The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-03-04

80 H
past thirty years gave the chance foF
the wonderful and scientific concon
tmtion Of its control v e politics
The state machine could DO constructed
easily by consolidating local rings Of
the same party name,
The boss par excellence IL a state
boss He a Is comparatively recent
development He could exist only In a
society which bad long been preparing
for him He could operate only IN q
society where almost every class and
almost every Individual was In a Ger.
tain sense corrupted The exact mo.
meut Of bis omnipotence in the state Of
New York, for Instance, Is recorded In
the actions Of the state legislature,
Less than ten years ago, the bfibing Of
the legislature was done piecemeal and
at Albany and the great corporations
Of the state We're accustomed to keep
separate attorneys in the Capitol, ready
for any emergency But the economy
Of having the legislature corrupted b.
fore election soon became apparsnt
If the party organizations could furnish
a man with whom the corpomtion
managers could contract directly they
and their directors could sleep at night.
The boss sprang into existence 70 meet
this need He is a commercial agent,
like his little local prototype but the
scope Of his activities Is 30 great and
their directions arc % various, tho ior.
ees that he deals with are so complex
and his mastery over them is so com
plete, that a kind Of mystery anvelops
him.
THE government OF O state Is no
moro than a town government for 4
wide area Tho methods Of bribery
which work certain general results IN a
town win work similar results III !
state. But the scale Of operations Is
vastly greater, The state-controlied
business, such as banking insurance,
and the state public works. aud iho
liquor tufic, involve theexpendit ur8 o..
enormous sums Of money
THE effect Of commereialism on pol
ities is best seen In the state system
The manner Of nominating candidates
shows how easily the major force 70 4
community makes use Of its old Gus.
toms,
THE American plan Of party govern
ment provides for primaries, caucussa
and town, county and stats convm
lions. It was devised on political
principles, and was intended to 81 4
means Of working out tho will Of tha
majority, by a gradual delegation Of
power from bottom to top. Tho txig
encies Of commerce required that thia
machinery should be made 10 wo6
backward namely from top TO hol
tom II is absolutely necessary
commerce % have political direol
and this was found 70 be perfectly e
Every form and process Of nomination
10 gravoly gone through with, tbs die
tator merely standing by and designai
ing tho officers and committoenian az
every step There d something pog.
lively Egyptian n tho Journalism that
has been kept up IN practice, and n
the stato Of mind Of men who ara mt
isaed with the procedure.
The reasons for believing Chat enc
/ boss system has reached FL climax ara
manifold Some Of them have been
( stated, others may be noted Ia tho
first place. the railroads arc built
Business is growing more settled.
/ The mcking Of the eountye natural
resources goes on ut q slower pace
Bribery like any other crime, may r.
1 explained BY an emergency but every
one believe that bribery So not 9 nor.
manent necessity in the running Of 8
! railroad, and this general belief wiiI
determine tho praotises Of tho future.
Public opinion win not stand Che
abuses and without Tie abuse where 4
the profit n many place, The old
/ System Of bribery Is gtill being coutin.
ued out Of habit and at 3 loss The
corporations can get whit thoy want
more cheaply BY legal methods, and
they are discovering this IN The SEQ.
ond place. the boss system s. now very
, generally understood Tie people ere
no longer deceived The ratio between
party feeling and self interest IS chang
, Ing rapidly IN the mind Of tie ayer
man It was the mania Of party feel.
/, ing that supported The boss system and
rendered political progress impossible.
and party feeling is dying ont
Moreover. time fights for reform
The old voters die Of, and th8 young
! men care little about party shibbolstts
/ Hence these non-partiaan movements
Every election local or national, which
: causes a body Of men 70 desert their
c party Is a blow 1t the boss system.
These movements multiply annually
They are emancipating the small towns
! throughout the Union, even a com
q meice was once diafranehising them
/ As party feeling dies ont IN 8 mans
mind, It leaves him with . clearer viz
I ion. His consequence begins 70 affect
bis conduct very seriously, when hs
8 sees that a certain course IS indofens
be II II from this source that the Ie
form viii come.
nThA vniar Will zee fhai n "a wrnn.