The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-05

presidential campaign last year in New
York. The old man, used to be a silent
leader, and it is good for a boss TO say
nothing; He can't explain why; why
try? Saw wood an keep yer mouth
shut is the classic form of the estab-
hshed rule of machines everywhere. But
an active, knowing man, who meets many
of his fellow-men, observes them nearly
and rules them from any distance, fills
up by and by with some sort of wisdom
and some sort of self-confdence. He
ker had about him sincere friends, who
advised him to be STILL but their advice
was so cautiously given, with such dis
Greatness and so gently, that it only en-
cCUragcd the great man to a 1irmer be-
lief in his greatness. If those about
him listened with such Difference and
! should not the whole world wish to hear?
So Croker stopped over.
Some New Workers were so overhead
ed by the sight and savings of their ruler
that before the presidential election was
held they were eager for the municipal
campaign, which was a year off. They
wanted to set at HIM All classes OF
men began to organize anti-Tannnany
| movements. What stir, Q 4 up the good
citizens apparently was the contrast they
thought they could trace between the
words and the brutalIv vicious practices
of TammanY hall. The Rt. Rev Henry
c. Potter, the Bishop of New York, ut
! tered some brutGlly virtuous sentiments,
alert for an opening back into politics,
vici0usly recalled some brutalities of the
| past. All locked bright for the over
throw of TammanY.
l. 'Then something happened that has
happened before. Mr.. Croker stopped
talking and Mr.. Platt began Mr.. Croker
sailed for England, and Mr. Platt was
soon heard saying that it was intolerabIe
to have a city like New York under the
corrupt, corrupting rule of an organiza-
ton like Tanmany Hail. The time had
come to throw off the burden, and Mr..
Platt offered to help the city get rid of
| that man Croker. Public interest in the
municipal campaign vanished. 1t is no
| part of the understanding between Mr.
P4att and Mr.. Croker to have one Of them
| appear suddenly when the people are run
| nlng away from the other. They have
| too much self-respect to plan such q
trick. Mr.. Platt sincerely thinks that
Croker IS infinitely his inferior, and Mr.
is better than Platt- So it just happens
! that when the herd starts to stampede
from Croker Platt shows himself ahead
and turns it back. And so it just happen
ed this winter. New Workers forgot in
their ire the alternative for Croker.
While he talked they saw only the squat
preaching; miId-eyed, soft-voiced, at
| them; and they paved the earth, mad to
| fee But when they turned and saw be-
fore them the hungry shape of Tom
Plat standing with bony fingers on his
| hollow chest-when they heard him saw
| ing, Take me instead-the good citizens
| looked first on this picture. then on that.
and they stayed in the pasture.
What's the difference?" they said.
| What's the use? How are stocks?'
| stocks were booming. Stocks have
| doomed ever since. But there is hone
! OF a good municipal campaign in that
alone. What goes up must come down,
| they will tell you in Wall street and if.
| the prices of stocks descend from tha;r
present level. they will come fast far
and an hard, making many an Independent
| voter uncommonly irritable Then. too
| the reformers who couldn't choose he
| tween the two bosses and wouldn't Inv
| stocks entered upon an investigation of
! the system of protected vice This NJ
! ways is dissatisfying. Surest of all how
ever, is the nature of the city itself New
| York Is the best buck-jumper In Ameri
| can municipal politics. Some cities lilyo
most bronchos. buck hard the first tina
| they are ridden. then settle down to
wise jog-trot New York is not unintel
! !lSent. 1t knows it is no use to kick. that
II one rough rider is thrown another as
| rough viii jump into the saddle Yet fire
I o!d nag SnortS. rearS and comes down
st11T-legged every time you mount or dis
mount. and this fall we shall have
Croker up showing off his skill and
| roWelling with both snurs while Plat
| IS already waving his hat and Shouting
think there will be q good show