a good candidate | will eXer
else my priceless right OF indepen
dence and rebuke my party by putting
my vote in for the other man" Blu
suppose both candidates are tn,
worst? as will happen. Or suppos'
the parties have tactitly agreed, b!
|
the aldermanic Office split, We will
; say, giving the favors alternately, 81
that there will be a Democrat and
Republican alderman in the ward iron
year to year, fully understanding tn
situation and each other. and worl
ing to the interests of themselves an
the politicians? What then?
When a politician is "out Of bus
, ness" so far as holding Office is col
, cerned, he can open an Office by ge
ting his cards printed and going /
for life insurance and fire and plat'
glass insurance. That avenue Of col
+ cealment is always open. Or he ma
! turn "reformer." II he is bitter at hi
party.
Politics as profession develop
shrewdness. nerve capacity to stan
= the gaff," orato,y, conversations
powers. personal magnetism, and,
fact, all the accomplishment Of
i first-class confidence man. Although