The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-16
VETERAN EDITORS OPINION
Editors Spend Money and Time Giving
Reputation to Small Politicians.
THEY'VE BEEN MAKING BOSSES ENOUGH
The Time Has Come to Help DESTROY the
Tyrann;cal Rule Of the Boss System
in Politics. The Editors
Must Lead.


Washington, Dec. 15-"I am through
with the political bosses," was the en-
phatically contemptuous remark to me
last evening of a leading Western edit
or and newspaper proprietor whose rep
utation is national, and whose loyalty
and devotion to the principles and poll
ties of the Republican party have never
been questioned.
No" he continued; Il do not wish you
10 quote me as having made this declara-
ton, and for the sole reason that these
political masters Of the people, who talk
and act as if they owned everything in
sight, would Immediately say that | was
sore about something, that / had failed
to get an office. either for myself or for
some relative or friend of mine. You
know that | have never had any political
ambition-more fool !. perhaps; but my
income exceeds that of all the official in
comes Of the Cabinet combined, or that
of any two of our Ambassadors to the ma
tions with which il is deemed important
to have this antiquated brand of repre-
sentation. If / wanted office | would
have to consult some boss, half a dozen OF
them. it may be, for until the majority
Of that grand Sanhedrim Of bosses, the
United States Senate, has been placated
in one way or another confirmation would
be Impossible. and the will OF the Execu-
tive Department of the Government would
be nulihed."
What idea is in your mind? What are
you driving att"
"Well, to put it in word, the boss sys
TEN has become so bad and so tyrannical
that it is the supreme duty of all the
newspapers to put the thing down in their
respective parties and stand by the peo-
pie. who alone support the newspapers.
How would you begin the fight?"
1T is very easy matter"
Il do not know about that. What would
be your plan?"
well, suppose we all agree TO stop
talking about the bosses as a first step.
Suppose we stop the expenditure of
money in engaging the services of the
best and most talented young men we
can find to wait on these crafty foxes and
get their views OF things whenever they
bob up. Now, I am an editor and news
paper proprietor with considerably more
than quarter century's experience be-
ACAA~h'N'"
believe that / did not get $25 worth Of
political information from the whole boss
outfit But the effort to get it has cost
me. at the very lowest figure, $4,000.
Send reporter to any one of these grand
political fakirs anywhere and under any
circumstances, and what is the result?
That they do not want to be interviewed
that the situation is of such a character
L.,
nothing to say, and so on through all
the other stereotyped phrases of boss
dom. And then we go on printing their
pictures and fooling the people about the
details of their very commonplace lives,
how their families enjoy themselves, what
their interesting or uninteresting chill
| dren are doing, or not doing. Why, the
whole thing is nauseating. 1t is un-Re-
publican; it is un Democratic; it is un-
American. 1t is time for the American
editor to assert his independence.
The fundamental principle of the re-
public is that the people shall control;
that they. through representatives, chos-
en- by them, shall regulate affairs in the
municipality, in the State. in the nation
| That is the theory; the practice is the
very reverse. An aristocracy of bosses
has been raised up, not one of whom
dares to go before the people for any elec-
| tive office whatever If he did he would
meet with utter repudation. Instead of
| facing the people the boss seeks recog-
milton, if he seeks it at all. from legis-
| lature that ne has, through corporate
and corrupting influences, bought in ad-
vance. This is the corroding system that
| in both parties is undermining our insti-
tutions, and / am convinced ii is the duty
Of the newspaper men to end it. They
alone can do it. 1t is time for Us to form
| a trust
"The newspapers are really responsible
for the existence of this outrageous, yes.
infamous, political condition of affairs.
| They make these men. and year in and
| year out they bolster them up and keep
the breath of political life in them. There
| is not IN the whole world set of men
that get more free advertising than do
| these political excrescences. Why we
keep printing Offices. buy presses and
| hire hundreds and hundreds of the best
| paid class of labor for the benefit Of this
| gang through all its gradations from a
| Hanna and a Croker down TO the ward
| leader / am heartily sick of the whole
| arrangement. The newspaper editors as
1 said should combine to sweep the whole
crowd out of existence. Keep their names
out OF the papers and see where they
will fetch up!
When / was young reporter on the