The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-25


which goes with the proper use Of po-
htical machinery which is certainly
working among the people, for and in
favo- OF sound principles and good gov
eminent. while the seeds OF its own
death. the clements OF early dissolut on
always accompany machine politics and
bring about It's ruin. It's very selfish
ness. the narrowness % its rewards, the
monopoly OF office, the concentration 81
power. the growth q illgotten wealth,
become SO apparent that tho very exer-
oiss of it sows onomiea by the score, and
thoy multiply until they reach hundreds
and grow until. becoming rosistless
thousands, O as GAN upon the machine
and crush &c.
That alongside wholesome, useful po-
litical machinery We will always have
more or less machine politics is as GER
+ tain as that we shall always have ileas II
We have elephants. worms II We have
fruit, but be is a pessimist indeed who
F fca.s that tho fen will run of with the
elephant or that tho worm will destroy
d all the orchards Machine politics m
+ it, methods and results. Is 50 OPT oied o.
/ public interest. SO injurious TO real party
success. SO repugnant TO the Intelligent
self-iu;erest q the voter, that its enc
mics spring up almost "a rapidly ne
mosquitoes DO in August IN Jersey
swamp and thc Influences which are az
war with % are not only patent, as we
have go recently seen, but as permanent
as are the fcun iations Of our schools
aud churches To-day We are rapidly
approaching an epoch when the support
of party machinists will be fatal T. q
candidate and the very suspicion that
be- Is the creation Of the bosses VIII de-
feat @ man 40 The polls and roo him o.
confirmation in our senates. 1t is only
when 10 the midst Of "a struggle for ex
isteuce that a great people tolerates
without protest the continued DONNA
tion OF the machine. and oven il its APP
parent power seem 20 linger long after
and TO occasionally show alarming vigor,
it Is only the display Of pride and the
unwise exercise OF power which goes
before It's fall and which insures its ruin.
As machine politics feeds and fattens
on public plumber, and as the power and
profit %, the "boss" depend almost en-
t.rely upon his actual or supposed abil-
ity TO control nominations and 10 secure
appointments, IL is easy TO see that il It
once is recognizei, rs II soon will be,
that machine nomination ton IA to in
sure defeat. ons wing on which the
boss rises will be clipped aud with
proper civil service system the control
OF apr ointmenis W Il be wrested from him
for good, and his power for evil will be
as small M .,-reslrial politics as is that
OF Lucifer ia Heaven. The citizen, then,
who condemns machine politics, who
abhors the machine itself and fears the
boss, should lend his aid 10 every move
ment which has ia view the divorce OF
the civil service from politics; as to-day
the power TO control appointments To-
cally in the state and in the nation is
the last crutch up1n which the "boss"
hobbies. Knock this from under him
and be falls TO the ground as helpless as
a Chinese idol and as harmless as an en-
ploded she'll
Establish the civil service upon
foundation having capacity and faith
fulness for ITS corner stones and the
pure machiuist. the now dreaded "boss,"
will become as infrequent and lonesome
a figure in American politics as al In
dian now is in fifth avenue. Men will
have 20 90 to museums then to see this
great product Of machine politics and
the power and control now go often ex-
ercised by him will pass over to the
leader who represents a principle, who
stands for a policy whose highest re-
ward is his country's welfare and his
epiteh, "He served his country we'll"
II any man says, This is a picture Of
the millennium my answer is that
wish the real millennium was 90 within
the reach Of the whole earth as this DO
litical millennium is within the easy
grasp Of the American people.
MICHAEL d. HARTER.
NaehfuUfor II 4