The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-13
Daily Ea9le
NJ. NJ. MURDOCH. Editor.
DO YOU WANT AN oFFIcEa

DO YOU WANT AN OFFiCEa
The people are growing restless over
the open and notorious boodling meth
DDS of politicians and the consequent
hidden corruptions of political life. In
dividual worth nor faithful service no
longer count for anything as against a
sure hitch on the latest developed boss.
Ability and deserving are as nothing
compared to a money cinch on the ma
chine which the boss directs and con-
trolls. He aspires TO serve the people III
vain who aspires in the absence OF a
pull" The voice of the machine boss
is the voice of party omnipotence. The
call of the people is no longer heard, or,
If heard, is disregarded. The man for
the hour and its emergency is later dis
covered by the people to have been the
machine man. The comforting OF an
bonor on the deserving individual is'no
longer the expression of a sentiment,
conviction or desire of the people, but
the intrigue of the boss. When it so
bappens that the one honored was the
peoples choice it will be found that the
trust was conferred no less certainly in
tne interest of the boss. At the bottom
of the machine and back Of the boss,
and inspiring both, is money. The ultI-
mate aim is Doodle and corruption
Thus the great and distinctive honors Of
the country cost the recipient, or some
interest in his behalf, more money than
Its salary, fees and emoluments. Of
county, city and ward politics the peo-
ple know this to be fact. 1t is no less
true of national and state politics. All
parties are equally guilty. Even quasi
moral organizations such as the Prohi-
bition and political-temperance parties
resort TO and depend upon money for
victory, and in politics money means
corruption. The whole country was
shocked over the money scandal devel-
uped in the senatorial election in Penn
sylvanja last week. 1t is not the first
time that such shock was felt.
1t will not be the last Another
just such shock may be expected in
New York. The long purse of great
Sunday school superintendent failed,
not because it was purse and long, but
because the other fellows was longer.
Hence from his defeated ambition now
comes q loud wall for reform. Both Of
the Pennsylvania aspirantS had pulls on
political bosses, but one boss was great
er than the other. And so the big pull
OF big boss in New York will land Mr..
Plat in the United States senate and
the truly great and honorable Mr..
Choate, the real choice of the people,
will be left. A corruption fund is ma
chine essential, as is a pull on its boss
Indispensable for him who would reap
honors. "The office must seek the man.
was but a reactionary protest against
r1orey and bossism which evolved the |
Pop parry and made its ascendancy
possible; but the Pop party is already a
party Of bosses and money corruption,
paramount and monstrously.
What is the remedy? We do not |
know. Can the people help themselves? |
Certainly not through new parties. The |
Pops and Prohibs prove that PROPOSE |
ton. Too much money is not only |
spent for what are called legitimate ex-
penses, but where happily the people |
eject, their choice becomes the selection |
Of the boss. To start with, it ought not |
be necessary TO spend a small fortune
for music, speakers torch-light process /
sionS and the like at every election in |
every community. If the people were |
left alone they would wisely choose, but |
they won't be. Legislation might do |
something TO check an abuse which |
threatens to defeat the very principles
upon which a government of the people
was founded, but where so distinctly
observable are the money and finger of
the boss as in the halls of legislation, |
where public sentiment, moral educa-
ton and Christian civilization are all de.
fed, as in Pennsylvania last week?
That the place for the boodler is the
penitentiary, and the position for the
boss is at the rear, all will agree, but
who can or where is the power that will
SO respectively consign them?