The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-26
The "Bossism" of Century Ago.
From Edward Everett Hale's Memo
ries'' in the Ortloolx

From Edward Everett Hale's Memo
ries" in the Outlook.
The men who made the state consti-
tutions and the United States Consti-
tuition had no idea of the universal
suffrage with which we are familiar.
Massachusetts, was as far advanced
in such matters as any of the states.
but Massachusetts had begun with
conhding the suffrage to church MEM
bers, and they were only admitted to
vote by the consent of a majority of
those already voters. In 1880, in the
constitution of which John Adams is
the real author, Massachusetts gave
the suffrage to landowners, or to per-
sons with an amount of property on
which they paid taxes.
BY the National act of 1898. no for
eign emigrant could be received to
suffrage on less than fourteen years
probation, and this after five years
previous declaration of intention to
become a citizen. One can see how
effective were the limitations by the
small number of votes as compared
with the whole population. 1t was
like vote in Mississippi to-day
where 5000 voters choose the repre-
SeutdIiNe OF zUU,UUU people.
What followed on this limitation of
suffrage was that the two great par
ties were simply two rival aristocra-
cies. There is something ludicrous
now in reading the private letters of
the real leaders on both Sides They
take 1t as entirely for granted, each,
that the party will do what half a
dozen leaders determine on; as Mr..
Croker lin 1900 took it for granted
that T4lnUnanW do l. =
terinined on. Indeed, there was no
popular convention or any other meth-
Cd by which the rank and file of the
voters could express any opinion, even
If they had one. But practically they
had none. The condition of affairs in
South Carolina up to Mr.. Tillman's
reign is a good enough illustration of
the way in which every state was
managed up till 1929 Some of us
get together at Columbia after the
commencement and arrange the poll
tics of the state for the next year"
Such was the convenient fashion ev-
erywhere i'm which things were man
aged all along the line, before people
found out what universal suffrage
means or what democratic government
is.
Up till the close of Gen. Jackson's
presidency no such thing was heard
OF as a national convention for the
choice OF candidate. Somebody had
to make such a choice; and, for want
of better. a meeting of the members
of Congress named the candidates of
either party So it was that in 1925
Gen. Jackson and John Quincy Adams
and Mr.. Crawford and Mr.. Writ divid-
cd the electoral votes. But so soon
as Gen. Jackson withdrew, having
named Mr.. Van Buren, as his sue
cessor, all the enthusiasm of the DEM
ocratic party departed with Old Eick-
DRY. Poor Van Buren, had to face the
terrible storm of the commercial cri-
sis of 1887. The fault was none of
his. excepting as the industrial states
of America are always at fault when
they intrust their business to those
states where nobody can mend a wa
ter-pail. or to statesmen who do not
know a bill of lading from a bill Of
exchange-of men who know nothing
of trade" as the excellent Monroe
said. In the crisis OF 1897 half the bus
mess firms in the country were bank
rupt and half It's industries were de-
stroyed, Of which the consequence was
that the industrial states. that is. New
England. the West and the great
states between, took their affairs for
once into their own hands
When they called together the great
conventions Of 1888 and 1910. the reign
OF oligarchies and caucusea ~ con-
gresEmen WAS over, and the relgn at
the voters began.