The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-09
PEOPLES FORUM

hmond Virginian:

HuItoT iAiCHmond NirRntan.
Slr,-Professor James Albert Woodburn Of
me University of Indiana, has written a very
interesting and informing book entitled Poll,
ucal PARTIES and Party Problems in the United
States. " ~ "
In considering the factors which enter into
our party problems"--of course he takes ac-
count OF the boss and the leaders. "a distnc-
ton with a differenceD But before discussing
the boss and the leader he naturally and
ioeleaiiy has something TO say about the poll
ucian and the ring
A politician. he says, "originally and right
Iuiiy' Is one versed or experienced in the
science of government" and he expresses the
OPINION that in this sense all citizens should
seek to become politicians" He shows that
ne ~ informed of present conditions when he
ados but at present the term has come to
'neah one oeFoted, not to the science of gov
e'iinehe pu' TO the success of a political party;
party worker who devotes himself to the
ART OF making nominations and carrying cleo
IONS one VINO manages caucuses commit
tees and conventions" &c
lie further shows his Familiarity with his
subject in his discussion of the rnr-whieh
ne says, is a combination of men who stand
py one another under the direction OF leader
arr 'e out their common political pro-
Jects' They support one another for nomina-
uohs ana pubic PAGES. or for other political
rewards What could be more natural than
Tor the writer to add in this connection
OFFICE holders or the class Of profassionaI
politicians who live by politics are apt to
FORM ring to support one another to pass
the offices around among themselves and 10
perpetuate their power The author has oh
served the trend of public sentiment for he
says there Is much opposition to combines
and rings, as the people like their political
processes TO he open and above-board''
by process OF natural evolution and de-
| ,eioPihsiii-hhd IN order that the ring may
ne made effective for carrying out the oh
Jects for which ii was created II nuat have
noss Our author has some striking things
70 say OF the boss Among others he SAYS
"A boss Is professional politician who
uses the machinery of the party for the ad-
vantage of a ring, for private ends and
is obeyed by a large body of followers II a
corrupt boss seeks Office IL Is bv appojntm.nt
or by indirect election--by 1epslatnra atc
through men whom he controls The boss Is
not concerned with opinions His ring Is
formed to carry out personal ends without any
regard to the interests OF the public The boss
must prevent the incoming Of an honest ad
n'histratfen that will apply the pubic Offices
I for public uses; and to avoid this tha narty
boss viii support the boss Of the opposite
party against reform movement giving
promise or success. In such times OF signal
alsIrfss+ ,hese Is .se politics Ia politics. The
bosses OF the opposing parties Will come to
an understanding and work together to save
oosslsln and its perquisttes." The author treats
the boss analytcallv and concreteIv and cites
number of striking and interesting cases
showing how grievously different communities
have suffered at the hands of the boss
Several pages are taken up with the dis
cussion or the boss, and from what Is said
of him we will readily conclude that his car
dinal principles are addition. division and
silence. But II is sad to observe that tba
author does not seem to require much space
to tell about leaders
! IA poittlcai. lie adaF,' our >aMiho. says "iz ~
statesman; he has opinions on public questions;
he has political intelligence and public p,lr-
pose. and he seeks to instruct and direct nub
lie opinion on great public questions The
leaders purposes are public ones. and he ap-
pea1s to the public reason for the support of
opinions and policies. The statesman. who
stands for the suffrages of the people will
not be identified with, and he usually has no
disposition toward, outright political corrup-
ton All that the author saws Of political
leaders Is well said, and should make us wish
that there were more of them
Alas Alas that well informed and so
discriminating a writer in discussing present
POLITICAL Parties and Party Problems in the
United States should deem 1t proper to de-
vote so much space to the party boss and so
little to the party leader. But which does
the country need the most?
w. sYDNOR
Ashland Va. June 6, 1911.