His wife and four children were as average and insignificant as the wives and children of such men usually are.
Just the same, and in spite of, or perhaps, politically speaking, because of all this, George W.Stener was brought into temporary public notice by certain political methods which had existed in Philadelphia practically unmodified for the previous half hundred years.

First, because he was of the same political faith as the dominant local political party, he had become known to the local councilman and ward-leader of his ward as a faithful soul--one useful in the matter of drumming up votes.

And next--although absolutely without value as a speaker, for he had no ideas--you could send him from door to door, asking the grocer and the blacksmith and the butcher how he felt about things and he would make friends, and in the long run predict fairly accurately the probable vote.

Furthermore, you could dole him out a few platitudes and he would repeat them.

The Republican party, which was the new-born party then, but dominant in Philadelphia, needed your vote; it was necessary to keep the rascally Democrats out--he could scarcely have said why.