The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
EVELT TELLS OF HIS CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR

umph. The fear Of Mr.. Bryan threw al.
most all the leading men of all classes
into the arms of whoever opposed him.
The Republican bosses, who were al
ready powerful. and who were already in
fairly close alliance with the privileged
interests, now found everything working
to their advantage. Good and high.
minded men, OF conservative tempera'
ment. in their panic played into the hands
OF the ultra-reactionaries OF business ano
politics. The alliance between the two
kinds OF privilege, political and financial
was closely cemeEted; and wherever
there was any attempt to break It up the
cry was at once raised that this merely
represented another phase Of the assault
on national honesty and individual and
mercantile integrity. AS so often hap
pens, the excesses and threats OF an un-
wise and extreme radicalism had resulted
in immensely Strengthening the position
Of the beneficiaries of reaction. This was
the era when the Standard Oil Company
achieved a mastery of Pennsylvania
politics so far-reaching and 30 corrupt
that 1t is difficult to describe 1t without
seeming to eXaggerate.
MIR. PIatt and Big Business.
In New York State United States Sen.
ator Platt was the absolute boss of the
Republican party. big Business was
back of him: yet at the time this. the
most important element in his strength,
was only imperfectly understood. 1t was
not until l was elected Governor that I
myself came to understand it. We were
still accustomed to talking of the ma
chine" as II 1t were something merely
political, with which business had moth
ing TO do. Senator Plat did not use his
POLITICAL position to advance his private
fortunes - therein differing absolutely
from many other political bosses. He
lived in hotels and had few eXtravagant
tastes. Indeed. could not find that he
had any tastes at all except for politics,
and on rare occasions for a very dry
theology wholly divorced from moral
Implications. But big business men con-
tributed to him large sums Of money,
which enabled him to keep his grip on
the machine and secured for them the
help Of the machine IL they were threat
eEed with adverse legislation. The con-
tributions were given in the guise of con-
tributions for campaign purposes, of
money for the good Of the party; when
the money was contributed there was
rarely talk of specific favors in return.
1t was simply put into Mr.. Platt's
hands and treated by him as in the cam
paign chest. Then he distributed II in
the districts where ii was most needed
by the candidates and organization lead
ers. Ordinarily no pledge was required
by the business men from Mr.. Platt or
his lieutenants. No pledge was needed.
II was all n "gentlemen's understand
ing As the Senator once said to me,
II a mans character was such that IL
was necessary to get a promise from
him. IL was clear proof that his char
acter was such that the promise would
not be worth anything after II was made.
Two Types of Party support.
1t must not be forgotten that some Of
the worst practices of the machine in
dealings of this kind represented merely
virtues in the wrong place-virtues
wrenched out of proper relation TO their
surroundings. A man in a doubtful dis
trict might win only because of the help
Mr.. Plat gave him; he might be a de-
cent Young fellow without money enough
to finance his own campaign. who was
able to finance il only because Platt of
his own accord found out or was ap-
prised OF his need and advanced the
money. Such man felt grateful. and.
because OF his good qualities. Joined with
the purely sordid and corrupt heelers
and crooked politicians TO become part
OF the Platt machine. In his turn Mr..
Each nation has its pet Sns 10 which It Is
merciful. and also sins which il treats most ab
huTrent In AmcriCa We peculiarly sensitive
about big money contributions for which the donors
expect any reward. In ENGLAND. where in some ways
the standard IL higher than here. such contributions
are acCcrted q matter Of cUurse. nay. Of
the methods by which wealthy men obtain petr1grs.
II would he Well-niEh impOssihihty for 4 TO
secure a seat in the United States Senate by mere
czmI agn Cnributions in the way that seats in the
British House Of Lords have often been secured
without any scandal being caused thereby.