The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-29
DOOM OF BOSS IN
The REFORM WAVE.
Widespread Battle Against Cor
ruption Means Downfall of
Graft Kings.
BY w. w. Jermane.

engaged IN a -
President Roosevelt has set the pace
In favor of freedom from boss rule in
national politics, and as with the force
Of an epidemic. his example IS being
followed right and left, until today
there is under way in this country the
greatest rebellion against boss rule that
the country has ever seen at one time.
to note, that there is now no one-man
power in either the republican or the
democratic national organization. There
has been no successor to Senator Hanna
among the republicans, nor will there
be so long as man of the Roosevelt
type can control the presidential nomi.
nation of that party. Bryan was the
Is hardly fair to apply this word to
him in it's common and baser meaning.
In that sense Bryan was not a boss,
for no matter how wrong-headed his
opponents believed him to be, he was
and is not corrupt. Hanna's corruption,
grew. out of his intimacy with the for
country, whose bidding he did. He is
responsible for the era of large cam
paign funds. The great insurance COM
panies of New York. so far as the facts
have been disclosed, made their first
heavy contributions to national cam
paigns during his service as chairman
No Democratic Boss.
Men and organizations which once
exercised malign control over the ma
tional democratic party are now in dis
favor, or their influence has become
purely local Senator German is not any
longer national democratic manager.
for existence in his own state. Tam
many Hall for years has been confined
to Greater New York affairs. David
Bennett Hill has also passed off the
scene as democratic manager on the
national scale. These forces had no sue
cessor in the democracy, Just as there
has been no successor to Hanna among
republicans.
Ten states within the@past year have
furnished significant illustrations of re-
volt against boss rule. and in four Of
the ten the contest is now at its height
The victory for better things has al
ready been won on larger or smaller
scale, in the other six.
States Shake off Bosses.
It was very recently that Delaware
clared itself in favor Of political decen
cy and honesty. New: Jersey, in GER
tain pivotal nomination for it's state
senate this fall, also declared, altho it
was in a small way, comparatively, that
it had become weary Of boss rule. The
Lorimer machine went to pieces in Hi
nois two years ago, and SC, far as can
now be seen, it is nOs to have sue
cessor in kind.
Governor La Toilette has won a bat
tie of tremendous Importance, in Wis
consin. Of more Importance even than
the legislative issues for which he has
so valiantly stood, mas been and is the
fact that he represents a revolt from
the machine rule that for years had
made Wisconsin source of anxiety to
all lovers of good government. The ma
seems to have gone to pieces entirely,
and there is no indication at this time
that it will ever. be able to pull itself
together, or that the people, having now
had taste of good government, will
ever consent to have anything else.
Missouri s Redemption.
Missouri was redeemed from boss rule
a year ago by Governor Folk, whose
victory was all the more important be-
cause of the tremendous odds against
which he battled. s-s
Nebraska within the past two years
has overthroWn as corrupt a political
machine as ever OVERRIDE the wishes of
free people, and its affairs are now
heing conducted in an honest and or
derby way. !.
In Minnesota last year the people at
the polls defeated by an overwhelming
governor, chiefly because they believed
he was too closely allied with interests
inimical to the welfare Of the state,
In the four remaining states the con.
test is progressing, and there are signs
that next month will, put the most of
these states into the list of those al
ready named.
Quay Machine Desperate. =.
In Pennsylvania the old Quay ma
chine is today making the most desper
ate struggle Of it's history, and the
odds seem to be against it. Mayor
Weaver began the work of reform III
Philadelphia, and it has spread unit
now it embraces the entire state. The
movement has received decided stimu
lus from the disclosures following the
suspension of one Of the Pittsbure
banks, which had been, controlled fol
ern end of the state. .s% "a
Senator Penrose, who is now the heac
of the machine, has sent urgent appeals
to fellow members Of the senate tt
come into Pennsylvania and help him
but these appeals have fallen upon deal
ears. There is no member of the repub
lican party, so lost to all sense of de
cency as to be willing to accept thu
Penrose invitation, Even Senator For
aker, who originally accepted, and wal
then compelled by the force of publ,
sentiment to decline, probably feels now
that Penrose should get himself out O.
his own trouble, if he cam -.
The chances are that the independ
ent tickets will be elected in Philadel
phia, city and county, and if they are
or if they should be defeated by a small
margin, the old Quay machine will b.
forever thing Of the past. The fgh
which has been made for good govern
ment in Philadelphia during the pas
six months is of itself alone one Of tn
most encouraging signs of the times. 8
Undoing of Oden. 81, 81
In Greater New York a contest 70
mayor is now on which promises to b
the permanent undoing Of former Gov
ernor Odell and his machine. The 'Odel
bossism in New York state, in it's way
has been as offensive as that of Cox Il
Ohio. The people are not warming III
to the republican candidate for mayor
and Odell is being left with almost n
following worthy of mention. His faI
ure in New York city will react agains
him in the state, at large, and it
confidently predicted by New Yorker
that this year will see the end of Ode
as factor In state affairs. .5s3s.S5.ss
In Ohio the contest this year is j
large part contest against the furthe
bossism of George B. Cox Of Cinci1
natl who for wears has rI11nd fhn affair