The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 12, 1902, Page 2

o Boss Buckley of Der And she says it ve, » Lady nently She s it every time vou ask her he question, Do women purify pol or are they bettered by the law suffrage in Colorado?” This question has neen asked by many in the last few years. the Lady Boss Buckley of Denv: answers “No!" and she gives her reasons, and ciearly. and to a cer ainty she ought to know, for she has more knowledge of and infiuence in things any other woman in the To-day o0—strongly city of Denver. She is perhaps the greatest political bess that Denver ever knew: she has the ways of Denver politics at her finger tip znd she holds a good plenty of Denver's the palm of Her hand. Her pro- her whole work is politics—still she says “No! votes in This little woman, or girl—for she ¥ abov vears old—says: “‘Women in politics: as a general no use there, they make 0 voters out of a family instead for they vote as the male mem- bers of the family advise, and they are wise In keeping the peace “Those who have not a family, so much the worse for them. The influence' that ds them is bad. If you are not a ou count for nothing, as the men no confidence in wvou, and ff they have no confidence in you, why, You get no position, that is all. If I could do as well ou politics I'd leave it right now o you see I am in it for what T can make So is woman 1 know except one You kmow that cannot be good for elther the women or the country. The whole thing is degrading and demoralizing, and is surrou: worker hsve every every dollar you receive you earn, and more, both morally and physically. Gen- uine hard work counts, but vour asso- clates are not always what you want, and a8 ¥ must use them you must also as- wociate with them to some extent. “It's true,” continued Miss Alma Bes- wick—for that is the name of the little bose—"“1 would vote for my party, or use my influence in its favor, because such are my principles even if I were not in politics, but if I could make the same amo of money at any other work, I would never be a worker in politics for another day. The average woman has not & political brain, and the only use men have for her is to get her to do the dirty work. Nine times out of ten she does it, 00, and recelves very little pay for it.” *You don’t mean that women do unfair work in politics as men do?” I exclaimed. *Oh, no! of course not,” she said, and there was a funny littie laugh in her eyes. ‘I don’t do anything unfair; I only work for my party with all the strength and ntelligence at my command, and 1 do my best to win: but there are many on the other side who do unfair and dirty work. For instance, you see that rooming- house over there? Well, we are watching it now: that woman who keeps it has ex- mctly seven legal voters in the house, #nd there are sixty-three men and women registered from there. That is only one of several hundred houses in this that women run and vote fllegally. ‘These are the reasons why I believe women should mot be in politics. The ation is too great, and the trend is downward. Now, good-by! Come and see me again,” said the boss, as a delegation of women—fat, thin and middle-weight; strong-minded, weak-minded and appar- ently no mind at all—came trooping into the headquarters, all demanding money for this expense or that, and all speaking ut the same time. I waited about for a while and had a word with the little boss sgain “What are they?” asked L “Workers,” said she. Just then anpother battalion swooped down on her, and I could hear the swish of their silk skirts and admire the well- tailored cut of their coats as they whis- pered to her in a corner. When they moved away I looked up, questioningly. Oh, they are office-seekers,” she re- plied. “Doctors, school superintendents, political clerks and the like, who are de- tirous of holding their positions or of get- cut ting better ones; but they won't get them: they are not workers, and they Gon’t count. That crowd over there’— yointing to the workers—"will be wearing the silk skirts next year. Come and see me again,” she said, as a body of slip- =hod men meandered upstairs to the head- cuarters, As I was telling my experience .to a ‘eteran mnewspaper man—an old San Franciscan—he sald: “Oh, ves; Alma is €1l right; could give cards and spades to tid Chris Buckley, God rest his =oul; but 1] you'll get of the inside workings from Alma is just some skim milk. I'll put you on to one of her lieutenants, who has ¥iven her the double cross, although Al- we haen't found it out yet. She has gone aver to the other side for a litt’e me money, but shé is under obligations fo 1 and I will sge t she