The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-03
TEE BOSS ISSUE.


ALBANY, Sept. There In q Joy be-
yond all description In the occasional
encounter with o politician who, despite
his antipathy for the Governor-and all
politicians share and share alike In this
o~ondescends TO. tell the facts " he sees
them, not a. he wants them. On q jour
ney here from the north your correspond
emit encountered such a politician and
his arst comment was this:
Il am satisfied after looking over my
own territory that about 90 per cent.
Of the Republicans Of this State-and the
better element, the sober. substantial
element-want Hughes ~renominated.'
"You don't accept the statements of
other politicians about the lack Of Hughes
sentiment. theni" I asked.
'Oh. NO; what's the use OF lying-this
Is a plain fight between the politicians and
Hughes. II they don't kill him he will
kill them. that's all; except I hope and
believe that they are going to kill him.
This politician has q reputation as
wide az the State. To use his name would
be to get o respectful hearing for any
political observation, but his comments
were made with the express understand
ing that names should not be used. On
the whole 1t stated the ease with abso-
lutte f~ranknese, as II appears upon inves-
tigation-a battle between the Governor
and the politicians. with the realization
that the defeat Of the politicians will be
fatal to them. Only rarely. however.
does n meet q big politician who is
willing to state the cass this way.
Immediately balancing this statement
quoted above is the dictum of q railroad
man, a station master along Lake Cham
plain. II has the additional merit Of
coming from q source supposedly utterly
hostile TO the Governor, for the bosses
say that all the railroad men are against
Hughes. Iasked this station master about
the outcome Of q local fight in Essex
county. His reply 10 this:
Il haven't heard. The fact is that
there is only one thing in politics that tho
people around here are paying any atten-
ton to this year. and that 10 the question
Of Governor Hughes
What are they saying about that?' I
asked.
All the people around here are for
Hughes; that's the way all people I meet
arc talking. Let me tell you one thing,
too. II the politicians turn the Governor
down II will be the worst thing that they
ver did In this State. don't forget IL.
That's what we feel right here in Essex
county,
There Ia the story that meets n In
every corner Of the State-the farmer, the
business man. apparently wen an occa
sional railroad man, all grasping hold Of
a single issue; not the Hughes issue phi
marily, but the boss issue. Whether one
is at. a hotel. on a train or In a crowd,
invariably It 10 the Hughes question that
comes up for discussion. When it does
come up instantly there breaks out the
anti-boss feeling. Scores and scores OF
mon have said In the hearing Of THE
SUNS correspondent Hughes or Bryan
for me- 1t IL neither local nor peculiar
to any county or set OF counties; 1t 10 just
as emphatic in Clinton county on the
Canadian line as In Genesee at the other
corner Of the State.
To hear this denunciation and threaten
ing day after day. almost never in the
Aoitu vi Ill iitCi Wow VI HI ICoPohoo W
inquiry. but just overlooking from chance
conversation. from barroom gossip. which
10 not in the least for quotation. from
every. sort Of source imaginable. Il to
understand that there is something in
common in the public emotion Of the
voters all over the State.
We voters amt getting q square deal;
We want Hughes and the politicians won't
let US have him." Here 10 q familiar line
and q dangerous one. You get the To-
ton that people. voters, good solid party
organization Is being turned against
them. You get It everywhere. and along
with It 10 the rapidly mounting desire
to punish: resentment. indignation. genu-
Inc passion.
well show Them is the way this feel
ing expresses itself from the average
voter.
In the end. also. there is the moral ques-
ton. Up in ogdensburg I talked with q
prominent Democratic lawyer who had
attended the races at Saratoga, and he
told me this story. Said he.
Coming back from the track mi day
I met . fellow who had just won three
bets and VI began talking about the Gov
ernor, and he expressed forcibly the hatred
OF all the sporting men for Hughes.
: .'But,' said he. II Hughes Ia renomi-
mated he will be reelected by . 1000. and
III tell you why. All the gamblers and
the sports and the whole bunch win knife
him, but all the church people will vete
for him-and there ana q hell Of q sight
more church people than there are Of US.
This church question Is one that for
obvious reasons one hesitates to dis
cuss; yet there It Is. There is hardly a
church through the rural DISTRICTS. the
strong Republican districts. which isn't
q centre for Hughes sentiment. In this
place the simple question Ia whether the
gamblers shall control the Republican
party. This is what IL means. Hughes
Is to be turned down by the politicians
because OF his raoetrack bill. 1t ID to
please the gamblers.
Now, as the gambler intimated above.
thers are Q few more church members
than devotees OF tho track In the Repub-
lican party. Quito In the same way there
are not o few OF these church people who
regard O moral isaue a. just a degree more
than any question OF party
politics. As to the reality OF this church
as TO its intensity there can DO
doubt. It lies open to any one who
cares to test It. It Ia a part Of the rural
strength Of the Governor. Nor Ia there