The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-11-15

States government has never referred
to its since the war.
The Political Boss.
Walter Williams in a recent issue
OF his paper, the Columbia Herald,
gives a pleasing description of Ed
Butler as he appeared in the prelimi-
narles CT his trial now going on 10 the
Boone county capital. The ward boss
has been a favorite theme for years,
aud various theories of evolution have
been suggested to account for the rise
Of this singular new power in munich
pal politics. The essential error 10
the theories proposed seems to inhere
10 the word evolution. The ward
boss, like the anarchist, is to be re-
garded as a reyersion, a revival and
adaptation Of an old type rather than
the development OF a new one. he is
the feudal baron born out Of time.
His title to rule dates far back beyond
all theories Of primogeniture and sue
cession to the time when clan chiefs
we're selected as the leaders of wild
focks and herds are selected-by the
spontaneous recognition Of innate
fitness. The chief implies the clans
man, and this is where the observa-
tions of writer's upon this interesting
theme have fallen short. II the feudal
leader is more 10 evidence nowadays
it is because the retainer is too. And
a proper object Of curious and scien-
tidc inquiry is whether civil and
political liberty is tending to the par.
adoxical result of stratifying society in
our great cities, and OF promoting the
revival Of primordlal types as an Incl
dence Of manhood suffrage and p0liti-
cal equality.
Similar observations might be made
10 regard to anarchy subject upon
which a vast deal OF nonsense has
been uttered and written of late. No
theories as to the cause Of the growth
Of this dogma are worthy of a mo-
ment's notice which are not based
upon sound ethnlc and anthr0pologic
considerations. Anarchy is not a
philosophy. The anarchist is born,
not made. IL he exists 10 greater
numbers now than formerly, it is be-
cause poverty, immortality, physical
degeneration and social qualification
has brought about psyche reyersion to
a type that was once normal, when
everything was everybody's.
Manifestly subjects Of this kind are
too extensive for a brief editorial.
But going back to the ward boss and
! his retainers, 1t may be urged in evi.
{ dence Of their feudal origin that they
have the same piratical purposes, tn,
same feudal organization, the sam,
notions Of personal allegiance. Thu
2 boss comes from the stock OF an un
e mixed race in which feudalism ha.
prevailed-usuallY Gaelic. The til
e which binds this modern vasSal to hi
t liege is not like that which bound tai
Y imperialistic Athenian to Pericles, 0
! the British Wing to Pitt, or tn.
e American whig to Clay. 1t is no con
g sonauce Of ideas, 10 admiration 0
d intellectual abilities. The tie whicI
$ binds this modern henchman to hi
e boss is the revival Of an ethnic prioci
Pile, acknowledged not intellectual
y but as a psysic impnl,e.
IS On last Monday Ed Butler lande
r 10 Columbia With a retinue that a
most swamped the hotels. He prcl
e ably never heard Of Orgetorix or I'll
ID thousands OF feudal mobiles who ba,
le tried TO impresscourts with o peac
a ful show Of force, but he makes
N secret Of believing that this and tt
political victory he won for his son
e. st. Louis two weeks ago viii 90 +
II toward securing his acquittal. And
a may. No stratum Of s2clety has be-
ne entirely refined OF the dregs OF
re fcudd origin, as is shoSn by 3
" rooters at every football game fro
ut Dan 60 Beersheba
he =