So, who's the boss?

A letter was slipped under my door on official Democratic Party stationary in 1980, introducing the new precinct captain who supported State Senator Howard Carroll for 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman.

Several days later, a letter on plain paper, signed by the current precinct captain, declared support for Alderman Bernard Stone for Committeeman.

Soon, another letter on party stationary appeared claiming that only the Party could select a precinct captain, that this person was the new captain, and that he was supporting Carroll.

They were arguing about who was the real precinct captain, not about who should be elected Committeeman.

They may have felt that voters had to know who the “official” precinct captain was, so those folks could be assured that person had the connections required to deliver the government services for which they were trading their votes.