The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17

/ like? Because he does want me to-
If he didn't he wouldn't let me. He
could stop mo from stealing his dinner
And lie would. He could stop me from
rrabbng his state And he doesn't.
DO you spose for a second that l, or
nom Platt or Richard Croker, or Char
ley Murphy, or Matt Quay, or any other
boss who ever lived, could have made
ten people In the whole world do what
those people didn't want to-? You knew
well enough they couldn't. Then, why
did Platt and Quay and the rest boss
the Machine? Why do boss the Ma
chine? Because the people want to be
bossed. Because they'd rather be led
a flaw in that? Facts is facts, and
history is history. Bosses is bosses,
and the people are sheep. Is shcp-
herd in the herdlng business for his
health and to amuse and el'vate the
Sheep? Not he. He's In the game for
the money he can get out of shearing
and occasional butchering. So am l..
MY own pocket first, last and always.
If 1T wasn't me it'd be another shep-
herd. And maybe one that'd make the
sheep sweat worse'n do"
Gives lips parted in protest, but
Caleb waved him to silence.
! You were going to say some wise
thing about the peoples invioiate
rights, eli? We've all got Involate
rights But IL we leave 'em laying
'em. we can't expect much pity
when some one else cops en- away from
us If try to turn you out of your
house. you've got a right to prevent
me. And you would. If you sat by and
let me do it, you'd deserve what you
got If I try to turn the people out
Of their rights in the Legislature, ana
the" stand for 1t, who's got a KICK
coming? Once in q blue moon some
man whose brains have oil run to
lungs--nothing personal-gets up and
shouts to the people that they're being
conned Sometimes--not this time, mind
you--thcy believe 1t, and they throw
over the Machine and elect q bunch OF
wnll-eyed rcformers that know as
much about practical politics as corn
fed dodo bird knows about theology
What happens? The city and the state
are~run in way that'd make a school
boy cry. At the end Of one single ad-
ministraton there's q record of ncom-
petence and messed-up official affairs
that takes a century to straighten out.
The police have been made so pure
they won't let ice and milk be sold for
sick babies on Sundays. but they
haven't time to keep folks from being
kandbagged in open daylight. The
Building Department. commissioners are
so incorruptble they don't know Il
brick from lump of putty And the
contractors eat up chunks of overpay
for rotten work. And SO in every
DranCn OIL governments. I.iS t'SppiS 90
wise to all this, and they decide It's
better to be bled by professionals and
TO get at least part Of their moneys
worth In decent service than 1T IS TO
be bled just as heavy by a PACK OF
measley amachoors and get no service
at all So back they come to the Boss,
begging him to get on the job again.
Which he does, being self sacrificing
sort OF cuss, and glad to help the
'plain people Likewise himself"
'The administration you describe Is
the result OF fanaticism, not real re-
form. IT"
"From where 7 sit, the difference
between the two amt so great as to
show to the undrcssed eye You speak
OF lawyers and country editors pelne
bought by my passes Is there any
law making 'em accept those passes NJ
they don't want 'em? Could I buy ONE
Of those men IL he wasn't for sale
There's Just one thing more, and Their
your little lesson'll be over and yor
can run home All through this de
lightful little ree-union you've kind o.
took the holier-t han-thou' tone that's
s,ch n pleasing trait of you reformer!
when you're dealing with mere sane
folks. Now. the best thing you cal
do is to take that fool idea out fo
q walk and lose 1t, for you not Onl,
amt any better than me, but amt nal
the man. and never will be half the
man. am. You were born with a gold
spoon in your mouth. The spoon wa
pulled out after you grew up but no
till you had your education and your
profession. What did you do? You'
had the best advantages money could
buy YOU And for all that, the mos
you could rise to was a measly every
day law practice. That's all the divi
dends of the tens of thousands OF dol
lars invested in your future were eve
able to declare. or ever will be abb
to- ! started life dead broke. No edu
cation, no pull, no cash. no prospect
don't know just how rich am to
day, but no ones going to cal you
liar IL you put 1t at forty millions An
Tn bossing bigger terrtory-and boss
ing with more power--than half the sc
called high and mighty kings of Yul
rup Now, spose your started where
didg Where'd you be to-day. You
be the honest young brakeman on ii
lnra n OH rnnd, Or at hest Nau,d hn tol