Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-09-23
Friday, September %, 1910
BAD YEAR FOR BOSSES

BAD YEAR FOR BOSSES
This is a bad year for bosses. There
have been many of them; they are not
now SO numerous. Every day the sad
intelligence reaches us that another of
them has been gathered unto his
fathers. The Boss Of Congress having
reached the years of the Psalmist, and
yet by reason of his strength still held
his job, was among the first to become
amt, and weak, and sick, and then he
went This, as the italian would say,
was the "Biggy Boss" After he began
to weaken every body jumped on him,
and they have beaten, and kicked him,
and pounded him into pulp. There's
no more work for poor Uucle Joe, he's
gone where the dead bosses 60.
Then there was that other boss, the
Senate Boss, Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich.
He is very crafty. He got in some good
work before he quit. He stood lot
of punishment before he went down,
but he gave as good as was sent through
the whole fight. He hit the nation
some awful jolts. The upper cuts on
the tariff schedules which he landed
nearly put the country groggy. He
had her going several times, all up
against the ropes, but q clinch toward
tn e end saved her in the last round.
Now as we look back over the encoun-
ter We can with truth say that whilst
he has quit the ring, he was not exact
ly knocked out. If points are counted
IN the contest he was really the win
ner. That Rubber rib rooster he land
ed Just as the fight ended, was q heart
stopper, and on any ordinary opponent
would have ended the fight the other
way. His rake off as he leaves the ring
Is easy money and plenty of it, and in
his retirement it can be said, che was
the best yet" The picture show mon
ey has never vet been calculated. 1t is
large.
The Pine Tree State has long had a
belt " carer In the shape of Boss Hale
A mighty champion has he been. HIS
custom had been for years to knock
'em all out in every encounter. He
some time ago announced that he
would retire from the arena, so that he
has not been actually knocked oui. He
knew when to quit, SO he cannot be
called welcher. He put it on the
score of health. He was Hale but not
hearty. There, however, was sort OF
upheaval in the good State of Maine
last Monday, and whilst the Boss Of
ancient days was not exactly in the
serimmage, he was an interested locker
on from his invalid's chair, and the
entertainment may be said to have
been largely for his benefit. Any way
he Is not now boss, only has been.
The fight in Michigan which ended
the career Of . great "ringster" Out
there, boss Of long standing, was
among the first to come of. A young
athlete not only landed heavily
tn roughout the fight, but in the closing
round knocked that old champion
Julius Caesar Burrows, clear over the
ropes, with the worst solar plexus YET
delivered.
The prize ring in Virginia has moi
been entirely prohibited by law. We
have, to be sure, prohibitory laws
here, and plenty of them. They pro.
hibit most everything to everybody
except those who make them. But
even here fight may oe pulled off &C.
casionally, and occasionally boss may
20 down. We have not suffered an
entire overthrow of bosses here yet. 1t
is said that whilst our principal boss
received several smashes on the jaw in
the Norfolk contest last Monday, he
was not entirely winded, nor was he
knocked out, he was only taught the
lesson of caution. He will ''come
back" so his hackers and bottle hold
ers say. 1t is certain, however, that
the betting odds will not be as great in
his favor as before. He did not show
his former skill. He took his punish
ment faiily well, but he showed fatigue.
His jabs seemed to lack steam, and as
nor side-stepping he was not there with
the goods at{all. He moved like an ice
wagon. The exhibition was sore dis
appointment to his friends, but as it
was not q regular battle, but only a
preliminary bout, and inasmuch as his
sparing partner, the Hon. Claude A.,
or his bottle. holder, the Hon. Dick
E., were not present, it was probably
not q fair test of his real skill. 1t was
somewhat humiliating, however, to see
this Wizard o.. the political fling, this
great. fsticuffer, the Hon. Thomas s.,
get ii. "put all over him." as was done
In Norfolk. We begin to wonder If
there may not be a Reno here in Vir-
ginia, where mighty 'shas been" may
80 down. This is surely an off year
for bosses.
Some of the New York newspapers
say that Attorney General Wicker
sham voted for Judge Alton B. Parker
in 1904 IN preference to the Colonel. 1t
is safe to say that Mr.. Wickersham has
filled bis last cabinet position.
HANG IN THE BALANCE.
A democratic senator from Maine
seems like fairy tale. Yet there are