Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-27
POLITICAL BOSSISM.

It takes man of more than or
binary mental capacity to make a
successful political boss. A "boss
is one who dictates the course of his
party in his baiiwick. II he is in
Congress, he undertakes to say, not
only who shall hold the Federal
offices in his dis riot, but also the
State, county, and even municipal
officers. Tt is no uncommon thing to
hear men of that class declare that
Smith shall not be elected sheriff
again, or that Jones shall not have
the nomination for. q county clerk
ship, or that Brown must not be
constable and so on through
the list. The only thing worth
living for, in the estimation
of the average "boss,' is to be able
to control offices.
When one of this class becomes a
candidate for Congress, or for a seat
in the Senate, he makes as many
men as possible believe that if elect
ed they shall have an office. He is
profuse in his promises and promis
cuous. He promises places to Tom,
Dick and Harry. and makes them be-
lieve that their success depends
alone on his own He appeals to
mems cupidity in this way and makes
them his allies. Publicly he tells
the dear people what be is going to
do for them, hut privately he whis.
pers in the ears of local managers
and wire-pullers what they
may expect, if they will only take off
their coats, roll up their sleeves and
| go in for him. Publicly he is for the
"dear people, but after all, it is only
the offices. This has been carried to
such an extent that dispensing Fed
eral patronage has come to be looked
upon, by many, as the chef business
of a Representative in Congress-
And it has gone so far that weak and
unscrupulous men, knowing that THU
is the handspring of the machine
which is to give them success, in
du]ge in promises to everybody
who asks them, without tn,
power or the inclination to perform
. their promises. They do not hes
tate, to either directly or indirectly
promise the same Office to a hal
dozen men.
It is this demoralizing tendency
in our politics that President Gar
field intended to check. He doe
not mean to say that he will not con
suit Senators and Il representatives.
3 but he does meau to say that Others
t of equal intelligence, equally reliabl
t and equally interested shall also b
3 heard. He does not mean that
: member of Congress shall be a auto
: GRAFT in dispensing Federal patronage
3 but that he shall exercise tn
l rights and privileges conferred
2 upon him by the Constitution
5 Every far minded thinking NAL
!, must see that the President is RICH,
D It is not right that men should pei
: petuate themselve in Office by usinI
r public patronage in such way as t
8 reward their friends and satellite
v and to punish those who have to
It much independence to bow tue kne
t in order that thrift may follow fawr
: ing. -... ...
Our Representatives and Senator
in Congress should be left free t
is give their time to questions of publ
e Importance, in which all the peopl
d are interested. Political "bosses
: are not Objectionable, provided tina
is it is bossism of brains. Tha
i would be all right, but it is tim
e that small-minded tyrants, VIII
y strut before the people clothe
N with a little brief authority, read
1T to crush any and every one who fai
% to recognize their assumed grea
Y ness, were taught lesson, and
of President Garfield lives he will q
lg it. The country is ripe for IL
t. policy already foreshadowed by Il
Of President, and if he lives to carry
le, out, his administration will be in
a mensely popular with the people
er not with the politicians. He propoS
in that bosses shall understand b
ng position
ul A Herdic coach Was seen at the Sou
4 | han fh nd n