zives you the in- side werkings of both parties.” He stepped to the phane, said-something, and in a short time a woman appeared in the office. He poke a few words to her in an undertone, theh-introduced -her and told her to *“‘put -me on‘the ‘nside track.” In appearance she was the opposite of . the lady boss. She was.as falas.Aimy is slight. Ny R Her stories were wonderful. If she had not taken me around and proven the'truth of her statements, and if the bribes bad not been offered me to vote: although [ stated plainly that I had been only a week in Denver, I could not have believed hem. Sald my informant: “Alma Bes- wick is the biggest crook of a polit'clan in Denver, or on earth, for that matter, | fully believe. Influence? Well, I rather think she has! That's how she hulds her job. She certainly delivers from: two to three thousand votes on ‘election day and this is how she does it: “‘She goes to the girls who work—tea ers, saleswomen, milliners, sewing giris waltresses, chambermalds, laundry we- men—she gives a few dollars to~the one who leads each crowd—and there is al- ways one—to bring in a bunch; to these she gives a dollar a vote, or $10 for all day; which means that they will start in under the care of a worker on the morn- ing of election day and drive from one precinct to another and vote different names and addresses at every one. So at the end of the day you can see what a number of votes the little boss is able to deliver when vou take into eonsidera- tion the fact that she has every lodging- house in town ‘stuffed.’ " “But how,” I asked, “is it possible for these women .to remember a new -name and address for every precinct? And how can they escape detection?” *“Oh, that is quite easy,” she said, “when you know how. Alma Beswick and- her workers first go to the saloon-keepers and lodging-house keepers and give them a list of names and- humbers of people ‘whom they are to register from each house: they pay them a sum agreed upon, then the workers register those names. On elec- tion morning, as the voters are driven from one precinct to another, they are handed a new slip of paper with a dif- ferent name and address typewritten, and all they have to do is study that while they are going along; they hand it back as they leave the carriage. After they have voted they return to the hack and receive another &lip, and so on during the day.” “The judges,” T =aid; "what are they doing? Are those women never chal- lenged?” “The judges!” she exclaimed contempt- uously. “Oh, they know their business. They are fixed. You see, whatever party is in power is allowed two judges, and as soon as the opposing party picks out Its judge some close friend who is a good worker approaches :him and finds out if he will stand in. ¢ “If he refuses he is given a chance to get sick at the last moment and receives the same pay, but if he still holds out he is ‘landed,” and then any old judge is put in his place.” ** ‘Laided’—what do you mean?” She answered: ‘“Well, I mean ‘jugged,’ ‘jailed’ for any offense—buying stofen goods, buying votes or any excuse at all will do: and thep the third judge is sure to be all right. See?” “But why, If these women are in poli- tics for the money, do they not sell to both parties and get all they can when they are so unscrupulous?” I asked. “They do that. They give the double cross whenever they are clever enough, but the other side is always looking out for that, and if a worker is caught every one that she brings .in 1s challenged, and Yyou see she is out of the race very early in the game. You wonder how the other side knows. Well, that's easy, and it's an old trick. Did you see that stack of blotters on the table? Well, when a “BOSS:BUCHQY WONDERFUR WOMAN POLITICIAN TRE GREATEST OF TREM. buneh belenging to any worker begins to vote the name of the party must be writ- ten‘on the ticket. A heavy stub pen fs used. ‘The blotter is applied #nd enough imprint is left for the watchful eve of the judge to detect. A sign Is given at once snd’ the bunch is challenged or let pass, as the case may be. The sign this vear is to ‘throw the hand up caretessl to push the bair back or knock off & fly— that is, If everything i all right. If the woters are double-crossing the hand drops to the pocket and then the dance begins. They -are arrested for repeating and re ceive a free ride to the jail. “Now,” she continued, “there is Mrs. Bell; that old lady there. Well, she. bas just eleven voters in her’ house, apd to save her soul she cannot get three 5t them to vote anything but the opposition ticket, . although she has taken twenty- five dollars from Alma Beswick's work- ers, and there