ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1911. AMERICAN POLITICS.
The next Presidential election in the United'States'will be specially and agreeably remarkable if it results,, as \at> present appears likely, in a revolution on the part of one, if not all the candidates, ■ against the objectionable "boss" or sectional system which has so lotog exercised^ the most noxious influence in American politics.' And this appears to be not only possible—ten .years ago it would have been declared to be the wildest of extravagant dreams—but actually probable. At present the position is that there are £Wo~ openly-declared Democratic candidates, Governor Harmon, of Ohio, and' Governor Woodrow Wilson. The former may be regarded as a Democrat of the old school—one who, though nominally echoing the Jeffersonian plea for "free and pure politics"I—with the accent on the pure —is more or less already personally wedded' to. thei maintenance of that sectional and local organisation in which; "bofesism" plays so prominent and objectionable a part. Mr Bryan may be regarded as a "back number" in American politics ; and it is highly improbable that, were he to come forward again,. his candidature would be regarded'seriously; but if*he did, he too, like Governor Harmon, could hardly be expected to shake himself free c»f.theVtime-honored but none the less veops|f«Svil traditions of American legislative electioneering. Of the ■, old school aj[iso—the school which believes "irj|- organisation of a character which renders; practically impossible the exclusion of the "boss" element—is President Taft, who, it ma,y fairly be taken for granted, will stand as a Re^publiean" candidate for a second term of Presidential office. President Roosevelt, before ~ his election and after hehad.retired from office, coquetted more or less with the "pure politics" section of his own party; indeed, there is good reason -for the belief that he owed his election for a second term almost as much to re-form-desiring Democrats as to the vote of his own, the Republican party. But when in power it can hardly be contended that he made good, or attempted to make good, his fine protestations of reform. On the contrary, riot only Democratic but Republican journals of high standing Have accused him" of carrying^ out the "spoils to tne victors" principle with an almost cynical regard for the interests of the community at large. Of late, especially during the Congressional election campaign which preceded the Democratic victory in the Lower House, Mr Roosevelt was specially demonstrative in his attacks upon political corruption. His ruthless denunciation of Senators Lorimer and Ballinger, the latter one of Mr Taft's Ministers, will be remembered in this connection. But it is doubtful whether Mr Roosevelt, were he again to contest the Presidency, would openly disavow and reject the assistance of the party "bosses," and in any case, his possible attitude on such a subject is of no great consequence, seeing that it is most improbable that his old party would even discuss the subject of his candidature. By a large majority of that party he is regarded' as a "wrecker," and Ms opinion, one way or the other, oii campaign methods ceases therefore to be of any serious party im-, portance. There is, however, one gentleman who is a candidate for the seat now occupied by Mr Taft who is a thoroughly sincere and uncompromising bpponent of the "boss" system, and whose election as President could not fail to be followed by widereaching reforms, not only in American electioneering methods but in a much-needed purification of American political and legislative methods generally. We refer to Governor Woodrow Wilson, a, former President of Princeton University, a learned yet not a pedantic scholar, a man who has given excellent proof of his ability as an organiser—of the_ best stamp—a man upon whose political, public, and private life no shadow of scandal or opprobrium has ever been cast. Governor Wilson entered polities' as a Democrat, but as an Independent Democrat, pledged to honesty and purity in public life, and to the initiation, if he ,can but carry his theories into practice, of a new era in American political life. He won his first election, as politicians say, completely "on his own," discarding with unfeigned contempt the assistance of the professional "wire-pullers" and political * 'hacks" of the party with which he is, nominally, at least, allied. A second election, that for a State , Governorship, he won on the same lines, and against such supposedly overwhelming oddsi, but, nevertheless, by such a strikingly large majority that his name became famous from New York to San Francisco. Were he selected as the Democratic candidate he would' probably win the day and succeed Mr Taft; but the older Democrats are said to
b? afraid of an excess of zeal on his part, ami to prefer a candidate such as Governor Harmon, who will work on the traditional party lines. It remains to be seen whether the Old Guard in the Democratic party—for the Democrats have their Old Guard just as the Republicans have theirs, the so-called "Joe Cannon Battery" —will be too strong for the ardent young reformer who will, when the proper time comes, appeal to the party as a whole. If Governor Wilson succeeds in establishing himself at the White House, he will usher in a new era in American politics. But the Old Guard—the. "bosses"—in both parties will fight hard, and will not be easily vanquished. Meanwhile the official Republican leaders cannot fail to be seriously disquieted over the revolt of certain members of their party on the wool tariff. It may yet happen that some Republican "dark horse" may come forward and challenge Mr Taft's nomination as the Republican standard-bearer. Whether this candidate will be run by the Old Guard, or whether he will endeavor to "dish" Governor Wilson and the Democrats by advocating electoral reform, is a matter which cannot be decided until he makes his appearance.
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Marlborough Express, Volume C, Issue 217, 20 September 1911, Page 4
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979ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1911. AMERICAN POLITICS. Marlborough Express, Volume C, Issue 217, 20 September 1911, Page 4
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