New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-20
MISTAKES or POLITICIANS.

We regret to learn that the Sheriff OF Kings
Comfy has concluded that he is infallbe. II
speaks III for his own future. We have of'eh
differed with the worthy Sheriff. but we have
always rather liked him, because with all MS
faults he was frank and honest in the course he
had marked out for himself 1t does him no
Injustice to call him a machine politician. lie
olories in the name himself and has been a
faithful servant to the bosses whose livery hc
has worn. But when Mr.. ButtlIng declares that
politicians do not make Mistakes lie i"i'
oriovouslv into the error from which he believes
himself and his class exempt There never WAS
q greater mistake than the notion that poll
ticians do not make mistakes. Inc deiusion mas
led unnumbered politicians to their faH. l's en-
tcrtainment Is generally an early sign OF nh
chimes decay Mr.. Buttling should rehect on
the courses Of some politicians that he hlinSeH
has known and some that he also may nave
heard Of
There was once in Brooklyn n man named
Alfred C.. Chaplin. but Brooklyn knows MIN no
more. He was Mayor. He was going to be
Governor. and then President. lie was not
popular. but he was clever politician. so every
body said. and nothing could stop his career
But he knew too much. He understood the stat
utcs and could make no mistake in negotiating
eacrot contracts After that he retired from poll
tics and moved to NewYork. Another clever pol
itcian for several years ran the Democratic ma
chine in this State. He got 10 know SO much
that he knew better than the people in some cases
who should represent them In the State SEN
ate. and it was impossible for him to make "a
mistake even in putting an election thief on the
bench Three times since then the people nave
buried him with ballots. David Il. Hill Is stlll
in public life because he holds long-term office.
Then there were German and Brice and Croker
and Mclaughlin, and Murphy in Troy and Shee-
han In Buffalo. They were all politicians
who never made mistakes Their organizations
were perfect their knowledge Of men and mo-
tyes keen They had times Of great prosperity
and promise Of unbreaking power But they
have fallen, not in the face Of politicians sl-
perior 10 themselves but in the face OF common
public sentiment, which they were so wise that
they could afford to ignore.
The average professional politician Is one Of
the least far-seeng Of men. Time and again
he is beaten at his own game by some upstart
who puts his foot in everything, is always MAX
ing mistakes but somehow or other always
manages to come ont right The only wonder
is that experience Of this sort does not teach
the politicians the value of plain dealing. These
wise ones never see far enough ahead to fore
east policy that they dare stake their own
future on, but they devote their infallible genius
solely TO the perfectng of schemes which sue
ceed Just so long as the average citizen is con-
tent to sit still and be amused AS soon as he
gets restless the schemes come to naught. The
politician makes so many mistakes that We're
not the citizen at once good-natured and lazy
the career OF the politician would indeed be
short AS it is, the citizens patience generally
holds out until the politician learns that he does
not make mistakes and can play the game alone.