The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-29
MAHONE'S DAY Of POWER
The Sharp Conflict Between Conkling
and Blaine.
TOM PLATT DOES NOT TALK, He ACTS.
As Long as We Have Parties, Well Have Ton
Platts. Until Politics Becomes an
Exact Science There Will
be Bosses.
(By Savoyard.)

some ten years ago, III Il city Oh the
| Ohio Valley, on distressingly hot day
! when the scorching rays of an August
| from the granite pavement almost unen-
durable, there was a disastrous wreck
of street car. 1t was a busy hour in a
| busy street, and at busy season. Soon
| there were long strings of cars to the
east and to the west of the wreck. Enor-
nous drays. heavily laden with enor-
nous hogsheads of tobacco and inter
| mixed with other vehicles, filled the
space. Though traffic was not completely
suspended, it was in great confusion.
| Transfers were shouting and cursing
and horses and mules were backing and
| jumping. Men and women going along
the street stopped to contemplate the
disorder. Policemen came on the square
to investigate and to restore order. A
| dozen men gave contradictory commands
and weak efforts were made to execute
| them.
| Now it was that another street car
came on the scene. The driver came
down, took command, issued his orders
and was instantly obeyed. The crowd
instinctively saw in him it's master fol
| that occasion. He laid hold himself and
caused others to lay hold. His mien and
his voice We're imperative, and in an in
| credibly short time the track was clear
order was restored, and traffic was re-
sumed. Had that man been a politician
he would have been a boss. He can dc
things. He can get others to do things.
In the Western country" as our sires
and grandsires called it, the forests were
cleared and hence the log rolling" 1t
was the heaviest of labor, and, viewed
in connection with our present lines OF
| transportation, vandal waste of wealth
| AT every rolling, in every neighbor-
hood, there was leader, something after
the order of that street car driver, who
took command and by his strength OF
mind and force of will saved his fellows
much sweat He was boss according
to his opportunity. Stop at the corner
of a vacant lot and see the boys at play
and surely you will discover a leader
whose commands his fellows Instructive
ly obey. That boy is a boss and will
make his way in any calling to which
he may lay his hand
1t is the economy of human lfe-the
law of human nature.
Thomas Collier Plat is what is desig-
mated in our political nomenclature g
boss-that is to say, leader of his party
in the nation, and the leader of his par
ty in his State. Bosses, so-called, are
as necessary to parties as generals are
to armies. A bad general is a bad thing
for an army, and a bad boss is bad
thing for party. In both cases the test
of goodness and badness is success, fol-
war and politics are selfish games, and
victory the goal all strive to reach
Perhaps tom" Plat has not achieved
in full degree the measure of success
that came to Thurlow Weed, and per-
| haps Weed would not have achieved the
| measure of success that has come t.
| Platt had his field been as vast, his con-
stituency as intelligent, and mugwump
| cry as prevalent and defiant. Weed
studied and knew men, their ambitions
| their vanities, their loves, their hatreds
| their capacities for public life, and Weed
| could pillow with the Democratic heifer
| These are tricks of the trade that Mr.
| IldtI cO1npfenenQS thoroughly, ana cal
| employ dexterously. Weed studied pol
| tiles in maple sugar camp; Plat stud.
| led politics at Yale College Weed wa!
| editor of an organ; Plat was county
clerk of Tioga county. Weed loved pow
/, err, but refused office. Plat loves powe
| and has not disdained office. Weed was
| the friend of Seward; Plat was the
| friend of Conkling Weed went down il
defeat at Chicago in 1860; Plat suffered
| defeat at national conventions himself
! Weed had an enemy in Horace Greeley
Platt had no very enthusiastic friend il
Horace Greeley's successor. Weed mad,
Zachary Taylor President of the Unitet
States; Plat made Benjamin Harrison
President of the United Safes. 1t woul,
not be very difficult to extend the
parallel
P1att expected to be Secretary of the
| Treasury, and give Tom Plat that office
| with complaisant man in the Whit
1 House, and he will make the nomna
J lions, whoever makes the Presidents
John Sherman was a super ior politician
but with all the patronage not only 0
the Treasury, but of all the departments
he could not nominate himself for Presi
dent Ben Bristow failed. Daniel Man
ming did his political work before he en-