, 1877-10-30

who have rnnked uut1cr TINT name have mt
commended themselves to pubiic favor.
There have been striking instances Of the
boss kind Of government Tho ntlminiatrn-
ton OF Boss TWEED In New York ni,d loss
SnEPuEnp Mt Washington City havo bccome
historical. In both cases the experience Inns
been costly in q pecuniary sense and 1iemor-
alizing in MI wayn. Philadelphia, 1]rook-
lyn, md Buffalo, st. Lof,is and Cincinnati.
have had their political Bosses, aud the rec
ord they havo left is painful one. Chicago,
nlso, hns never becu without Boss. Tie
Boss generally rules the party in majority,
and has Ills allics in tho minority. l1o tlc-
tates who sla1l be nominated antl WHO elect.
cd, and distributes tho Offices. Ills function
ia to rifle, md Invariably l,e ia.corr,1pt, not
always to the extent Of committing intlicta-
bio ofrenses, but in tho why Of organizing
for the thorough plumber OF to public. It
in surprising low docilo tho party becomes
In tho hands Of Boss, especially wl,on tue
loss can render SUCCESS or 1efcnt certain, as
It 1nny DO his interest nj tho time. Every
man vino holds of1ico, or Ia a candidate for
office, stands with uncovered head In tho
presence of tho Boss. Political prefermcnt,
tho opportunity 10 p1nndcr, md the privilege
OF being dishonest at the public expense, aro
portions Of tho patronage III tho gift OF n
Boss. OF course, tho nun holding sneh
placo does not starve. Acting on the prin-
ciplo thai Providence helps those who help
themselves, ho helps himself so ill.,
orally that Providence las but lit
t1o to do In his Case. Sooner or
later, however,, tho uoss is dcposcd.
It is not iu human nature to possess
such powers, md ,lse them without in tho
cnl producing rebellion. Even TWEED nnl
SHEPHERD wero lothroncd. No party has
escaped Boss rule. Tho Republican purity in
Chicago has passed. severely under tho rod.
There have been several Bossea. For .imo
CoLyS was Boss in Office, mud his rul,
brought Dosslsn into dsrcpuIe. Tho Ropub-
lcan party has long aiuce cut loose from
uoss rule, and. in city and county affairs, In
lree from dictation, and froo from tho obliga.
ton Of carrying any iniquity; and, though
deprived Of the questionable advantages Of
the corrupt agoncea which loss can bring
to It's mid, Is MI the stronger because Of Its
freedom from Huch m association.
The boss in politics Just now Is will, tho
Democratic party. The nan Lien III the
dictator. 1fe hns the advantage Of bcing in
office. Tho average political convention in
Chicago has 200 delegates. Lien 1ns 21n
clerks on hts payroll, and can furnish ma-
| iority OF the delegates for any convention
Of any party. 1[o seut his deputies ns DEL
cgates to tho Industrial Workingmen's Con-
vcntion and Ind himself aud LYNCH nom-
limited be then sent some Of the same DEL
cgatcs nnd others into tho Democratic Con-
vention aud had himself md LYNCH uom-
mated thoro. Had thero beon my othur
conventions he would hive dotallcA enough
Of bis clerks as delegates to have controlled
them oil. Tho county Inns 10 pay these
clerks s. day to run conventions and
work politics for tho q Boss" Tho cost to
the county In over $500 day to pay L1kn's
bnmmers for working city wards, drilling
and organizing tho repeaters ant1 tho ballot
box stuifers How many Of L1ED;s clerks hayo
bean detailed a. Judges and clcrks Of election
wo cannot say at prosons, but, as he is MI
limited In the number OF deputies he may
| employ. wo suppose ho can detail enough to
manipulate tho roturna Of oyery precinct,
where improper manipulation la possible.
Never before In tue history Of noas rule iu
Chicago Inns the Boss enjoyed the position
when all tho election rcturns had to bo .na.lu
| to him personally. Boss TWEED used to in.
struct tho election Judges what figures to
sond up: but all The election ret1lrns In n
Chicago election have 10 10 sent to Doss LIEN,
who, wheu he Ia ready and the law requires
1t, will canvass tue Board and report who iH
elected. Not only will Boss L,Eu perform
this duty at this election, hHt ii reelected he
will hayo tint duty 10 perform uext year at
tho Congressional and Legislative elections,
and threo years later at the general election
for President, State officers, Congress, Legis-
lature, aud county ofliccs. lie IL not uuIy
a candidate Tor reelection AZ County
Clerk, but also for reelection as loss. The
man who counts the votes is the big n,an at
Nil election, and tho ulan who holds that Of
tce can defy opposition o. l,oxs. II disposed
to be even moderately obllus In his vision,
he eau elect whoever he lt|easos AZ County
Commissioner. No psrson, In facs, can he
elected County Commissioner, or to any 9TH
or Office, this fall unless he can get Ltxu u
certificate. A corrupt man In the office OF
County Clerk eau always control the ,ueln-
bership AZ well ~ tho members of tho Couu-
" uoarl. 4 man who can appoint aud
pay at tho public expense 235 deputies, call
as we'll appoint G0o OF l,uD; aud such a
mau, clothed with thu powers OF official cat-
yasser OF all the election returns, u!ay exer-
ciss control such aa tho most aspiring 1osa
who over ruled iu Chicago Aas never as-
tempted.
Tha County Clerk had q payroll in Sep.
tember OF &l., 500. Or at the rato Of Sl6U,lAx]
yeas. Tho bulk OF that money is cxpendctl
for efectioneering purposes. The "uoss
blsesls frecly--out OF the public purse. II
requires man Of nerve to do this, aiad uoss
LEs has all Tho nerve required for such u
purpose. II Boss L1Es were gentleman, 0,
mau Of education, or q u,au Of ordinary
fair principles and coumon dccoucy, what.
I