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GOOD GOVERNMENT CLUBS.

CLUB.

SECRETARY.

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Club House, 722 Lexington Avenue.

Club House, 70 West 104th St.

Club Rooms (The Circle) 58th St. & 8th Ave.

Club Rooms, 56 West 33d St.
Club House, 145 East 18th St.
Club Rooms, 524 Hudson St.
Club Room, 252 West 42d St.

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Club Room, 359 West 32d St.

Club Room (temporary), 1809 Lexington Ave
Club Room, 1325 3d Ave.

Address, 319 East 86th St.

Address, 317 East 68th St.

Club Room, 179 East 93d St.

Club Room, 535 3d Ave.

Club Room, 215 West 125th St.

Club Room, 215 West 125th St.

Address, 8 Hampden St.

Address, 131 Bowery.

Address, 27 Pine Street.

O. CARL PFEIFFER,

Q.

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Address, 32 Nassau St.

Club Rooms, 240 Henry St.

Address, 26 Delancey St.

Address, 26 Clinton St.

Club of the Tenth Assembly District, CHARLES H. KELBY; Club Rooms, 9 St.

Mark's Place.

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UR German-American fellow-citizen is not an adept in "practical" politics. He lacks both the taste and the skill for running a primary or manipulating a caucus. The position of ward leader or district boss is neither coveted nor obtained by him. This is the rule, which, of course, has its exceptions.

The explanation for this fact lies in the difficulty of mastering the English language. It takes a long period of time before a German commands the English language sufficiently to participate in public debates, and only in rare cases and under exceptionally favorable circumstances will he succeed in swaying the minds of his fellow-citizens in district or mass meeting assembled. He is doomed to silence at the political council board. This runs counter to the most strongly developed trait in his character, his individual independence, and, in consequence thereof, his political discussions in the English language have been confined to his house, his shop, and his saloon.

Another, but secondary, explanation for this fact is the inclination of the German mind to theorize, to evolve or search for the principle of a phenomenon. He is inquisitive, not dogmatic. This prevents him from being a successful competitor in "practical" politics, but makes him a powerful factor in campaigns with great issues.

In all the principal political contests, the majority of the German-Americans have been mainly influenced by appeals printed or spoken in the German language. The German speaker has been in great demand by both political parties. He had to travel regularly the circuit of the villages, towns and cities having a large German population, the English language being deemed impotent to move the hearts and minds of our German-American fellow-citizens.

In New York City this circuit consists, and for the last thirty-five years has consisted, of all the Assembly districts, every one of them being the abode of a comparatively large number of German voters. The necessity of holding German district and mass meetings has, during the last thirty years, led in New York City to the maintenance of separate German political organizations, or at least the semblance of such. They have been subjected to the laws of all human institutions, to growth and decay, but in all the great political campaigns they have made themselves felt and have exerted their influence for the preservation of the Union, for the principles of good government, and for political progress

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