The record-union., 1894-08-04

problems with which statesmen have to
deal. The present is always the seed time
fession of politics have the cunning to
form conventions. They have the or
ganizing ability to bring together men
whom they can control. They may deter
mine the personnel of convention-the
personnel of ticket.
But it requires broad understanding
of the philosophy of history and high in
telligence upon the existing situation to
grapple with the higher problems of a
craftsmanship presented in each stage of
national development and present in
each hour of national existence. The po-
litical boss has use for the personnel of a
ticket. lie is in politics for money, and
the profit of his profession is measured
by the extent to which he can control the
functions of public Office. This control
has vast value to the aggregations of
capital, and it is the aggregatlons of
capital that employ the services of the
boss. No one else has motive for such
employment.
Great enterprises relating to irrigation
involving the determination of certain
legal contentious as to riparian owner
ship as opposed to the right of appropria-
ton have use for men upon the Supreme
bench whose opinions will lead to inter-
pretations of the law favorable to one
side or the other. The boss is the useful
instrumentality of manipulation which
determines the personnel of the court.
But above the manipulation of the
boss, and infinitely beyond his compre-
nension, is the law of national life, ma
tional growth and the forces by which
history is made. Mr.. Estee presented in
his opening speech issues of paramount
significance; not such as grow out of
past questions which have been answered
and settled, but questions of vital i'm
portance in the present and of far-reach-
ing significance in the immediate future
Upon these questions the Republican
platform is silent, and Mr.. Estee has
boldly and deiantly rebuked that ST.
lence. The trainers OF that platform
claimed to be presenting clearly and ade-
quately the living issues OF the day. Mr.
Estee shows that the trainers OF that in
strument did not even apprehend, much
less comprehend, the issues of the time.
A platform may be as radically wrong
by what it omits as by what it proelaims.
There may be heresy in silence equal to
the heresy of affirmative profession. If
Mr.. Estee is right. the platform is wrong.
As the Bulletin well says: Fortunately,
government with us has got beyond the
curbstone statesman who formerly pro-
fessed so much political knowledge"
But our esteemed contemporary might
have said that government has always
There never was a time when the manip-
ulator ofpolitics knew anything whatever
of what may lee termed natural politics.
The most skillful manipulators and
bosses are always found with the domi
nant party. Sometimes vacancy in the
minority party will incite a man of in
ferior ability to serve it as boss. But
wnere there is no patronage there is no
boss.
New parties manifest high degree of
purity in their methods. The reason for
this is that they have no record of sue
cess, and while their success is doubtful
the skillfuI boss will oe absent from their
councils. But as soon as they acquire the
power of electing officers and distribut-
ing patronage the curbstone statesman is
present with them and his superior skill
is made manifest.
The Republican platform and the open
ing speech of the Republican candidate
for Governor are at variancs-by silence
on the one hand and profession on The
other. We find ourselves in substantial
accord with the Bulletin when it says: i:
"In some respects Mr.. Estee is stronger
than the platform on which he has been
placed"