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That was all right. If he had been elected, he couldn't have done any harm because the Democratic party was where he was. The Democratic party would have had something to say. Without those organized parties - the Democrats and the Republicans - this country would go crazy at times. We'd be like the French - always turning governments in and out and always having no stability. We'd have lots of trouble. It's much better this way. But you've got to keep your people with you between elections. That's what the party's about and that's why it's so useful to have them feel that their district leader or their Tamnany Hall leader can say a word to somebody and it will open the door to getting a job and a promotion.”

I remember saying, “But you know we have a civil service law. You can't appoint anybody that the leader from the West Side district tells me he'd like to see appointed. I can't do it.”

“Sure, you can't do it, but you can be polite to him and you can tell him you're sorry.”

“Is that going to be enough?” I said.

“Sure that's enough. If they know you recognize them that's prestige. Prestige is what they want and what they need to keep their people with them and to keep their people following them. The fact that they can sit down at the telephone and talk to you with their clients right there