The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-15


The Ross-By Alfred Henry Lewis. Pub
lished by A. S. Barnes & Co., New
York For sale by ST. Paul Book and
Stationery company.
One of the few contemporary American
novels that Will have a value for later
generations is this story of New York
politics written by Mr. Lewis. It's pub
fishers claim for it that it lifts the veil
which has concealed political methods
and conditions in the metropolis, but If
it did this readers would have to take 1t
largely on faith, and while it is suf-
ficieptly virile and bears the I'M
mi mis- stamp of sincerity 1t might
fail of convincing many. But, as mat
ter of fact, ether political writer's have
torn rents in the veil and what was left
of its campaign missiles have wrenched
down so that New York's political situa
ton is easily kennel by those far remote
from the metropolis. The value of THE
Boss lies in this: 1t uses not only Tam
manys methods. but Tammany's reason
for being. The story is written in the first
person. A Tammany boss sketches his life
from the time when, an Irish emigrant
lad, he landed with his people in New
York city, until deposed Tammany boss
he retiTeS to a palatial estate where
friendless and alone he waits for death.
Cretain facts in the life of the main per-
Sonage in the book correspond with GER
tain well known incidents in the life of
much is real history and how much fic-
ton in the life presented it is, of course,
impossible to state.
AT the age of seventeen the future
Tammany chief through an adventure he
meets with is made to realize the power
of the municipal machine. A ward leader
shows an interest in him and the boy, who
is remarkably strong physically forms
gang which fights for this leader. And
as the ward leader creepS UP by Drawn
and cunning SO does the boy creep up.
He is barely a man when he represents
his ward as alderman. He is only middle
aged when he becomes 'the chief himself.
OF the other characters in the book, Old
Mike. the father of Big John Kennedy.
may be said to personify the politician Of
the accepted Tammany type, the man Who
is born with the fever of the game in his
bones. The following bit of conversation
gives the old Irishman's view of poliScs.
Have you made politics a study?" ask
ed the reputable old gentleman who may
be taken as typifying New YorkS re-
spectacle element.
From me cradle" returned old Mike
every Irishman does. 1 knew so much
about politics before l was twinty-one,
transported me av I'd stayed in Dub
lin. - rsYs -..f--='r-
II should think said the reputable
gentleman, that if you ran from tyranny
nit to the tyranny of Tammany hall. If
you could Mt abide a queen, how can you
put up with a boss?'
II didn't run from tn queen, ran from
tn laws" said old Mike. 'As for the
boss-eVerything that succeeds has tp)ss.
The presidents a boss, the pope's a boss,
Stewards a boss in his store down in
City Hall park. Nothing is strong enough
to stand the mistakes av more than one
man. Ireland would have been free tf
long cinturies ago If she'd only had
boss" And again this Dooley of a diff
ferent type says: 'Kape tn police p'lice
an you kape yourself on top. They're the
foot-stones of politics.
Interesting glimpses are given in the
book of election methods. Repeaters are
brought down from Philadelphia; negro
women dressed in mems attire, cast their
votes In estimating the voting strength
of 10000 men the boss himself says AT
the least they should count for 10000. A