The herald., 1896-10-09

time Of escaping the thralIdom for the
next two years OF an unscrupulous polit-
ical oligarcy lies In the non-partisan
ticket which has been put forth by cop-
vention which may be reasonably termed
representative OF the intelligence and
honesty Of the people.
This ticket is made up of names
placed on the different tickets of the
bosses to give them a semblance Of re-
specta ability. and such others as the
non-partisans thought best to nominate
regardless of party aff1liation or lack of
such afiliation. What the prospects are
for the success OF the non-partisan
ticket only the few whose knowledge Of
San Francisco politics is comprehen-
sive in scope and minute in detail can
venture to predict. If the citizens of
San Francisco only prove true to the
duty they owe to decency and their
own interests the defeat of the numer-
Gus combinations Of robbers and all
round rogues will be certain.
But the success of the Nom Partisan
ticket in San Francisco is menaced by
the same factors that have made pos
sible the growth and power of political
bosses and machines in nearly all
American cities of importance--the po-
litical indifference or Incidence and the
political error of the average citizen.
1t is because the average citizen in
each of the great parties is derelict in
duty that combinations of the Mahoney-
Kelly, Crimmins-Curry, Rainey-Lani-
gan order and dictators of the Buckley
brand alternate in ruling and robbing
the roost In American municipalities. A
vast majority of the members of each
Of the great parties are honest, intelli-
gent and sincerely desirous of having
good government, yet because of the
failure to use their numerical strength
at the right. time they become subject
to the dominance of the most obnox-
ious members of society There is no
reason for the existence of the boss
in party except that which is found
In this Indifference or Incidence of the
members of that party. There is no
reason for the success Of a boss pro-
gram at the polls except in a mistaken
sense of party loyalty. The Mahoney-
Kelly and Crimmins- Curry outfits will
appeal to Republicans as such, to sup
port their respective tickets; the
Rainey-Lanigan and Buckley camps
will hang out the signal and blow the
bugle call for Democrats to rally as
such. around their respective stand
ards, and If the future may be judged
by the past, the invocations in the
name of partisanship will in each in
stance meet with ali too hearty a reS
sponse. Many men are still prone to
take the form for the substance. To
such the following language by Thoma,
c. Platt may well be commended. for
although Mr.. Platt has won no distinc-
tion as political reformer, but, on the
contrary, Is considered some pump
kins" as boss himself, he is not al
together incapable of talking sound pol
itical sense at times Mr.. Platt. in
commenting on the attitude of certain
New Yorker who professed his inten-
tion OF supporting the ticket of his
party in spite of the fact that that ticket
was made by the platform upon which
1t was placed to represent principles alb
solutely Objectionable to himself, said:
Parties are, associations of citizens
for the purpose, of putting into law and
practice certain definite principles that
they hold in common. They are "a We
hicle to carry the will of the people
into effect only when they are the peo-
pie. His notion that a man must stand
oy his party, no matter what 1t adyo-
Gates and vote for its candidates, no
matter how hurtful or how shameful he
thinks their purposes to be, carries par
~ loyalty to the point where it is, a
menace to free and intelligent govern