The Virginia enterprise., 1908-08-07

ols VI DOtn pdft1eS, ana Wnlle they
were Of course patriotic, they did not
| allow patriotism to warp their CON-
mercial Judgment
They contributed to the legitimate
expenses of the ward and municipal
campaigns, generally had some sort
of representation in the official rosters
OF the ward clubs, and displayed
commendable activity in public af-
fairs from the simple reason that
they could not afford to be dead
! ones" Business men who were active
democrats, or active Republicans, as
the case might be, boldly hung the pic
lures of their party candidates on the
outer meaning the plate
glass windows of their establishments.
But Of course if man was an "all-
round politician like the proprietor
of thirst boudoir," he hung them
all up, Democrat, Republican, Inde-
pendent, Labor, Socialist, Socialist
Labor, and even. when waggishly in
clined, the portrait Of the Prohibition
candidate.
Now, your "business man" who was
on good terms with his employees, was
political power to some extent. He
did not control, by virtue of the Aus
tralian ballot, the votes of the men
who worked in his establishment; but
if he was a snrewd man, and treated
his men right, he could swing good
many votes the way he wanted them.
what so easy as to have a quiet talk
with the men," showing them that the
prosperity of the business, the sue
cess Of the plant (the workmen's
bread and butter, dye see) depend
ed on the election of this or that set
of men? Was it done? Well, Well!
Certainly when "boss" was dis
liked he could not have swung a soli-
tary vote with hawser, but when
the men liked and respected him, they
could be and were Influenced by that
magic argument, nationally cele-
brated, locally vital, the full dinner
pail"
This argument could be used in any
old election, from alderman to presi-
dent. These big business men sell
dom personally held any interviews
with the small fry" politicians of the
ward. They had their representatives
to deal with the question, and when
fully identified with any particular
party, they were counted on to con-
tribute to the campaign fund. The
popular idea of money spent in polit-
ical warfare is that it goes for whisky
and to bribe voters. Comparatively
little goes for whisky to what it was
In the old days. and as for bribery,
what's the use of "bribing" a man to
vote, when he can take the money and
vote as he pleases, and no one be the
wiser as to how he voted?
The bulk Of the money in campaign
expenses goes for thoroughly canvass
ing the wards and getting all the vot-
| ing strength out; for sending out cir
culars and other campaign literature:
for hiring halls, and hack hire for ora
tors; for brass bands and torch-light
professions; for carriage hire to make
thorough canvass of the ward by the
candidates; for the precinct captains
on election day: for printing bills, and
divers other expenses. The money
that "goes over the bar" is what the
candidate himself puts up as a rule.
Now the business men contributed
their checks to see the men win
who they thought would be friendly
to them in a pinch: they selected their
party candidates when they could.
and am Of the opinion that the most
of the big men" wanted absolutely
trustworthy and reliable candidates
who would not he too ferociously stub
born about granting any little harm
less privilege They were bitterly
opposed to graft" of whatever party
they happened to belong to, but they
had their individual ideas of what
that baleful term meant.
For instance, suppose some highly
reputable merchant wanted to ele-
vate the sidewalk above his place of
business to facilitate the handling of
freight. Suppose such an elevation
practically "hogged" that part of the
! sidewalk, to the exclusion of the pass.
Ing pedestrians who demurred at
climbing up the elevated sidewalk
there to stumble over skids and
through piles of boxes and barrels
Was that any part of the public's busi.
ness? Pish, and also Fie! Nothing Is
so obnoxious as the average pedes.
trian. He is always getting tangled
up in electric cars, or cabs, or skids
or wheels, and having his plebeian
anatomy defaced or broken by getting
In the way Of progress"
! Then there was another type OF