The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22
THE REAL POLITICIAN.

A few days ago a New York paper,
speaking of Governor Odell, of that State,
in connection with the generally satisfac-
tory character of his administration, ex-
pressed some surprise that a man who had
been so long a machine politician should
become so much of a reformer when re-
sponsibility came to him.. The conviction is
slowly gaining ground that every person
who lives in a country which has a repre-
sentative government should be a politician
i'm the broad sense that he has views, ideas
of policy, and adheres, in some degree, to a
political party. The person who has no
views and no interest in public affairs is no
better than the foater who is anxious TO
sell his vote on election day. AS long as
there are political parties there will be
politicians, and, as no body is effective
without organization, organizers are es-
sential. An organization, to be effective,
must be something of a machine. Unless
it were it would be useless.
Because he took an interest in public af-
fairs and in party organization Governor
Odel was connected with the Republican
state committee for years, and was its
chairman when nominated for Governor.
There was no indication tina he did not be-
lieve in the best things in government,
but because he took an active part in prac-
teal politics he was held by a class of
newspapers to be a bad man. He did not
wish to be Governor, but the nomination
came to him. He was elected and has
proved to be one of the most effective ex-
e~cutives New York has had i'm many years.
If one takes up a list of the Governors of
New York and notes the names of those
who have regulations as able executives
he may be surprised to find that most of
them were machine politicians" Mr..
Tilden, whose name a class of Democrats
glorify as the synonym of the best things
in Democracy, was the most adroit ma
chine politician of his period, yet he had
the courage to fight Tammany and helped
to cause its temporary overthrow under
Tweed. Some excellent men who are
again paying alteration to ex-President
Cleveland will be shocked to discover that
he was all his life a worker with the ma
OAlAAlC OPOA ann LNlA AK ldlli VI llluEH.
Indeed, Mr.. Cleveland was made his politi-
cal successor by Mr.. Tilden himself.
Shocking as the statement may seem,
it is nevertheless true that the most sue
cessful Presidents were politicians who
believed in organization. George Wash
ington was a politician and an active par
ticipant in public affairs. His letters to
promote the election of John Adams. writ
ten to men who could do things, and his
close contact with those Of his political
faith during his administration show that
he believed in organization. His successor
repealed men, was independent and was
not reelected. Thomas Jefferson was the
prince of machine politicians. Jackson
had a powerful machine. Abraham Lin
coin was a machine politician. He was
connected with party organization all his
early life. 1t was the machine in Illinois
of the then young Republican party which
nominated him. He really looked to the
party machines in the several States to
secure his denomination. General Arthur
came into the Office Of President under the
most trying circumstances, but the thing
which more people feared than anything
else was that he had long been at the head
of the machine in New York city. Nearly
twenty years after he retired from the Of
fee OF President, ii is not too much to
say that General Arthur was a frst-class
President. As a machine politician he
approved the civil-service law and put ii
into successful oneratton he could dis
agree with Congress by vetoing a river
n harbor appropriation bill. William
! Mckinley was a politician from boyhood,