The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-02
PAPERS AND POLITICIANS.
How Those of 1908 viii Be Regarded
by PosteritY.

When the historian of 500 years hence
shall write Of the United States in the
last part of the twentieth century he
Will be astonished that popular govern
ment survived, not the newspapers, but
the politicians. He viii find that
grating" was common in city halls.
and "boodling" not infrequent in state
capitals. He will find that many writer's
of the period men of wide information
and philosophic thought, expressed
great doubt whether American institu-
tons could long endure on account OF
political rings. bosses and the low char
acter of many men who devoted them
selves to politics because they could
get more money out of that pursuit
than out of any other. He Will find
that the survival of popular govern
rnent was due mainly to the vigor with
which the newspapers exposed and de-
nounced political chicanery and jobbery
and their success in arousing the people
to emancipate themselves from profess
sional politicians.
The historian of 24O3 A. D. will End
that in TIE period in which we are liy
ing many politicians, some respectable.
and some not, insisted that officeholders
were the representatives of the people,
and were entitled to immunity from
newspaper criticism on account of that
representative capacity. But he viii
also find a contract between political
bosses in PENNSYLVANIA by which in the
phraseology of a business transaction,
the said parties of the second part
agree to secure the election of dele
gates to the state and national conyen-
lions who VIII be guided in all matters
by the wishes Of said party of the irst
part: that the selection of members or
both branches of The state legislature
was in Ike manner disposed of; that
lat the 3nDroa ching national conven-
ton TO be held ir St Louis the dele
gates from the TWenty-second con-
gressional district shall neither by voices
nor vote do other than what is setisfac-
n o Of hc 80 n
that in the Twenty-second congress
siona1 district the candidates for con-
gress shall be selected by the party of
the second part
The historian will then realize that a
great part of the members of the legisla-
ture Of congress and of the national con-
ventions did not represent the people at
all but were selected by political bosses
and represented political organizations and
that the people had as much to do with
their selection as the Roman senate under
the empire had to- do with the making Of
laws: they simply registered the DEGREES
prepared by men who. like the Roman en-
perors. had usurped political power. And
the historian will find that the principal
agency in remedying this disgracefuI po-
litical condition was the press.
The historian will observe further that
in all countries where men IN office We're
protected from newspaper denunciation
when they betrayed their trusts the offi-
ciaI class was corrupt and oppressive and
restrained the least, and the political
bosses ana ringsteFs squirmed the most.
government Was on the whole cieancst
and most liberal. He VIII then find at an
earlier age when men were hanged drawn
and Quartered for denouncing official ras-