New-York tribune., 1920-04-25
ne Fra OF the Great American Boss Is Dead:
f0ht1cs Has Seen the Last of Its Crokers
Such Absolute Rule as Was Enforced
by Early Tammany Chiefs Is
No Longer Possible
By Fred B. Pitney


w quarter Of century the
"easy boss" Of Cincin-
natl, was on his last visit to New
York he remarked to a friend:
I'm out of politics now, and the
rest of the old fellows are all gone"
"Does that mean that BOSS rule
won't work any longer in this coun-
try?" he was asked.
ooh" he replied, II guess It means
the people are tired Of bosses"
Cox was mostly right and partly
wrong. The people were tired of
bosses, but he was not the last of
that picturesque coterie, the Henry
Morgans and Captain Kidds of
American politics. Roger Sullivan
was still functioning 100 per cent in
Illinois and Richard Croker was
basking in the sun at Palm Beach.
1t is less than month ago that Sui
Ivan at last declared himself out of
politics, fortnight preceding his
death from bronchitis, while Croker
still remains Florida attraction.
Tho Triumphant Triumvirate
OF all that disappearing genera
ton, these three, Croker, Cox and
Sullivan, are the classic examples of
the eminence to which boss could
arrive and the worst that boss could
mean, and Croker in his prime was
the greatest Of them all. To be
sure, there were other bosses, and
Charles Francis Murphy Is a pale
imitation Of the present day, but a
glance over the list shows that Gro
ker, Cox and Sullivan were the types
to which the best of the others only
appropriated.
In the national field there was
Mark Hanna, and in some aspects
Hanna was the crowned king Of all
the bosses. He ruled a greater ter
ritory and had greater number of
subjects. All the other bosses took
orders from him. But there was one
prime rule for the true type Of boss
laid down by Croker under which
Hanna failed to qualify. The rule
was laid down by Croker at the hear
ngs Of the Mazet committee In
1899. He was being examined by
Frank Moss, attorney for the COM
mittee, who was trying to make
Croker disclose the source of his
wealth.
$50 you are working for your own
pocket?" Mr.. Moss said.
"All the time; and you, too"
Croker replied.
"Then it Is not q matter Of wide
craftsmanship or patriotism alto
gether with you, but it is wide
craftsmanship, patriotism and per-
sonal gain mixed up?" Mr.. Moss
continued.
The TimewOrn Motto
"It is to the victor belongs the
spoils,'" Croker retorted.
Hanna had made his fortune, and
big one, before he went into poll
tics. Politics probably was pretty
expensive luxury for him. He was
boss because of his ruthlessness, his
executive ability and his dominating
and, when needed, domineering per-
sonality.
With Croker, Cox and Sullivan
politics was their private business.
They went into politics as a business
enterprise and made big fortunes
out of it.
T. c. Platt approximated moro to
the Croker standard: Arthur Pugh
German was Of the Hanna type.
Matt Quay was betwixt and be-
tween, as was Foraker. Odell never
lost anything through politics, but
his career as boss was brief.
Taking 1t by and large, as boss's
field Of operations expanded his op-
portunities for private gain lcssened.
He was subjected to the scrutiny OF
too many eyes. There were too
many openings for leaks. He was
pursued too closely by tho Declara-
ton Of independence, the Constitu-
ton and the ideals Of tho fathers.
There was a famous sugar investi-
cation In the United States Senate,
but no boss was alleged to be be-
hind whatever corruption may have
existed. On the other hand, in the
municipality, the boss sits on his
throne and wields tho scepter and
the ak and the fountain pen- Gro
ker laid down tho limits in 1911,
when Murphy was under criticism
for trying to mako himself stass
boss.
Abingdon, Not an Empire
ANY Tammany leader who tries
70 make himself state leader makes