How an Official's Work is Judged. 
227 
the business is done. Yet even their opportunities of intelli¬ 
gent judgment are limited. If their own particular affairs are 
attended to courteously, promptly and skillfully, they will be 
satisfied, no matter what becomes of business with which they 
have no direct concern. But it may be a fair inference that, ir 
the business of one person is dispatched satisfactorily, the same 
will hold good as to other persons’ affairs. On the other hand, 
it should not be forgotten that very often the interests of the 
persons having continuous business dealings with municipal 
departments are directly opposed to the interests of the city of 
the people. They will, therefore, in such cases, be satisfied 
with the work of an official in the exact degree in which he 
neglects his duty. For this reason he will make enemies of 
such men if his work is good, and friends if he does poor work. 
The generality of the voters, being unacquainted with the man¬ 
ner in which the duties of the office have been performed, are 
very apt to adopt the judgment of these few interested persons, 
whom thejr conceive to be competent to judge. Moreover, these 
persons, having a direct and strong personal interest in the 
matter, are usually very active either in support of their friend 
or opposition to their enemy, while the body of voters, who 
have no interest but of that mild and generally ineffective 
sort which every citizen has in good government, are indif¬ 
ferent and consequently powerless. Thus it very often happens 
that a conscientious and skillful official fails of re-election, while 
a corrupt or incompetent man gains additional popularity and 
an increased majority. 
Besides the small number of persons who have a measure of 
opportunity of learning the manner in which business is done, 
through having constant dealings with the department, there is 
a larger number who come into contact with the official only 
occasionally. The opportunities of these persons for judging 
are evidently smaller than those of the first class, but on the 
other hand such people are not so likely to have interests ad¬ 
verse to those of the city. They are apt to base their judgment 
upon the impression received at their rare interviews with the 
official. If that person has an affable, courteous manner; if he 
shows a willingness to listen to complaints, crude and unintelli- 
