The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-25
THE DANGER OF THE DAY.


There is no State which has known the
curses of boss rule more severely than
Maryland. Mainly through the power and
patronage which the States interest in
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal gave to
him, Senator German welded together,
some fifteen years ago, a political ring
Of which he was the centre n circum-
ference. From that day un ais he has
ruled Maryland with an absolute dominion
through the agency of this ring. In a
most admirable article discussing boss
government a day or so back, the Balti-
more Sun gave this account of it, in the
city of New York, though why it should
have felt obliged to go to New York
for illustration we do not understand.
We see no reason why ii might not have
secured all the illustration it needed
much nearer home. 1t said:
When we see the great city of New
York under the rule of a party that calls
itself Democratic, but really governed by
one man who holds no office whatever,
either by election or appointment, we get
a clear view of government by boss. BY
a cunning arrangement of political ma
chinery, most of it out of sight, this
one man. holding no office and therefore
not responsible to the people, can and
does name all the chief city officials, in
Guiding the Mayor. That he renominates
them or rctires them at the end Of their
terms according as their conduct in Office
has pleased or offended him. is well
known. That, through his captains Of
wards, lieutenants of districts, and SER
geants Of precincts. he has the whole
public service OF the city drilled into
a compact body that responds with mill
tary precision TO his word Of command,
which he can issue from a remote tele-
graph station in Texas and be quite sure
that it will be promptly obeyed in New
York, is the eliminating triumph of boss
ism masquerading in the clothes of De-
mocracy.
In the field of municipal government
the evils that flow from one-man power
are generally recognized. That cities thus
held by an orgapized band Of mercen-
aries, led by one crafty and unscrupulous
commander, are subjected TO enormous tax
ieVleS that are as corruptly spent as they
are recklessly assessed, is well under |
STOOD. That the nominating primaries. or
caucuses. are packed and the ballot-box
user defrauded by the satraps of the
poss-ocracy thus established is notorious
100 0ANAHHOA'h. IHll HOUeSt GltlZAn& nFa
deprived Of all effective control Of their
own local government necessarily fol-
lows. Ihat at last. goaded by excessive
taxation n fiagrant scandals. partv
lines are thrown down and decent men
make common cause to overthrow the
machine and destroy the boss, are also
matters of history. II happened I'm Brook
Ign last year. 1t is likely TO happen in
New York this year. The cells Of Sing
Sing are already receiving the first vic
TINS OF popular resistance TO bossism
and its practices, and the storm is still
rising.
The Sun then goes into a consideration
OF the fact that the vast annual expen-
ditures which the war fixed upon the
country, and the protective tariff. develop
the boss in each State. and. since the
United States Senate is considered the
most honorable and the best paying posi-
ton to which the voters Of a State can
elect, the Senate becomes the especial
and peculiar object of the State bosses,
so that it is fast becoming nothing but
a collection Of State bosses, each one, as
State is given two senators, with his
attending satellite-a ME, Too" 1t con-
mus.
The senatorial boss has been bred. like
. parasite on the body polite. out OF
Lhese conditions. He is not confined to
either party. He may reach the Senate
rs a Republican or as a Democrat. but
n either case he reaches it by the boss
The tarif-bred and fairfield in
erests have grown in many States strong
n than the people. The ambitious adj
OF inferior antecedenfs ara q
.ttainments has found in the legislative I
iesires OF these powerful special interests 7
ready means Of advancement. Without +,
he solid learning and culture, or anv +.
the statesmanlike qualities which in !
times were always demanded
the men who aspired 10 be the CHIEFS r
4 their parties, the senatorial boss OF :
he period has found that a faculty for '
ecret ~wire-pulling and private intrigue. a
oupled with a readiness to be useful 10 a
NJ protected p'utocrsts who Nv siege t