The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-08-06

4 Oulteu 0tates- Inc country has been
so cursed with bossism for the last
forty years that an interegnum, let il
be never so short, is welcome rest.
Conkling is the last, but by no means
the first, of the political bosses. Many
years since Thurlow Weed was poll.
tical boss in New York, and when
Seward was governor of the State,
Weed was ''power behind the throne
that was greater than the throne
Then there was Tweed, better known
as Boss Tweed who ruled The city
of New York, and not only ruled but
robbed the people Of millions of dol
lars, and made his family and favorite
friends rich at the city's expense. Then
follows Cameron, of PENNSYLVANIA, and
Morton, of Indiana, who were political
bosses, though not robbers and thieves
like unto Tweed, yet whatever they
asked the President for, they got it
without gainsaying; and a great part
of the ignoring and suffering, con-
tnmely and disgrace heaped upon the
South can be easily traced to these
two bosses. We will not pretend to
give list of political bosses as they
came upon the political stage, but
notice only those that have been most
conspicuous.
We add to this list one whose reign
was short, but very strongly marked.
We allude TO Ben Butler. From being
Democrat and delegate to the
Charleston convention in 1860, and
there supporting Breckenridge for
presidential nominee, he turned COM
plete somersault and landed on his
feet in the Republican camp, became a
mayor general, got whipped in every
fight, and that he might be saved from
military disgrace, was made military
governor Of New Orleans after Farra-
gut had taken the city. His record,
while in command of the city, is so
well known that it is not necessary to
describe it. Then there was Powell
Clayton, who left Delaware county,
Pa, for cause not assigned, came West,
was what was called a border ruffian
in Missouri during the Kansas troubles;
afterward became hot Union man
and anti-slayery advocate; received
commission ms colonel of a regiment
of troops; marched into Arkansas;
whipped old granny Holmes at Helena;
remained in the State; was elected
governor by the negro vote, and be-
came one of the most unfecling tyrants
that ever disgraced gubernatorial
chair. lie was political boss of the
State, and ruled with an iron hand,
and after getting State legislature to
suit him, was candidate for United
States senator, and was elected. But
We can come nearer home and find
men who were, but thank heaven are
not now, political bosses.
There is J. Mad Wells, Anderson
Flanagan, Yarmouth and kellogg.
These were all bosses in their day, and
the most of them were none too hon
est, as the public debt of the State will |
show. These were all political bosses
who did as they saw fit, and no redress
could be had, for it is folly to 'sue
the Devip when court sits in lades.
Now few words in relation to the
greatest boss of all. Conklng first
came to the surface frecsoiler, and |
was elected to congress OIL that ticket,
and after repeated reflections as al
Republican, he became leader in the
house of representatives. Afterward |
he was elected to the United States
senate, and on taking his seat as sena-
tor, was at once recognized as leader
of the Republican side. Then his
arogancy began to display itself. His
former opposition to johnson made
him favorite with Grant; anything
that lac wanted was granted without a
word; any man that he wanted to fill
certain place was at once appointed to
it. This spoiled him. When Hayes
tried to be president, Conkling at once
declared war against him, and Hayes,
not having much backbone, succumbed
to the pressure and let Conkling be
president de .jssre.
When Garfield became president,
contrary to the wishes of Conkling, he
(Conkling) tried the same tactics he
did on Hayes, but Garfield had too
much backbone for him, and he saw
that defeat awaited him, so he resigned
his seat, went before his own State
expecting to be returned
immediately. But, alas! for him, his
own State was tired Of him, and he
was defeated. Where now are all
those bosses? Echo answers, where
Weed is lowering on the verge Of the
grave. Tweed died branded swim
dler under sentence for crime; Morton
is dead; Cameron layed on the shelf,
almost forgotten; Butler cannot be
elected to any office in his own State;
Clayton and Kellogg are still in the
United States senate, their seats pro-
cured by fraud, and soon as the time
expires they will retire to obscure pri-
yate life. Yarmouth has become al
planter op his ill-gotten gains, Wells,
Flanagan and Anderson are only re-
as those that were. Conk-l
ling is politically dead, and SO ends
we hope, political bosses.
NERirUs.
New Orleans Democrat: Since
the opening of the trotting cam
paign of 1881 forty-nine horses