Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-07
REPUBLICANS AND BOSSES.

Kansas City journal: In surveying
the broad field Of American poNtlcS,
a single party boss IS seen standing
alone and defiant. he does not ht-
long TO the democratic. the republican
or the socialist party. He belongs 10
his own party and he Is about al!
there is 10 that party. as an eXamIna-
ton 4pf recent election returns d-S,
closes. Job +. Hedges, late rG,uh!l-
can candidate for governor OF New
York, at @ luncheon rendered MIN by
Kansas City republicans the other Gay
called attention 10 the decline OF the
political boss and pointed Out that
there is no boss dominating the repub-
lican party. THE republican party
is not dead" said Mr.. Hedges; 1T
isn't ever sick. The results OF the 70
/ cent elections show that il j. still III"
| fighting, progressive force that it ha9
been"
The recent elections" are NOR"
than merely significant. They show
conclusively that the Bull Moose par
ty organized to advance the political
j fortunes of Theodore Roosevelt Is
down and out. Roosevelt carried
Michigan in the November election by
nearly 1000 plurality. At the state
election last Monday the republicans
elected their entire state ticket ny
/, 10000 plurality and the Bull Moose
vote was scarcely big enough 10
count. In ST. Louis the Bull Moose
vote in November was 2j.00o: in the
recent election this vote was cut down
to less than 1900 votes. the Bull
Moose candidate for mayor being a
bad third in the race No. the reput-
lican party evidently is not sick. II
is well and strong, aud all owe the
nation today its members are working
earnestly and successfully to re-eStab-
lish it in the firm position il occupied
for so many splendid years.
Where does this strong party lead
crship cone from" Nut from any
boss or combination Of bosses. Tha.
is sure. The fact is tina; the ropub-
lean party is ruled by The people who
compose it. by the ram and IL ~:
those who belieTe 4 < y-:1@5plss,
and it needs no boss = c->-=s Win
in recent years i wzs afflicted .o- :
time, with a boss. 8-l = :o4z5 -
he could not run III p2r-T, - r.
deserted it and organized : -s--y ,Lz7
hceeOad run, and he has yus- j. into
the ground. The members OF NJ
republican party can r~aorganjZe il
they choose and in any way they
choose. If the party isn't as pro
gressive" as some of the members
desire, they can have their say in
injecting more "progressiveism" into
il. But the republican party has al
"aNS pS'i ii' N"' l'a4 = "a ~
1t has done all the big things of i'm
portance to the nation for half a cen
fury and its policies have been mado
up OF composite opinions OF its men,
bership. Perhaps there were mem
bers who desired more radical poll
scies. as there were members who
counseled greater conservatism. But
in the end the party organization fair
ly represented the wishes and pur-
poses of its members as a whole. And
that is the reason why the republi-
can party needs no boss to direct it
or tell it what to do. And that is the
reason also why the republican party
today is growing stronger and better.
1t is free from bosses, as we'll as
from doctrines and policies that mean
the destruction of constitutional gov.
eminent.