are sixty-four voters reg- istered from her place. Bhe's a proper enough member of Alma's party at heart, but she cannot deliver the goods; so what do you think she does? Well, she consults Alma and goes back to the opposition boss and offers to dcliver the whole bunch for thirty-five dollars. The opposition boss jumps at the chance. You see she has not had the proper training yet, nor has she Alma's head, so off marches Mrs. Bell with her sixty-four voters. On election day she votes her three heretics first and the =ignal haud of the judge drops into his pocket. As the fourth vote is east, however, the sig- nal hand brushes back his hair. The bunch passes, and now she has made sixty dollars for one day's work. “‘Are there many of these lodging-house women who work that way?” I asked “Many,” she exclaimed. “All of them, every one, Alma herself will vote a bunch of forty from that house that she has charge of while her friend-is away. I know every one in that house, and they are real nice people, but there are only three sure enough votes there. Every one in S8an Franciseco and Manlia remembers the stand taken by Dr. Rose Kidd-Beere of Denver in the food question during the misunderstanding with Spain. This lady is no less energetic in politics here to-day than she was when charging on the Presidio officers for the embalmed beet. 5 The divided skirts are llke those she wore then. Of course I was anxious to see her at close range, and I did. Bhe is just as active and as strong as in the old days, and a stranger would think that she had tremendous power in politics, but my guide gave me the following answer when I inquired into the case; ALMA BESWICK THE SUNDAY CALL. 24 o | Jenver WHO EQUALS Wh'ai/She Has to Say Rbolt Hgrself and the Voting in Kzr ity and What Some of the Others Have o Sab About Her. “She a ‘power in politics! She get an of- fice! Why, she stands about as much chance for ar office’as I do for Prcsident. this year. Oh, yes: she turns in a littie bunch ‘of old hens from the clubs, that don’t know they are alive; and she never turns them in but once. No, she don't count. Now there goes Miss Radcliff,” as a natty young woman in a tailor suit passed‘in. “‘Bhe's a good worker for Al- ma, brings in a great number of strag< glers, and repeats to beat the band; was arrested for it, but that don't count. She. wants to be matron of the jail, and she'll get it sure. And there's Mrs. Frenkle” —as a stately woman stepped up to whis-’ per with the boss—‘‘she wants to be police matron, and ske ought to get it, for she has four childrén and a paralyzed hus- band,‘and she's a worker from way back; why she las almost as many dead ones on the list as Alma herself.” “Dead ones; what do you mean?" “Oh. you know; the ones that are res- istered, but never were alive. Bay, but you should see her swipe box after box of cigars from the backs of the buggies that the opposition had for their gans. then go among her owmcrowd and divide them up. Oh, she's a worker, all right,” concluded my informant with admiration. “I have been up to the Brown Palace where a club meets every afternoon: it's always packed with handsomely dressed ladies. who talk very cleverly; thers are Miss Meredith, Mre. Stansberry and a number of others, who are at the head of the club; and Mrs, Clark and Mrs. Brad- ford of the Woman's Club and a hundred others, who are both intelligent and earn- est; surely,” said I, “they must have a good influence and do good work."” ‘‘Oh, sure; those ladies of the dress par- ade who put in thelr time throwing bou- quets at themselves and fixing up have lots of influence on one vote—their own— and perhaps another, if they happen to have a friend from the East who is out here for her lungs, but that's all. They are bright ladies and talk well, but they are not grafters, and it's the graft that counts. They couldn’t have a fellow ap- pointed to keep the flies off them; and they never vote to elect any woman, any- way; they cast their vote to defeat her every time.: Jealous? Oh, my!” “How de.you know?" I asked. “‘Oh, you forget the blotters,” she re- plied, ““and the judge who dives his hand into his pocket. “Look! There now is Miss Emma M. Herey,” she went on, as a bright, stylish young woman buttonholed the little boss. “She wants to be elected Superintendent of Schools. She ‘belongs to half a dozen or more clubs, but she knows better than to expect a baker's dozen of their votes, although she has done everything that is straight and clean for the party. She knows enough to come here to the work- ers when she wants to be elected, and I elieve she will. She is a power in a stralght way, all by