Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-06-11


made the rifle" and got away with
their bundle"
Ward bosses" often combine to &C.
complish results, and they often cut
the ground from under one another
without the slightest conjunction.
never knew but one boss" whose
word was absolutely and entirely to
be depended on both as to what he
could do, and what he would do. He
could tell to certainty about how his
ward would go, and If he gave his
word as to the delegates he never un-
der any circumstances broke He
was man of strong likes and dis
likes and exceedingly blunt in his
way of putting things. But he could
neither be wheedled nor intimidated.
The mere fact that he had promised
the support of his delegates in a con.
vention to certain candidate did not
determine that he would support that
candidate at the polls on election. But
just so far as his word went, that
promise was iron-clad and irrevocable
Time was when a boss" was to be
marked by his reputation for physical
proves. But those days are in the
sere and yellow leaf. Strange to say,
even in the toughest of the tough"
wards, the leaders" are very seldom
now men who depend on their knock
down and drag out" abilities. The
boss" of to-day aspires to be
dresser" and a wit, not a "slugger"
Pugilism is left to it's regular expon-
ents, and though many of the bosses"
may be patrons of the sparring
matches, they have given the rough
and-tumble method of the past the
good-by, and plume themselves on
smoother plans to achieve success.
Such thing as a conscience is
something that no INSCRIPTIONS ward
boss" will harbor for to him con-
science is dead letter in politics. Be
sides, boss" may be in one party
one year, and on the other side of the
fence the next year. He may support
a measure at first and then switch"
and fight it. Expediency is his watch
word, and he will support man
whom he cordially despises if he can
see advantage to himself in the end.
The questions of party principles have
an exceedingly hazy interest to him,
for the class with which he mingles,
and the interests which he represents,
have no time at all to study political
economy, and no inclination towards
the ethical side of politics.
1t was a matter of genuine interest
to meet the various bosses" big and
little, and weigh them and analyze
them as they came into my perspec-
tive. They were always a trifie curl
Gus as to just how happened to be in
politics, and | ain quite certain they
were decidedly uncertain as to just
how l came to be holding down fair
salaried position when | could not de-
liver delegates; and yet, meeting me
in the game at every turn, from the
primaries to the national conventions,
they knew | was keeping cases" az
they may have expressed it, and that
in some mysterious way must be Of
some value in the sum total Of ele-
ments making up political life.
The question of silent bosses" and
laxative bosses" is one which has
been variously reviewed, and the av-
erage judgment has been that the
silent boss" was the great power.
The fact was that the silent" boss
could talk fast enough when he want
ed to, and the talkative boss could
stand pat" when he so desired. Il it
was the nature of boss" to talk he
did so; if he was naturally a secretive
man, he kept still generally. The most
effective combination was the Boss"
who could talk or keep still as occa-
sion demanded, and who could neither
be goaded nor coaXed into either
silence or speech against his better
judgment
1t could be said in favor of nearly
every real ward boss" that he was
not an orator. Not in the sense of a
"silver-tongued spell-binder." Many of
them could give good, common-sense
talks, and effective ones, too, but they
did not essay to split the welkin with
their perorations. and rather despised
in their hearts the wind TANNER" and
his periods. At the same time, for
genuinely great speaker they had
deep respect and enjoyed hearing him.
AS for the man with the pen," they
were never unwilling to avail them
selves of his services if he could
make good" with anything to help on
campaign.
ERNEST M'GAFFEY.
Copyright, 1908, by Joseph b. Bowles.)