Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-12
FREELAND, PA, AUGUST II, 1897.


Richard Harding Davis, the noted
writer, has about completed series of
articles on "Thc Inauguration" in Hdr-
pG,'S Monthiy. His last installment on
this interesting subject contains few
paragraphs of interest to those voters
who are ever willing to wear the collar
of political boss and to parade their
servility before the populace on any and
all occasions. Mr.. Davis says
There was one feature of the great
parade which would have puzzled the
| foreigner had he understood its signih-
cance, and which was commentary on
our political system. 1t was the number
of clubs and organizations which bore
the name and existed for the personal
and selfish aggrandiZement of some one
man, and that man seldom great man,
or a wise man, or a man of whom many
people outside of his own city had ever
| heard.
| Every one must recognize the i'm
| portance Of political organizations; and
when they are called the Junior Polit-
cal Club of the Fourth Ward, or the I'M
conditional Republican Club of Albany,
or the First Voters Republican League
of Detroit, their object for existing is
obvious and may be approved by every
one, be he Democrat, Il Mugwump, or
Il Populst.
But when 800 men march under
banner bearing the name and features
of Matt Quay, or Tom Platt, or
Dave Martin, the spectator is remind
cd not of republic where every citizen
is supposed to vote freely and as his
conscience dictates, but of the feudal
days, and of the baron, his scrfs aud
retainers. 1t is easy to understand why
the political boss exists, from the point
of view of the boss, or why a Shareholder
should be willing to hold slaves. But it
is difficult to understand why the slaves
themselves should rejoice in their de-
gradation and wish to publish it abroad.
ANY one might be proud to march in
the ranks of an organization that bore
the name of an American who had ac-
complishod something Tor his country,
who had lived and died for great truth,
or who had represented noble idea.
But why should men wear the collar Of
Il boss where every one can see it? And
why should they, for fear every one
should not see it, hire brass band to
draw attention to the fact that they
have IL on?
These gentlemen who marched on
Inauguration day were, SO the papers
said, prominent business men, lawyers
and bankers Many of them certainly
looked as if they belonged to that class
but if they were men of Intelligence why
could they not see how undcmOcratic
and unAmcrican they were in giving
their conscienccs into the hands Of one
man?
"One organization of nearly 1000
men had as its motto, we follow
where Quigg leads Now, Mr.. Quigg
may be, probably is, a well-meaning
young man. but why should l,O0D
men travel all the way to Washington
when representatives from every part
Of the Union are gathered together
there and proclaim that they are no
longer free-born American citizens with
Il sacred right to vote as they please,
but merely tools and heelcrs for 'Quigg?'
These are the very same Americans
who boast of their independence in the
smoking-rooms Of ocean steamers and in
the railway carriages OF Continental
railroads, forgetting that there are few
= people in Europe that are ruled by such
: boss as this or that one designated ON
these banners. If they are so ruled
they are ashamed of the fact and do not
paint his face on silk banner as though
he were saint; and bow down to it. or
carry giIded pennant bearing his name
ut the point"
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