herself.” “The opposition women; how do they work and who are they?” 1 asked, for so far the talk was all of Alma’'s party. ‘“Well, now, there is Mrs. Abbott; she does good work with the Grand Army; and Mrs. Howard takes well with the C. T. U., and several others have a little influenc but not much. Among the workers, she continued, ‘“are Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Maxey.and myself; - there are many others, ‘'who are not = well trained yet, but if You are here next year you'll see fun, I'l show them a thing or two." “‘But you seem to be working for Alma's party,” I said. “'Oh, yes, ‘seem,’ " sheyreplied, “‘but the day after election they'll know bettar, when | will bave turned over abhout fifty Louscs that they think are stacked for them: then théy'll know.” ‘“Why do you not come out and declare yourself? I am sure your work would be “And show my hand before I'm flush, and let Alma Beeswax—that's what we call her on the siy—have me thrown into the cooler for repeating, or any old ‘thing before I.could deliver one bunch? Well, not on your tintype! Oh, you'd never make a pol, you'd better keep out,” she advised. ‘“‘But next election, if I don't melt beeswax and throw in enough dough to keep her from sticking, then my eyes are not black. See? Look at that long white building down .there. Well, I'll turn in a hundred and ninetean votes, all dead ones but eleven, on election morm- ing. .I'm supposed to be just watcm.na them and stacking up that house. but that's where I'll sleep the night beffre election, for if Alma got a whiff of ~ths layout I'd spend the next day in jail, and she smells out about everything, it seems to me."” “Who is. that person in the carriage at the drugstore?” 1 inquired, as I saw a female with a complexion like cross- grained, antique oak, a canary-colored wig, an ermine cap. a sealskin coat and many large diamonds flashing on her hands and at her withered neck. “That old hippopotamus! Oh. she's something Noah threw out of “the ark and Darwin dug up, thinking it was the missing lnk: that's old Madam Lovejoy, the ugliest woman in Denver," and at this my guide laughed immoderately. “You should have seen her last election; she thought she was a great stateswoman until then; Alma's boys had been to see her, again and again, to have her throw her. influence—and she has lots of it—but it was no use. No, indeed; her girls were no trash, and they would vote the oppo- sition ticket. Neither money nor prom- ises could change her. She had a pull— the best in the city—and her crowd would vota as she pleased. The boys were at their wite' end, when they came for ad- vice to Alma. oh. that's easy.’ she sajd. “When the fages drive up In the morning to take them to the polls have a few patrol wagons there and start to load them in: they'll take the carriages all right, and you'll save that much, for the party has paid for them.' Sure enough they did. Alma has a head and no mistake.” WVhat have you against Miss Bes- k2" 1 asked. *You do admire her, I see:” “Oh, nothing,” she sald. “Alma’s clever: she has brains; she makes money. But I'am just as clever, just as ambitious and a° whole lot better looking, and there is no reason why. I should not make the money, teo: so as.there cannot be two bosscs in one party I've gone over to the other, They are lots more high-toned, anyway, angd there’s no telling where a brainy, good-looking woman may land,” and she flashed a satisfied glance from her prominent black eyes. “You wanted to know how the society women and their daughters vote, eh? Well, go down to the store and hand the fluffy, tow-headed girl this card and she’ll tell you all about it.\ .Now. good-by. Let politics alone, they're not for you; you're not butit that way, I guess.” *'1 guess it's so, top,” and we agreed perfectly. She waved her hand, i “I'll see you electien morning. didn’t. though: but:that's another I looked over the big store for fluffy, tow-headed girl.” Finding her, I handed her the ¢ard, feeling a little fool- ish, for there weré only ‘three straight liges on it. But to my relief she said: “That's all right;, 'strictly confidential: [ understand.. Now what does " Chubby want?" “She wants you to tell me How the so- ciety ladies and their daughters vote.” “Stoop. over - and examine these goods that T am selfing.” I did so, and she cen- tinued: *“Well, they don't vote, at least we girls do the voting for them. We get up early in the morning, take a_ carriage and the names and ad- dresses on a slip of paper: we dress up real quiet and nice and have a few roses in our hands; we get out of the carriage \ - a block oft and come in different direc- tions