The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-11

just suspicion the benevolent dispo-
sition of the other races to help"
them in a political way. The result
of this was that the Polish people were
almost always represented by q man
oft$their own race; invariably, when
the ward was strongly Polish in its
vote.
The Bohemians were also COM
batfvely+. inclined people, politically,
and waged lively campaigns in the
wards where they held the balance of
the voting power. But they did not
have the cohesiveness of the Poles,
and candidates of other nationalities
could occasionally squeeze in. The
Bohemian, and in fact all of the for
eign.populated wards, were strong for
personal liberty, and as near as pos
sible for the social privileges
they had enjoyed in Europe, minus any
intrusion Of the king business" The
Scandinavian voters were apathetic
mostly, only once in awhile producing
an orator or a hustling politician. They
were governed in their political judg-
ments partly by party fealty, partly
by the question of personal fitness,
and somewhat by the question of ma
tionality. But I give them credit for
not being carried away entirely by
either pride of race or demand of par
ty. They really wanted good men;
and the fact that man was one of
their race did not invariably get him
their vote. Occasionally they nomin-
ated man of. their race for the ex-
press purpose of defeating him, be-
cause he had proved himself too small
for the position.
The Germans were good, live poll.
ticians, and like az in other matters,
somewhat Teut0nic in their prejudices
and tendencies. Clannish was hardly
the word for their particular brand of
political cohesion. Out of the ruck Of
many particular defeat would emerge
triumphant the form of some German
candidate whose race vote had been
pumped solidly for him, no matter
what party he belonged to. To nom-
mate state, county or city ticket
without the name of at least one rep
resentative German for one of the prin-
cipal offices, was something that no
party convention either cared or dared
to do. A good many of the Germans
still spoke the language of the Father
land, and even when there were spies
about, seeking to pick up crumbs of
information, they were usually baffled
by 1.-The vernacular.' The Germans had
good, solid, and eloquent speakers
among them, and they were excellent
campaigners.
Their particular wards elected Ger
man aldermen as a rule and. as a
rule the German office-holders were
good men. Occasionally they were
amusingly independent when given
appointive Offices TO go against a
mayors wishes when placed in an ap-
pointive position is as much worse
than lese majestic as murder is more
of crime than petty larceny. Yet
on occasions the sturdy independence
of the Teutonic mind boiled over. An
alderman called on a German official
with request from a mayor (not in
my time) to do something the official
disapproved Of. The official took the
message with an expressive shrug Of
the shoulders. Il won't do it," was his
answer. But I've got the mayors
ORDERS" replied the surprised and in
dignant city father. Il don't care
what you've got, was the retort. "You
amt got me, Helm. l run this Office.
I've got my resignation written and
in my pocket. The mayor can have
this Office in ten minutes if he wants
it, but he can't have me-" So the alder
man had to give it up, and the official
remained.
The Hebrew wards were inclined to
a man of their own race, but they
were not massed excepting in about
three wards. They are not, strictly
speaking, people who "go IN" very
strongly for politics, but they make
a success of it when they d. engage
In it deliberately The scattering vote
OF this nationality was large, out di-
vided among so many wards shat it
was matter of uncertainty rs to