New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-14
THE WAGES OF CONVERTS.

Tho most striking lesson of the Assembly
oomu,,+oo list Is that in the eyes Of the boss
tho converted indepepdent Is Of less account
,h,n tho machine man who needs no conversion.
1bis &c an Improvement on the old rule OF poll
tics II has long been held that the way for
newcomer to make himself influential IN the
machine was to kick himself into position. But
the boss has evidently decided that 1t does not
do to encourage the practice ana mat goou
bunco-steerny is quite as effective as 'rccog-
nition" with some men. And he is propaply
right. Recognizing perfectly the character OF
lie Government, he has taken upon him as OF
divine right the proverbial ingratitude or kings.
Cancellation combination and DIVISION are all
very well for political deal among equals, but
q smile when courtier is needed ana a Gun
WHOM he has done his work better suit the rule
Of a boss. II is a royal prerogatlve 10 MAKE
men rejoice to be interiors and feel honored py
a kick
Sucb reflection must be the consolation or
Messrs. Davis and Tiffany In the hour OF their
cbacrin. They are the victims OF royal neglect
and history should teach them that they snare
the common fate of those who do despots the
r,ost important service Perhaps like Falstah'
they ore bopcful thinking: II shall be sent lor
"in rrjyate 10 him Look you, he must seem
"thus 10 the world But let one wonder II
II il we'll TO tell king he dare not visit him for
shame but still would serve him and would
have his favor Kings like not an obesance
IN mower which is an indictment of thor repu-
totion and are inclined to accept the service
and withhold the favor Messrs. Tiffany and
Davis under the tutelage of Senator Brush, did
AR p,att the greatest possible service. 1t was
IN their mower absolutely to block the electon
If O'Gradv. Mr. Cottle stood ready to join
thom up 10 the last moment when they backed
ont and enabled Mr. Plat TO elect his Speaker
though they were ashamed to do 1t without
making an empty show of opposition. For that
service they get some minor places on unlm-
nortant committees Squeezed oranges. says
.he boss And there are others, less notlcea-
bile because they made less show OF indepen-
dence and took their position on an ordlnar!
business basis Mr.. Tremper. though new
member. was confident that his value was the
Canal craftsmanship Indeed he thought he mad
secured il so far as II could be secured WIFI
ont n title deed. but alas for the decisions OF
the gold brick business, no chairmanShp Is MS.
And Mr.. Hill of Erie, too, was honestly con
WINGED that the interests Of his constituents,
particularly in canals, required regularity.
From his minor place on the Cities Committee
he can speculate on the favor which the inter-
est of his constituents Is likely TO nave Win 'hiS
LEGISLATURE Mr. Brennan was an early con-
vert to the machine, and thought he was sure
of the Cities craftsmanship He Is permitted 10
nreside over the not lucrative discussions on
taxation and retrenchment. Mr. Marshall APP
pears to have done better. He gets the chair-
manship Mr.. Brennan wanted. Apparently he
was known at headquarters from the beginning
AS for Messrs. Laimbeer aud Weekes. they up
near to be no worse off than their weakened
brethren. a fact which suggests that the lamp
he cannot catch stands higher In the estimation
of the wolf than the lamb he has eaten.
Mr.. Plat evidently thought that his converts
had piycp him all the service he had need or
They helped him to organize the Assembly ana
nut him in personal control of all the important
committees and having converted them once
he probably thought there was nothing Ior
them to do but tag along as hangers-on or his
troop. So
He cast of his friends as a huntsman his pack,
For he knew when he pleasd he could whistle
them back.
Can he? Some think not, among them per-
hans the cast-offs themselves. Have they
enough stamina left after their surrender to
face the machines attributing any future in
dependence they may show to DISAPPOINTMENT
Can they break utterly away and repudlate
their own folly? If not they may as well give
up talk of independence and grow content TO
be trampled on