Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1909-12-24
An Elective Boss.

Charles j. Bonaparte, former y. >.
Attorney General. In an address as the
President OF the National Municipal
League. al Cincinnati, took fof mis- sub
iect "An Elective Boss" lie sent an
article, with the chief points OF this
address. To "The Outlook As The
subject IL one that should interest eve
ry eitlxen,.as Il IL being discussed In
many forms throughout the country
lust now, coming from such "A high au-
thority, we give Mr.. Bonaparte's views
I'm regard To selecting political party
leaders, ms printed in "rhe oatiook;'
IL would have every voter appearing
on the registration lists To be affiliated
with political party, given blank
slip when he received his official bal
| lot at legal election, and requested TO
write in his own hand on this slip,
while he prepares his ballot In the
booth, the name of u leader for bis par
ty In the city during the next year.
| These slips would tie put Ia separate
ballot box provided for each party ana
| publicly counted by the regular officers
of election. The person receiving u
p,urnltty OF the votes so cast would be-
come the Party Leader for the ensuing
| year. The three, or perhaps the hve,
persons receiving the next largest votes
after his, should make up an Advisory
Committee for the same period
"rhe sole duty of the Party Leader
| would bo To place names on "regu-
lnrn ticket at the party's primaries
arhe Advisory Committee should oe
consulted rs To these names, and any
member OF II Who dlsapproved OF any
name could have his dissent published
.Every facility would be given FOL
independent candidates both ut the
primaries aud at the final election. The
nominees of the Party Leader would
have no other adv antage In the former
than to be designated rs Irregular, OF
hy some equivalent title.
al do not believe the Party Leader
chosen MS above suggested, would usu
ally be the present local Boss; II h'
were. this would only show that h'
fairly represented the party. In any
event. under this system, the part, Z
nomination would be suggested by
epresentative consciously and intelli
gently chosen TO do this paFticula
work. and the city'syotefs would know
| n =
assurance of fitness. The duty of max
. Ing suggestions must fall, In last resort
IN AN individual. If We make il the bu
s,ness Of anybody, We make IL the eu
/. sineSs of nobody; II We make IL th'
business of every body, whether In IN
Marty or ia the electorate al large, W.
leave IL to fall to anybody who grasp
II, aud experience shows that TINS any
hoay will not be usually somebod,
We want.
~ nropose to recognize the import
hands of a designated somebody. Some
hody else. somebody otherwise chosen
anee Of this business and 10 pull IL In the
may he possibly, indeed probably, bel
| Ter illled to ssiend TO The work than
The somebody nave suggested, tut
a@.arealy, " hether w neglect IT or not,
the work must, Of Necessity, aud VIII
certainly, have atteaiion, and no ieSs
aSsa4edty Ii is now generally, or sas too
oigea, N haa hands
these are Tire views Of sa eniteas
LAWYER statesman, Feeesatkea SsSo ~
anonx tass class q cur ATTEST sAsa
MO. lac President Tail, eS.FFess'isat
R.e~sxeif Governor Hughes, and 9th.
a. .llsssagasshsi patriotic mem are "a
Aaslag "a awaken not aaly municipal
aa,naltles hat thc easiEe nassen te
= consciousness thas tae ecass2' n aes'.