West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-06-02

"" DON, says lbe New 1ofk
IT'0u'ae, wac very well stated by a
prominent Republican 10 a recent
interview. The former owed his
success, this gentlemen said, to the
TACT that he took paine to end out
what the people wanted and then
did Vt himself The way of the
present BOSS" is to lay no heed to
what the people want, but ride
straight over them. The difference
IN their methods is &C plain as the
difference in their ends. Old SIMON
was silky and suave, persuading the
people that he was their humble ser.
want, though all the time there was
the iron hand under the glove, the
hard, self-seeking politician under
the velvet, The young man his son
; and successor is brusque, arrogant
and obstinate; instead of taking
pains to conciliate the goodwill and
esteem OF his party, he seems rather
to make an effort to show his con-
tempt for the mass Of them and os-
tentatiously override their wishes.
The "bossism" which has aroused the
Pennsylvania Republicans to revolt
Is oil precisely the same character as
that which so long afflicted the Re-
publicans OF New York, controlling
them for many years under tb q
threat that it would ruin if it were
not permitted to rule the party.
Senator DON CAMERON is the very
twin OF His ex- Magnifcence, the
lately depoaed Primate and Boss
OF the Republican Party Of New
York. The Pennsylvania Senat or
is not, OF course. so lofty and i'm
presive parsonage as bis twin, but
his view Of lis own personal rela-
tons to politics and the people and
the duty OF the people toward him
self are the same, and the methods
Of the two do not differ.
And both Of these greet men
have been trying for the past four
or five years to run the Republican
Party-each in HE respective State,
and both in the Nation-in accor-
dance with the notion that their
Will is law, their preference the par.
tvs choice, that their policy must
be adopted and their candidates
nominated no matter who or how
many in the psrty are opposed. 1t
made no difference with our BOSS"
whom the people wanted or did not
want for President in 1880. He
wanted GRANT. He ordered bis
State Convention tc register his de-
cree and send delegates to the Ma
tlonal Convention accordingly.
When the crowd in the galleries of
the Convention in his own town OF
Utica expressed their Interpretation
oil his dictatoria! airs. he expressed l. 8
line scorn for the populace by mouth
ing with me!odramatic tone and GEES
ture, "Tbe shadows murmur when
the deeps are dumb" and little
later manifested bis contempt for
public opinion in the demand that
the chosen delegates should disre.
gard the will Of the constituents who
appointed them and consent to re-
cord their votes for the candidate Of
his choice. There was no at
tempt in this to find out
tie wishes Of the people; none even
to lead them to particular course.
1t was simply the exercise of dull
stupid brute force to ride over them
as though they were not of the slight.
est consequence. Notwithstanding
the obvious fact that the Republi.
cans OF there two States were over
whelmingly opposed to the third
term scheme, the two Bosses" Of
New York and Pennsylvania CAIN
ly assumed the right to disregard
them and set up their own will in
stead. The brazen assurance with
which DON CAMERON claimed the
power as Chairman Of the National
Committee to virtually decide the
character Of the National Conve en- ton
is fresh in the public memory.
These two men are political twins.
Their governing idea 10 that the
leaders Of a party are ali in all. and
the people are OF no use except to
vote as directed. They represent the
"bossism" Of the most offensive form
OF personal politics, the sort which
flourished and grew rank in GRANT s
second torn. But this form Of it is
never long-lived. sINoA CAMERoN's
way was more subtle and more sue
cessful. He seemed sometimes TO
lead and sometimes TO be led by the
people, but he never fode over tt,o..