The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-13

fered with me. TO such an extent that there
was a factional split in the party whicn
has not been fully healed 10 this day
CASH VS.. CONSCIENCE.
1 am logged when you oppose me; and
| fought that bill as bitterly as Il there
were millions in it for me. instead Of moth
ing and the contempt OF many OF my for
mer associates. When the round up came
the advocates of the bill had lol votes
assured TO them. while | controlled Just
thrty-seven members. Was IL the "slilne
of my power? Partly. But incidentally.
il proved the superiority OF cash over con-
science. \ week before the bill was placed
on final passage the promoter 81 the ieglso
lation came 10 me and offered me S-o.Vp
in cold cash II / would withdraw my OPP
position TO the bill. He said, truly, that
they had the votes TO put IL through any
how, but that they would cheerfuliN make
me a present of that amount TO nave II
pass with an appearance OF unanimity ana
without leaving any scars behind re-
fused On my word OF honor. I refused.
That night | stood in the BACKGROUND. I'M
observed, in a great hall, where meet
ing of citizens was being held TO protest
against the passage of the bill The last
and best speaker rose 10 heights or su-
preme eloquence in depicting the iniGuity
of the bill He said every councilman that
voted for il would be branded forever with
this legend across his forehead: "Bribed
[ was thrilled by his words. now and
pleasant sensation coursed through my
veins-the sense of having done right for
rights sake The next morning l refused
the $4,000 offer a second time
At last the day for the final vote arrived
My course was plain. | sent for my thirty
seven followers and addressed them briefly.
l said the bill would surely pass, and the
only thing for them TO decide was how
they wished TO stand individually. L said
i believed the legislation was wrong, and
that it would come up 10 plague the party
and any member that voted for it,. But
proposed to release every man from any
pledge or promise he had made to me- and
leave him free TO act for his own inter-
ests. I added that IL was only fair to say
the other side was paying FOR all the votes
What was the result? Why. fifteen of
those men sold their votes for sums rang
ing all the way from 500 10 81 500 each. The
other twenty-five OF them knowing that
the bill was sure 10 pass and that their
protest would be of no avail could not
be bought, brbed or bulied into doing what
they conceived to be a wrong act. There
they stood-twenty-two honest men 10 hf-
teen dishonest men, Generally speaking,
L think the percentage OF honesty as
against dishonesty i'm public life Is even
greater than this.
What more can l say? Very little. except
that the public mind is filled with illusions
regarding the real personality OF the IN
diVidual called a boss" One Illusion *
that he is invariably foreigner. am
American born. and so was my father be-
fore me. Another is that he is ilhterate.
He may not be a college graduate. but he
generally has fair education and large
stock of common sense. Another rs that
he is drunken and dissipated. l have not
tasted liquor for twenty years. Not long
ago l gave up the use of tobacco. Another
is that he is sordid and selfish. So far is
this from being true that the successful
leaders of men are generally those VINO
deal most generously with the pubic and
with their followers. Another Is that ne
is a tyrannical person. This is the widest
illusion of all. One of the most powerful
political leaders in the United States has
won the soubriqEet of the Easy Boss,
because of the extreme latitude which he
allows TO those about him. The sober truth
is that in this. as in all the activities of
life. il is the survival of the fittest.
Do not imagine for moment that
am trying to picture the political boss as
a model of all the virtues. wouldn't try
anything so absurd. But he has some vir-
tues and not all of the faults with which
he is usually pictured in the cartoons of a
very much unmuZzled press. On the whole
he is as good as. and no better than. his
fellow-citizens. A stream can rise no high
er than its source. The percentage of cor
ruptiOn in public positions and in public
leadership is about equal to the percentage
of corruption among the people themselves
Take one hundred men from the ordinary
business walks of life and the same num-
Der from public and political positions, and
the average of integrity will vary very little
indeed.
/ once told friend the story of how
purchased the delegates to win my nomina
ton for the Legislature, and he called me
an unmtigated knave.
Maybe / am
I once told another man the story of how
nv conscience prevented me from taking
the $4,000 in the franchise DEAL and he said
1 was seventeen kinds of - fool.
Perhaps l was!
Who EnOWS2