The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-13
A Remedy for Bossistn.

A Remedy for Bossisn.
Mark Twain has his serious moments,
and he claims to have discovered ren,-
edy for bosssln. His idea is to form
party OF Mugwunps which shall be
sufficiently strong to hold the balance
Of power. incidentally, he suggests John
Wanamnker as the leader. That may
be meant for sly joke, for Mr.. Clemens
Is always more or less under suspicion,
but, as for the rest he seems to be In
earnest.
"rho party must be composed" says
he, "of men who are willing to give up
all affiliations with either Of tho great
parties. No man in It can have any po-
itcal aspirations. lie must not have
any friends whom he wishes to push
forward for political preferment. The
sole reason for the existence of this new
third party must be to elect tho candi-
dates of either the Democratic or the
Republican parties who are believed to
be best fitted for. the office for which
they are nominated.
ut Is not tho Idea that this indepcnd-
ent party Is to consist OF another fog
OF Observation-Disclosures 10 be swung IN a
mass for any candidate at any ones dc
tation. There would be nobody who could
deliver that vote in mass
1T is party made up of separate IN
dividualitlcs, each holding and pricing
the privilege of voting as he chooses. the
rest to vote rs they choose. And there
fore you have this result: that If the can
dldate of one of the great parties is
hott ,,,of,
candidate of the other great party, It
& IS belicvcablc that the independent party
would vote as q masS for that man.
He recognizes that the Mugwumps
themselves would be liable to split up.
but only in case both candidates are good
men.
What If both the nominees are bad
men?" Mr. Clemens was asked.
Cant YOU see that II this third party
hos power TO elect whomerer 1t pieases,
rcither will select for Its nominee any
but the very best men? Don't you rea-
lize with what pains the names OF the
candidate would be considered BEFORE
they were chosen for place on the
tickets? There could never be any
question about their eligibility. All the
.A1ugwunips would have to do woulc
be to decide which man they liked oes
and vote for him. admit 1t would bt
mixed government but that wouldn
matter.
For our part we believe in politica
IA rties, in definite political principles TO-
each party, and we love an honest par
tisan. But no freeman should wear tn
party yoke. No man should follow M
PARTY blindly, In disregard of his Owl
convictions The independent voters ar
becomine more numerous and moro IN
Huential every year, and each OF the o.
parties is compelled to reckon with then
They would be more powerful stu
thew were organized and II the old partie
force them to 1t they will organize an
deal with political situations as the occa
sion demands. There is more w!sdo,
than humor In Mark Twain's idea.
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Money for the Panama Canal will hay
to he forthcoming in short order, or
would seem that work would nave Y
come to n standstill OF the $4,000, 900 up
propriated for the construction OF tn
waterway, probably less than sl,ooo.o|
| is now on hand. and the present rat
Of expenditure is Approximately $780,"
n month, or the S9,000.0O0 spent IN tn
isthmus since June. 1902, when the mp
tropriation was made. only a trim
proportion has gone toward improvement
OF docks and harbors, which was on
| cially announced as vital preliminary
tho real business of construction an
only O fraction to the actual work G
digging. Secretary Taft's visit to Panan'
| will no doubt result In some huthent
and explicit canal information OF n
/ less public interest than administrator
value. Meanwhile we have tho ASSURANCE
4 of Mr. Roosevelt and Chairman 5hon
that the canal is going to be built. ar
the positive statement Of General Isha
Randolph, OF the Canal Commission, TIL
It is going to DO finished before 1915.
| . =---=-------= Y
The County News on Tuesday last, !
It'll, attained It's majority, having IN
arrived at the ago OF twenty-one yea
The first Issue camo from the pre-
November Z, 1884. two days succeeding !
election OF Grover Cleveland to he Ere
idency.-Rockbridg County News.
Accept our congratulations II
County News is rs good in the futl
as 1t has been in the past, It VIII
fairly entitled to continuous extster
and support.
.----=.-:-----.--==--
The Democratic party In this ST.
! may now rightly be named Mnude,
Il Kicked the Republicans out Of exi
i encc on Tuesday lust.-Orange Observ
j Ana the Republican party's name
y mud.
= -=-==-=---=l-
"McClellan won by nose only" So
ma columbia State Yes, and even
,, ,,ao "a wabbling.---N orfolk Landmark,