Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-22
BOSS POLITICS.

There was time in our state when
the will of the people was respected by
the leaders of our party, but system OF
politics has grown up in our state and
been carried to such extremes that the
will of the people" has become sec
ondary consideration. 1t is the will OF
the Boss" that is supreme Our aim has
always been to serve the cause OF the
people to the best Of our ability and if
we can by using our columns. give the
people the information that will enable
them to have all the facts OF our public
affairs laid before them we will be con-
tent, as we have full confidence that
their verdict will be about right, and
when fairly and freely expressed we,
and all fair minded people, will abide
by it.
That there has been great deal of
dissatisfaction with the management Of
our state affairs is generally known to
all intelligent people of our state, and
Just how to remedy this state Of affairs
is the one question the people are inter
ested in. In our system of government
the will of the people, fairly expressed,
in the way provided by law, is what
should be the controlling element in our
affairs, but for many years set of self
constituted Bosses" have assumed to
themselves the prerogative Of saying
who shall be elected to Office and how
affairs shall be managed irrespective of
the will Of the people. The system has
been one of gradual growth and has long
had such proportions that the people
have very little to say in our affairs, ex-
cept to register their assent to what the
bosses, in their secret meetings, have
determined shall be done. In all or
ganiza:ions we need and must have
leaders, or those who will go ahead. but
a free people will not long tolerate die
tators. The ordinary way is when the
people have affairs to look after. they
assemble together and confer as to what
is best to be done, and what is for the
general good Of all, and after full delib-
Grafton what the majority say is accept
ed as what is best for all. Where the
people are too numerous TO meet in this
way, then delegates are chosen to rep
resent the people, and when these dele
gates meet in convention and consider
the affairs of the people, whatever
majority Of them do is accepted by the
people, and their affairs move along sat
isfactorily, and if this system were car
ried out there would be little cause for
complaint.
But in our state a different system
has been built up Not in day or
year, but has been sort of evolution
for thirty odd years. We have self
constituted "boss" Of our state affairs,
and he has his agents in every county
in the state, known as the County
Boss. even our good old county OF But
Ter bas not escaped being afflicted with
a Boss" and such is the working of
the machinery Of this system that the
Boss" is the one that has to be consult
ed in all matters political. When the
time approaches for the election OF a
Governor, State Treasurer and other Of
ficers, we see noted In the papers that
80 and 70 have been at Washington
City, or in Philadelphia. as the case
may be- holding conference with 30 and
80. These parties are usually the
henchmen Of the Estate Boss" or
County Bosses who are most in the
confidence Of the State Boss" and in
canvassing the different aspirants for
the places, they pick out this one for
Governor, another for State Treasurer,
another for Auditor General; but all in
variably supporters of the Boss and
his machine. Word is passed along the
line to the County Bosses" Butler
county's boss gets his orders with the
rest and sets to work quietly TO select
delegates to the State Convention, but
is sure to sound the prospective dele
gate as to whether ne is loyal to the
State Boss, and being satisfied of this
he turns his attention 10 securing the
election Of the delegates be has selected
When the convention meets, usually in
Harrisburg, the delegates assemble from
all over the state and many of these
poor deluded fellows think they are GO
ing to have a convention, but when the
convention meets they find the State
Boss" on hand, and his County Bosses"
with their slate made out and when the
convention is oyer, the delegates usual
ly find instead Of having a convention,
to represent the people and carry out
their desires, they have merely attend
ed ratification meeting and ratified
the selections made months before at
the meeting Of the Bosses" in Wash
ington or Philadelphia above referred
to. Once in awhile the the bosses fail
to get all their men named but it is
generally the case that the selections
made are nominated and are generally
the most obsequious servants of the
Estate Boss. We have known of can
didates going mp and down the state
vehemently proclaiming they were not
the tools OF the boss. that they wore no
mans collar, and would look after the