to the polls; we cast our votes and drive around Capitol Hill to another poll- ing place; cast another vote and go on. Sometimes, if we want to vote for the mother. we put on a brown wig. a little tan powder, a cape, and there you are. In the afternoon when the society maid or matron comes along to do her voting, as she will if there happens to be any real swell on the ticket, she finds that, she has voted aiready and she only gets the laugh.” And the chief workings of this immense system of the making of votes are planned, controlled. carried out by the Lady Boss Buckley of Denver. She is as plain and unostentatious a 1 as you could find on American soil; she is the most interesting woman in Den- ver to-day, so the men wili tell you, with a tone of admiration in their voices and an exclamation or two thrown in such as: “By jove, she’s a stunner!” “A brick!"” “A good one!” The women, too, admire her, but in a different way, according to thelr vocabulary. One will say: “Oh, yes, in- extremely clever, but most un- or “She’s very successful, again, “Yes, she's a clever but”—or enough poll, but she's no good. See The voice of admiration, envy, pity of jealousy—and they're all heard in the foregoing phrases—make not the slighte est difference to Miss Alma Beswick, County Investigator, for that is her trade when she is not doing politics. . She sim- ply goes about her work systematically, coolly and practically. like any general putting his troops through their best paces in anticipation of a display. And ker followers ébey her as implic as it she were really their general. Her con- trol over a large class is absolute; they vote according to her dictates, no matter what theft former politics have been Her influence extends to all the working classes and many of the professional classes, such as school teachers, doctors, lawyers and clerks who want to better their political positions; thelr vote, or a large part of it, is at the command of the little boss. Her power reaches over a large army o1 working girls who are poorly paid and to whom a few dollars are a luxury, who care not a snap about politics, anyway: who have not an hour in a month to think of anything but holding their poor- iy pald jobs' and listening for the bell that wakens them at 5 in the morning. 1f you speak of her influence to the ladics end gentlemen who ride around in their handsome carriages they smile con- temptuously at the very idea, and never dream for a moment what a terrible power this slight little woman wields aver the very laws that govern them. Yet that 'she Is a' tremendous factor in mak- ing ‘thése laws no ome who studies the situation can deny, and she is honest in her belief that laws she assists in mak- ing are for the bstterment of the many, “Oh, yes; they cry fraud,” she said to me when I met her next day, and her deep, humorous, dark gray eyes smiled mischievously, “Fraud, indeed. Why, [ succeed where they do not; that's the only fraud that I perpetrate; both parties work just alike. How do I do it? Well, I work, work, work all the time and I keep my word. fulfill that promise; that is all: men can rely on me and the wom but the women are harder to co they talk of fraud. Why, If I promise anything ¥ so tha at this very moment they have bought my leu- tenant whom I have been training for four years—you know, the fat one that was talking to you yesterday—they expect her to deliver haif my followers on elec- tion day. Well, she won't do it,” and the gray eyes laughed again. ““Will you put her in jail?” I asked. “Oh, no; she’s a good sort, when you know how to handle her, but in politics Y¥ou must never get so friendly that you cannot turn one down and never get so angry that you cannot call them back when you want them. No, she Is a good worker, but she talks too much, and lately she's got the big head. She won't vote this time and she won't deliver a single bunch, and I won't put her in jail either. Pass by that long white house in the morning and you'll understand why. Oh, we have many good politiclans in our or- ganization. Now, good-by until election day and when you see Chubby again she'll be able to wear a smaller hat.” I could arrive at no conclusion that night as to why Chubby shouldn't veote, and 1 hastened downtown early next morning, wondering how I should know. As I turned the corner there was the flag THERE SOES HisD RADCLAPE,~ SHE \WAMTS Yo BE MATROM oF TRE JAaLL 7 1 TOUND THR FLUFFY Tow= WEADED SRl AMD HWANDED MER THE SARD. of Alma's party floating from the em» trance to the house where Chubdy wag to spend the night before election. I realized why Alma Beswick is thy Lady Boss Buckley of Denver,