SOME AMERICAN POLITICAL "BOSSES."

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 157, 31 December 1898, Page 4 (Supplement)

SOME AMERICAN POLITICAL "BOSSES."

A series of articles by " A Recent Resident " entitled " The American Political Machine " is being published by tho Otago Daily Times. Dealing with the men who run the " boss " system, he draws the following repulsive portraits : — Spend a few seconds, for example, before the portrait of " Boss " Buckley, the once all-powerful Democratic "boss" of San Francisco. He has ruled this city with a rod of iron on more than one occasion. Men known, in law, commerce, and legislation have waited patiently in his ante-room for an audience. He has said who shall be Governor ox che State, Mayor of the city, occupants of the Supreme (Jourt bench, members of the Board of Supervisors, and as he has said so has ii/ been. Conventions have accepted his nominees, and the party has returned them, and the public has been plundered rignfc nobly. Nor has Buckley remained true to his own party. He " sold out " to the late millionaire Senator Stanford for 80,000dol all his interests, and whipped up his " lambs " to the polls without a blush. It w<iß merely a clever bit of politics. And yet «. man capable of exercising so despotic a sway was," physically, blind, not educated, destitute of social rank — he kept a saloon — had to absent himself from his beloved city and sojourn in Canada to avoid criminal proceedings, but at this hour is spending the eve of his days in quiet luxury on his own beautiful ranch in the State of California. But Buckley— the "blind white devil" — was a man oi culture compared to Martin Kelly, of the same citj% the Republican "boss." This man has done nearly everything that s bad, and committed nearly every crime to which an ordinary being can aspire. He has been thief, fence, knife user, kicker, gambler, saloon keeper, and politician. In the course of his nefarious tradings ac became known to a large, varied, and more or less disreputable number of clients. These clients had votes, and Martin Kelly controlled them both. From such base surroundings — his whole life was made public through some action for libel he, in a moment of fatuity, thought he could prove — came forth the man who in time ruled the Republican party as masterfully as did Buckley the Democratic ; and in one respect both bore a marvellous resemblance to the other. Both viewed the public as lawful game. Neither wanted honours- or office, neither wished for position, they merely claimed the honorary post of party manager. Of politics as a science, as a machine for advancing the social and material conditions of life, they knew little and cared less. Bufc of politics as a machine the handle of which, when firmly grasped, would turn, out more dollars than any honest man could hope to gain in the course of a long life, they knew an infinite deal. And in this they are typical of the American "boss " as he is known in the large ciiies of the United States. I merely mention them as average cases, but the list is emblazoned with other, equally noted men, and could be prolonged almost indefinitely. Lower depths, perhaps, have been reached in Chicago than in other places — that is, in the class of man citizens have permitted to occupy posts of honour in the administration of affairs. A man, M'Carthy by name, is a member of the Board of Aldermen for the grea.t City of Chicago. He is 50 years of age, 6ft 2in tall, weighs 2501b, is utterly illiterate,but, otherwise, a brute pure and simple. He is king of the stockyards, controls the votes of many wards, can be relied upon for any horrible work the party deems necessary, and gained a national reputation for his novel methods of dealing with political opponents. These he treats as he has learned to treat the hogs in the stockyards. Kicking in, the abdomen, , drawing the coat on nis opponent's back over his opponent's eyes, and then cruelly maltreating him, gouging an eye out with his forefinger, or thrusting the latter in his enemy's mouth and tearing open the cheek. These are common acts of a human monster whom the workings of the political American machine have brought into prominence and influence. He also is but a type. It is in New York, however, that one meets with tho ne plus ultra of political bosses. Tweed might have died in the odour of sanctity and national lamentation had be only mixed a little more wisdom in his robberies. But whilst people, as a community, don't object to being robbed — in America, that is — they do object to be robbed and insolently told they are being robbed aa well. Tweed's open Insolence was the cause of his winding up in gaol. Mr. Richard Croker, for many Tears despot of Tammany Hall, and, I believe, chief, or near to the chief, at this day, is a man who has kept out of gaol. He has been cartooned in convicts' stripes, but he has never been called upon to wear them. On the contrary, ha live*, when staying temporarily in town, at Waldorf's Hotel, the lowest terms at which an, I have read, £5 a day : he always drosses for dinner ; he boa his country house in Berkshire, England ; he gave a church to hia native town in Ireland ; he has hi* English racing stud, and has chatted on familiar terms with the Prince of Wales. His fortune is placed away up in the million dollars circle, and I may safely assume he is worth, on a low estimate, £100,000. How did he make it? Croker 1 . portrait in Btcad's summary of the Lexow Commission (known as "Satan's Invisible World Displayed") represents him aa a n" it, handsome, wall-droned, strongured businaas man. Few men, howaver, have been in more exciting scenes, froker landed in New York a strappinK Irish lad ; ha served an apprentioaship to * machinist; be had neither friends nor money; ha bacama stoker on a locomotive t ha was n pugilist, and fought one prise fight, and subsequent It trained for another, and then dropped into politico He was socoeasful from the first, and held one or two minor offiaie, but from the hour he obtained cootrol of Tammany he has held no position, except by proxy, and at the age of 50— he is now 68— was a man of ample fortune. Again we may a*k the quAtion, How was it done? Croker wa» not in any. profession, or trade, or oftice ; be waa neUnet member of a State Legislature. Congreas, or municipal body; he i» not a talker, and ye» he « when, he U |«olely from his connection with politics. Here we have a man, not endowed with any •uperlative abilities, nor favoured by birth, controlling for years the dostinica of New York CSty and State, and. in a ttMtmre. the nation. He baa held muni ctpaltty and UgisUture in the hollow of hi. hand, and coon out from tho fiery onkeJ of execration ami adulation tb« American gentleman of teiaore. Moralising v. Miuwleuea, for he who ran* mcv >-»«d, and I content mvsetf with the remark Tfck is he who nms the Machine !