The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-05-13
POLITICIANS FOOLED.
Their Mistaken Judgment Of
Public Opinion
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR WILL.
This Year the Conditions Were All Against
the Politicians-source OF the Mckinley
StssEgth-"The Advance Agent OF Pros
pertty"-A Popular Phrase.


stssxgth-"The Advance Agent OF Pros
pertty"-A Popular Phrase.
WASHINGTON. May Is Especial. Now
that the preliminary part OF the Republican
presidential campaign is practically over
and the nomination of Mckinley is con-
ceded by the very men who have been try
ing their best TO defeat him, II is pertinent
TO remark that the professional politician
is very poor judge of public opinion.
That the Republican people OF the United
States had long ago determined to have
for their presidential candidate this year
the man whose name stood for protection,
and who In himself embodied that idea,
was apparent TO every man who carefully
studied the situation. Only the profess
sional politicians were fooled, only the
men who make politics their business, and
who are therefore supposed To be smarter
than the rest of us in estimating what Is
likely to happen. i know senators and
congressman who until within the last ten
days have been as firmly convinced that
Mckinley could not win at st. Louis as
they were of their own existence. All the
facts and all the indications, when pointed
out to them, made no impression whatever.
VIII Not he Manipulated.
The trouble with these people who are
in politics as a business Is that they place
too much faith in the power Of manipula-
ton. That being their trade and being
accustomed 10 carry their own points in
wards, counties and districts by outwitting
the opposition and playing smarter tricks,
they fall into the error Of assuming that
national politics can he managed in the
same way. There are years in which this
is measurably true. 1t is true TO certain
extent when public opinion is more or less
dormant when no great issue or demand
has stirred the people nightly. This is
not one of those years, and any man who
was accustomed to consulting the barom
eter Of public opinion, and who was not
misled into placing his faith In the pro-
fessional manipulators, was long ago able
to perceive that this is a year of abnormal
pressure. The people have had hard times,
distress, want, encouragement, and they
have their own ideas as 10 the best way TO
find remedy They may be mistaken,
but if they are they will he convinced of it
only after they have tried their way and
found it failure.
End of Boss Rule.
The observer who cares only to find out
the why and wherefore of things and has no
prejudices or preferences-liket the writer
will be likely TO say that it is a good thing
to let the people have their own way. He
will be likely TO say that the effect of this
anteconvention campaign will be felt in
politics for many years 10 come. 1t marks
the end of what is called b - "ule. Though
one may much admire tho'" called bosses
IN Ina
stanch men and friends. somehow there
is prejudice against placing too much
power in the hands of n few men. The
lesson of 1896 is that while bosses may
still be able to control districts and states,
when it comes to the affairs of the whole
nation the job is too big for them. 1t is
now generally accepted as true that one
source of strength for Mckinley has been
the prevalent notion that the bosses were
against him, and the antipathy which the
plain people feel TO dictation at the hands
of a coterie. The managers of the Mckin-
ley campaign are, some of them, bosses,
too, but they were lucky enough not to
have acquired as much reputation as the
other fellows, and therefore they were not
objected To SO strenuously a boss is gen
orally odious only when he is on the other
side.
The effect will surely he greater liberty
of thought and action among the masses
Of the party, and probably in both parties.
In a system Of government like ours this
is good thing, for If the people cannot be
trusted To have their own way, to make
whom they please president and to institute
their own policies, what are We coming tor
Something of the same sort of process is
now going on within the Democratic
&c cia hat ha ad, irt-
ton is trying to control the Chicago con-
vention and that the officeholdors are
overriding the masses of the people. Pres
ident Cleveland is charged by his enemies
with inconsistency, in that, while in the
past he has declined to allow ofliceholders
TO interfere in political matters, he is now
insisting that his officeholders help con-
troll the coming national convention
against free silver. The charge has not
as yet been supported by satisfactory proof,
but If IL shall be, the effect will probably
be disastrous to the administration side of
the case.
The Voice Of the People.
A well known and very shrewd senator,
Mr.. Mcmillan of Michigan, told me some
time ago that he had taken pains to sound
public sentiment In his state as to the pres
idency and various other matters and had
discovered that the people are filled with
strong convictions this year as TO men and
policies, and that they are in an ugly
mood about it. They will not brook in
reference with their plans, and " be TO
the man who attempts TO stop them. 1t
has occurred TO me that this remark, based
on careful investigation through the sem
ator's party friends In his state, may be
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