The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-03-17
THR POLITICAL pOSS.

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; political boss-that unsavOry and pes
} tiferOus species Of individual which hai
become q prominent feature Of the mod.
ern political environment Of many Amer.
lean governments, Federal, State and
municipal. This particular bOas, having
enjoyed q long and successful lease Of
local power IN one of the largest cities
Of the Union, had q mind to retire and
live on easy street" and the results Of
his consecutive manipuIations of the po-
litical kingdom which he had governed,
and had impaired TO his secretary the
name of the fortunate follower whom
he had chosen as his successor.
The secretary, impressed with the pos
Sibility of losing his job, haStened to be-
tray his chief to a fellow Ofiiceholder
with whom he was intimate, and the
two proceeded to put up job" on the
"od man." by cunningly prompting his
chosen favorite, the mayor-elect, TO q
course Of independent defiance of the
boss, by the removal Of certain subor-
dinates, the appointees Of the boss, TO
make room for others who were his own
particular adherents. The inevitable
breach between the mayor and the boss
settled the question of succession against
the mayor and in favor of the secre-
tary and his friend, both of whom re-
manned long In power and feathered we'll
their nests, as their predecessor had
done-st the expense Of the governed.
Fortunately for the people in this Sec
ton Of our great country, the full reali-
zation Of the conditions existing In other
regions, where bossism is practiced az a
fine art, is as yet somewhat difficult.
We have our political bosses--or would
be bosses-itis true, but they are merely
amateurs, blunderers, seekers after 10
cal political power, who scarcely com
prehend the most rudimentary elements
Of genuine, finished and successful boss
ism as It Is practiced elsewhere.
1.-THE man with a pull'' which enables
him occasionally TO control a fat con-
tract or a few petty Offices Is not boss.
His "inhoOence" belongs TO a very diff
ferent class. He may succeed in miSin-
forming those In authority to the extent
Of wreaking petty personal spite
against those who have been slow to
acknowledge his political supremacy, or
who have been 80 reckless as to defy
his authority; and he may even succeed
In 20 hoOdwinking the voting public as
to achieve his own election TO some small
Office; but the really thoughtful and OBJ
serving elements of the community upon
which he seeks to inHict himself have no
difficulty in sizing him up at his true
value, and It is merely a question Of
time for those upon whom he relies as
his staunchest supporters and adherents
TO discover his real character, with his
ignominious downfall as the inevitable
result of their enlightenment.
The South Is not a wholesome or con-
genIM latitude for the cultivation of
bOssism as 1t IL known In other lands
The southern people - including those
estimable and welcome strangers who
have migrated from boss-ridden regions
elsewhere TO cast their lot among US
do not possess the temperament which
would enable them TO bow submissively
TO the behests Of any individual citizen
no wiser or more intelligent or more vir-
tuous than themselves, whatever might
be his pretensions. That easy indiffer-
ence to the course of public affairs which
we are prone to indulge In ut times, and
upon which the would-be boss so conf
IDENTIFY calculates as one Of the prime
factors of the success for which he
strives, frequently gives place TO an
alert and indignant activity, the provo
cation to which Is the objectionable as
surance and fatuous self-conRdence of
the amateur boss, and the result Of
which Is his complete and permanent
extinction as a factor In the manage
ment Of public and political affairs.
Taking things "by and large, Rs the
renowned Captain Cutie would say, we
have little to fear from the insignificant
aspirations Of the amateur political boss,
What with his inevitable UnmaskiRg by
his supposedly humble, but yet watch
full, followers, and his indignant repudi-
alton by the better and predominant ele-
ment Of the population, his pathway is
not bestrewn with roses, and he wound
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