The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
nee aggregating about quarter Of a

~A~~
million dollars.
And instances like these kept the
young lawyers on the qu vive for q
possible like happening in their cases.
But the reverse Of The medal was in
the incident of q very bright young
lawyer of my~acquaintance, who got "a
nomination, lost the election, took to
whisky as a 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 were 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
a power he was. The young and am
bilious political worker always started
out to control the delegates in his pre-.
cint. 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 a
ward boss" This, however, required
years of the most unremitting atten-
tion to detail, an immense amount of
wire-pulling and strategy and rigid
distribution on as even terms as pos.
sible 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, and in that event someone
would be selected who could be "con-
trolled'' like 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 15
In that event. imagine Is men whom
only bakers dozen" of the
voters know, having the power to
speak for that ward in the conven-
tions. Well, they do it! The petty
politicians in the ward select the dele
gates; the delegates select" the can
didate, always at the direction of the
politicians, and the people are allowed
to come out and vote at the polls on
election day, if 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: Il will vote for the best
candidate, and if my party does not
put up good candidate l will exer-
else my priceless right of indepen-
dence and rebuke my party by putting
my vote in for the other man." But
suppose both candidates are the
worst? as will happen Or suppose
the parties have tactitly agreed, by
means of the ward leaders," to have
the aldermanic Office split, we will
say, giving the favors alternately, so
that there will be a Democrat and a
Republican alderman in the ward from
year to year, fully understanding the
situation and each other, and work
ing to the interests of themselves and
the politicians? What then?
When politician is "out of busi-
ness" so far as holding office is con-
cerned, he can open an Office by get
ting his cards printed and going in
for life insurance and fire and plate
glass insurance. That avenue of con-
cealment is always open. Or he may
turn ''reformer," If he is bitter at his
party.
Politics as profession develops
shrewdness, nerve, capacity to "stand
the gaff,' oratory, conversational
powers, personal magnetism, and, in
fact, all the accomplishments of a
6rst-class confidence man. Although,