Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-03-25
UNDER BOSSES.

Iowa the passing or an alleged boss by
the name of J. w. Blythe. Yester-
day witnessed the observation, in
part. of another boss by the name of
A. B. Cummins. Both events are i'm
portant. Iowa does not want any
bosses. 1t can get along without
them. Mr.. Cummins made the elimi.
nation of what he called the DO .sism
of certain railroad attorneys his main
plea. But he was himself a railroad
attorney who simply had fallen ont
with the others because the others
would not aid him in getting into
certain offices. He had no sooner
gotten into the saddle than he began
to build up machine of his own and
to become boss in his own name. If
anything his career as boss has been
the more absolute. There used to be
some sort of freedom under the old
regime, of which he complained. But
under Mr.. Cummins as boss every
thing has been absolute. No janitor
in the state house could BIZ appointed
without he was properly passed on as
man agreeing with the boss and
willing to render services. That test
has been extended to every school
house precinct in Iowa. as far as it
could be controlled from Des Moines.
Is the applicant friend" or an
enemy''-the word enemy and
my enemy" was applied to every
man who did not sub criber to the
tenets and practices Of the regime.
OF course, we know that it was
claimed that all this was done for the
peoples good. But there can be no
bossism that is for the peoples good.
When men in politics cease to be free
agents. degeneration sets in. And all
bossism in the end becomes tyrannical.
1t must also be said for the old bos-
sism that it was never atle to make
absolute "slates. In the palmy days
of the old regime, men still retained
the right to aspire to Office. 1t was
still true that every man had right
to try out his strength before the
people. In the end the bosses were
content to annex the men who had
proved their mettle and their strength
before the people. Take it in the
days of Frank jackson. He was one
of manv who strove for the guberna-
torial nomination. When Shaw ran
there were half dozen candidates
struggling for the nomination. Men
were still free to aspire to office.
I But under the newer bossism. all
that liberty has been done away with.
Now coterie meets in Des Moines
and says TO one man. lyon may run
for governor" and to all the other
aspirants ''you may not run" This
year the coterie picked out Garst-in
fact ttey picked him out two years
ago and made promises to him, the
fulfillment of which he exacted this
year. All the others. the Funks and
the Clarks and the Byers. had to obey.
The primary law was enacted with
tbs pretense of going back TO the
people But under it they try to give
the people only one man to vote for
the coterie picks the man and then
presents him to the people. The
people are simply asked to ratify what
has been decreed behind closed doors.
1t is this form of bossism that was
obscured yesterday. AS God was said
to have grown tired of kings so the
people had grown tired of bosses.
They threw an alleged boss. only to
find real one ruling in his mythical
stead and ruling with the b'olute
had of despot. The new bosses, it
is true, talked more Familiarity of the
people. simply because they were
more accomplished hypocrites and
demagogues.
Iowa republicans and Iowa people
want no bosses at all. That must be
the new slogan. In Cedar Rapids in
our city election we are living up to
this motto nowadays. And the repub-
iicans of Iowa made a start in that
direction yesterday. Cedar Rapids
Republican.