New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-09

many weeks TO get all Of the legislators lined rp
Many OF me ta members took my side because Il was
did 1t out or pure friendship for me. Others still
much possible. but not with entire success
Our side won But after the session two OF the
granger members who voted with paid off Iona
standing mortgages against their farms. And they
1 ' h u roi 1llT ptoceeS or tne crops eitner
wrong in this matter. There was purchasab
proportion Of the Legislature. We simply went into
the open market and purchased share OF that
If ] might digress for a moment here I would
rpt minority in public life IS about equally divided
whenever division is possible: and that honest
men generally get their dues. II was cer-anly
IN this case and regard it as a typical instance
hind il made proposition lease the city works
necessaries Of life Mi rot say whether Pi the
proposition was to lease the water works. the ga:
works or the electric light works. because many OF
the men who took part in tie deal are living to-
no desire 70 critcise them or point them out even
t 2y indirecf ton give merely few inside fact
the iniquities of a boss ! studied the
measure was a steal. pure and simple. IL was
case OF handing over pubic property to privste
like what they should in return. 7 felt no
only that the thing was wrons. but that il would
fered with me. such an extent that there was
f faGtonal split in the party which has not been
1 am logged when you oppose me; and fought
that bill as bitterly as If there millions in it
for me. instead Of nothing and the contempt of
former
5nred to them. while controlled just 81 members
CONSCIENCE veek bef tP biI OF Gasn over
naI passage the promoter Of the esIation can n
to me and offered NE 81 go in cold cash II would
that they had the votes to put il through ANYHOW
but that they would cheerfulIy make a present
or gnanfmity and without leaving scars be-
That night stood in the backgro u1' nnobsersed
IN IN a great hall where a meeting Of citizens was
supreme eioquence in dePcfinc the in9uitv Of the
would be branded forever with this legend across
was thrilled by his words. A new and pleasant
having done light for pe5 sake b a sense OF
ing refused the 81. 900 offer second time
lowers and addressed them briefv said tbs i bI
decide was how they wished to stand individually
it would come Tp to pisgHe the nagty and snv
member that voted for it But proposed to re-
lease every man from any pledge or promise he
had made TO me and leave him free to act for his
the other side was paying for all the votes il could
get.
sold their votes for sums ranging all the way from
800 TO $3.50 each The other twenty-five Of them.
their protest would be of no avail. could not be
bought bribed or bullied into doing what they
twenty-five honest men to fifteen dishonest men.
Generally speaking think the percentage OF
honesty as against dishonesty in public life is
greater than this.
What more can I say? Very little except that
the public mind is filed with illusions regarding the
real personality Of the individual called boss
One Illusion is that he is invariably a foreigner 7
American born. and father before
Another is that he is iIliterate He may not
be a college graduate. but he generally has Fair
education and a large stock of common sense.
Another is that he is drunken and dssipated.
have not tasted liquor for twenty years. Not long
ago / gave up the of tobacco. Another Is that
he is sOrdd and selfish So far is this from being
true that the successful leaders of gen
public and with their followers. Another is that he
is tyrannfcal person. This is the widest Illusion
Of alt One Of the most powerful political leaders IN
the United States has the sObriquet OF the
Easy Boss because of the extreme latitude
which he allows to those about him. The sober
truth is that in this in all the activities Of ife
il Is the survival Of the fittest
Do not imagine for a moment that trying 10
picture the political boss model OF all the
virtues I wouldn't try anything absurd But
which he is usually pictured in the cartoons of a
very much unmuZZled press On the whole. he is
good as and no better than. his fellow citizens.
A stream can rise no higher than it's source. The
percentage of corruption in public positions and in
public leadership is about equal to the percentages
of corruption among the people themselves. Take
hundred men from the ordinary business walks
Of life and the same number from public and po-
HtiCal positions, and the of integrity will
vary very little. indeed
the delegates to win my nomination for the legis-
lature. and he called me unmitgated knave
Maybe I am
told another the story Of how nv
conscience prevented me from taking the S250f0 i'm
the franchise deal. and he said 1 was seventeen
kinds OF a - fool
Perhaps was.
Who knows?