, 1876-03-26

The curse Of American politics, and conse-
quently of American Governments, is the
fact that politics are worked by machinery.
Livery s' s'favorite son" has machine work.
4hg in his exclusive interest. Every State
has its machines, worked by its aspiring
statesmen, aud every Congressional District,
every city and county, and every ward, has
its politics worked by q machine. Tho
Nation gives graphic and interesting his
tory of how the politics Of the recent State
Convention in the State Of New York were
operated by the Cosn1sa machine" Mr.
CoSK1Na has been Senator of the United
States for some years. He is gentleman Of
moderate abilities, but of immense conceit.
During his public service he has never risen
above the status Of mere politician, devoting
his time and abilities to the manipu1ations Of
local politics rather than TO any measures of
craftsmanship. Of course be has aspirations
for the Presidency, and, as means to that
end, has sat up in the State of New York q
"1nachine to operate the politics of that
State. The Union League of New York City,
representing the great mass Of the voters of
that metropolis, recently adopted series Of
resolutions urging that the State Convention
be composed Of delegates having higher aims
than the mere glorifcation of any one man !;
opposing tho practice of "pledging" the
delegates to the National Convention to the
support of any particular candidates; and
generally denying the binding obligation Of
the action Of convention controlled by "an
organized machinery of ofice-holders."
Tint their resolutions expressed the santi-
ments Of the great mass Of the Republicans
Of the State of New York, and especially of
the city, there is no doubt They ware in
dorsed BY all the Republican papers, repre-
sent:ng all divisions of opinion in the party.
But the power of the machine was soon ex-
hibited. The ofice-holde1s at once went to
work, and in ten days every Assembly Dis
trict in the City Of New York had elected
delegates to tho State Convention, and every
single ono OF them was pledged to nominate
Roscoe CoSHSo for President" The cleo
ton of an unanlmous delegation in favor Of
CoSK1Ha in city where he had no strength
but illustrates the power Of the machine !"
in politics. The Nation says,
Mr.. Cosk1uos SUCCESS It the present moment IL
the best posaibe illustration Of tho working Of the
syste for the yery CT his utter WAIT Of rea:
me17s u = candidate. II he wero in my way dis-
tlngutshed able .nau, there might be Ec1re DOUBT
about the true explanation Of his politics. But
be Ia not He has, h1R appearance IN Congress,
done nothing that hts fends can bring forward,
except make ! number Of windy speeches. containing
no thought suggestion Of thought on soy subject
Of 1nterees to my human being. There Ii profes-
s,op trade calling outside Of politics this country
which hts manner Of performing htu duties would
not IN a months time brought him into general
dlsc7edit and in danger Of losing his livelihood. His
IL, therefore, only attributable to cause-
tbs machine He has for elgbt years been devot
ing his whole tina malng tho 6uo less,
oicehodefa in this State his retalusrs aad he has
succeeded lie has removed and appointed, punished
and aGscsaed, and encouraged and repr1mAaded until
they Ill fee and feel nightly, that the Government
which employs them II that Of ths United Sates
but Combines Government They md that the herd
Of yoters outslds 90 voting Tbs " Boss'" ticket,
vhtla ,ps,ds ths Boss n1es tbs names On It him
self.
The "machine which accomplished this
result in New York was operated by Messrs.
A. B. CORNELL, BLISS, and SHARPE, with their
unde1strappers in the Federal Offices, each
holding his plsos at the pleasure Of Mr..
Rasooz Coa11na, Unttsd States Senator.