The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-16
Let Editors Go
INTO Politics.
They Have rccn Making Bosses Long
Enough and Should Now speak
for Themselves"
By W. S. MANNING,

ASI4iNGrC>.. ID. {. December IL
~ am through with the political bosses!
was the cmpAaticaliy contemptuous re-
mark IL NE last evening of a leading
Western editor and newspaper proprietor.
whose reputation is national, and whose
LOYALTY and devotion to the principles and
policies o. the Republican party have
never been questioned.
No he continued; Il do not wish YOU
To quote me a s having made this declara-
ton, and for the sole reason that these pc
Iitical masters of the people, who talk
and act as If they owned everything al
sight, would Immediately say that was
sore about something, that / had failed
10 get an office either for myself or for
some relative or friend OF mine. You know
that / have never had any political ambt-
tion-more fool /, perhaps; but my IN
come exceeds that of all the official in
comes of the Cabinet combined, or that OF
any two Of our Ambassadors TO the nations
with which it is deemed important TO have
this antiquated brand Of representation.
Ii / wanted office l would have to consult
some boss, half u 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,
ard the VIII Of the Executive department
would be nullifed."
What idea is in your mind? What are
yen driving at?"
well, 10 put ii in a word. the boss sys-
ten has become so bad and SO tyrannical
that it is the supreme duty of all the
newspapers To put tie thing down in their
respective parties and stand by the people,
who alone support the newspaper
How would You begin the light
1T is u very easy matter
Il do not know about that. What would
be Your plan?
Wed. suppose we all agree TO stop talk
ing about the bosses as a first step. sup
pos, We stop the expenditure OF money IN
engaging the services OF the best and most
talented young men we can find 70 wait
on nhese CRAFTY old foxes and get their
views OF things whenever they hob UP.
Now, l am an editor and newspaper pro
prietor with considerable more ttlan q
quarter centuryS experience benlnG me,
and, in all unat time | honestly DeAeEe
rirat did not get s25 worth eli po!ilical IN
formation frclu the whole boss eutht iut
the effort TO get il has cost me, at the
very lowest figure. S75,0 900. Send reporter
TO any one OF these grand political fakirs
anywhere and under any circumstances,
and what is the result? Thas daey do not
want 10 be interviewed; that the Situa-
ton Is of Suah cllaract that fheE de-
cline to talk that they have nothing 20
say. anu 50 on bIlfopSn aii nie otii't
stereotyIoed phrases OF bossdorn. And then
we go on printing their pictures and foot
ing tine people about the details Of their
very commonplace lives, how their fan!i-
lies enjoy themselves, what their interest
ing or pninteresing children are doing,
or not doing Why, The whole thing is
naussa,tinG. II is un-Repualican: IL is I'M
Democratic; il Is un-American It is time
for the American editor to assert his in
dependence.
THE fundamental principle of the re-
public IS that The people shall control; that
they, through representatives. chosen 10y
them. saliaN regulate their affairs in the
municipality, in the State, in the nation.
That Is the theory: the practice is the
very reverse. An aristocracS of bosses
has been raised up. not one of whom dafes
- ~ before The people Tor any elective