214 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
at the hospital into voting the Republican ticket. The superintendent of the hospital, by arts familiar to political "heelers," was to be browbeaten, nagged, and worried and insulted until his sense of self-respect should com- pel him to resign; with him would also go the steward, his appointee. The board would then put in as superintendent a country doctor, already selected, who had no more qualifications for the position than any other crossroads doctor ; he would be merely a manikin ; he would appoint a steward, also already selected, who would make purchases in those mysterious ways unknown to outsiders, but perfectly familiar to political thieves of every grade ; and commissions, small but frequently recurring, would be the order of the day. "Tips" would be privately conveyed to dealers in groceries, provisions, clothing, etc., and those too honest to take such hints would find very soon that their goods were not wanted at any price. Now, all this I find to have been the subject of conversation among those quiet men, silent listeners, but quick to learn, who in every party are always keeping them- selves well informed of the "true inwardness " of affairs.
Of course, such things could never be established by any evidence admissible only in a court at law, but it is none the less tangible and well founded.
The local sentiment regarding all this sort of proceeding is, with the better part of the community, wholly opposed to it at every stage, for these machine men obtain their most numerous supporters among the corrupt classes, the vicious and saloon element, and all others of the degraded sort, with no conscience and no sense of responsibility as citizens. The Republi- cans in county, for instance, are in revolt against their machine, and its
power is likely to be overthrown in the next campaign. I need not say, for you will readily infer it as true, that the county bosses are always in close affiliation and in cordial cooperation with the two head bosses in New York, Croker and Piatt
From a private individual, May 2, 1898 :
The almshouse is the, only institution that I have any positive
knowledge of. All 1 can say of this institution is that each keeper, oa entering office, removes such of the attendants and superintendents of departments as he may wish to, and gives the places to relatives and friends. Further than this I am unable to make a statement. I suppose this is one of the desirable attainments of this office. As to whether these removals and new appointments are detrimental to county interests, I cannot say. One keeper who, a few years ago, was in office as superintendent, had his wife as matron (which was quite proper), two sons had good-paying positions, daughter was superintendent of sewing department, son-in-law house physi- cian, other relatives having good-paying positions. When time came for reelection, a superintendent of road work was boarded, with a number of his assistants, at the expense of the county (the object, to secure political
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