The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-17
THE AMERICAN BOSS

VI ItCtuG y CeiAS mas eA4"''
been handled more honestly than
bv Mr.. Ford in his novel The
Hon. Peter Stirling" The author
evidently puts his own ideas into
the mouth of his leading character,
who, while-a reformer, Is also
political boss. 1t is plainly
brought out that the boss, if not
necessity, is valuable adjunct to
the political life of the United
States provided he exercises his in
fuence in the proper direction
The only reason why the bosses
are men of bad reputation is be-
cause the good, high minded, and
intellectual people hold to the idea
that political machinery is coarse
and vulgar and to study the people
by mingling with them is quite
beneath their dignity.
Che condemnation should by
rights fall upon the highly intel
lectual individuals who lay back
ON their soft cushions of self con-
ceit the greater portion of the time,
but when election time approaches
have a foolish idea that the maJorl-
ty of the people must listen to
their demands and vote for the
educated orators whom they con-
slider the proper individuals to up
hold the dignity of the nation.
While the intellectual beings are
asleep the boss is putting himself
I'm touch with all classes and con-
ditions of men. He Is figuring
upon the average man who will
fit the occasion when the political
battle begins. The boss knows
that water cannot rise above Its
own level and so long as every man
has vote the average man, not the
intellectual luminary, Is the one
who will win the victory. Every
man bias rigth 10 his own opln-
ion and the labOrer is as honest as
the millionaire. The former will
not be driven, but he can be led.
The boss puts himself in position
to lead.
The boss will 90 into. the saloon
or the slums TO study the character
of the men there with whom he
must deal. The highly moral and
intellectual man would consider
himself forever disgraced by ming
ling with such people. He leaves
the people whose suffrage he hopes
TO gain to wallow in ignorance for
eleven months out of twelve and
then thinks that he can educate
them up to his ideals in the one
month when he takes an interest
in the outcome of an election.
Although the boss is spoken of
as one who sways men as he
pleases, there Is no man In politics
more dependent upon the people.
If the work he accomplishes is not
I'D to the beautiful ideals of would
be moulders of legislation, it is be-
cause the boss appreciates that
small gains are better than none;
he knows that he cannot 90 be-
yond a certain limit; he remem-
bers that one progressive step Is
better than none which would be
the result if the intellectual giants
were left to manage the campaign.
The boss knows what he has to deal
with. Others 90 it blind. Organi-
zation in politics is necessity.
The man who thinks he can shoot
off on broad independent tangents,
force common place men into line
by calling them igOrant, and es-
chew the men who ''pander" to
public sentiment Will find himself
sadly left in a country governed
by and for the people.
Theorizers and flash light re
formers are all right. They have
their place in this world. But the
men who win and really accom-
plish something are those who