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The Boss and the Machine; A Chronicle of the Politicians and Party Organization

by Samuel P。 Orth






CONTENTS

I。 THE RISE OF THE PARTY
II。 THE RISE OF THE MACHINE
III。 THE TIDE OF MATERIALISM
IV。 THE POLITICIAN AND THE CITY
V。 TAMMANY HALL
VI。 LESSER OLIGARCHIES
VII。 LEGISLATIVE OMNIPOTENCE
VIII。 THE NATIONAL HIERARCHY
IX。 THE AWAKENING
X。 PARTY REFORM
XI。 THE EXPERT AT LAST

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE





THE BOSS AND THE MACHINE

CHAPTER I。 THE RISE OF THE PARTY

The party system is an essential instrument of Democracy。
Wherever government rests upon the popular will; there the party
is the organ of expression and the agency of the ultimate power。
The party is; moreover; a forerunner of Democracy; for parties
have everywhere preceded free government。 Long before Democracy
as now understood was anywhere established; long before the
American colonies became the United States; England was divided
between Tory and Whig。 And it was only after centuries of bitter
political strife; during which a change of ministry would not
infrequently be accompanied by bloodshed or voluntary exile; that
England finally emerged with a government deriving its powers
from the consent of the governed。

The functions of the party; both as a forerunner and as a
necessary organ of Democracy; are well exemplified in American
experience。 Before the Revolution; Tory and Whig were party names
used in the colonies to designate in a rough way two ideals of
political doctrine。 The Tories believed in the supremacy of the
Executive; or the King; the Whigs in the supremacy of Parliament。
The Tories; by their rigorous and ruthless acts giving effect to
the will of an un…English King; soon drove the Whigs in the
colonies to revolt; and by the time of the Stamp Act (1765) a
well…knit party of colonial patriots was organized through
committees of correspondence and under the stimulus of local
clubs called 〃Sons of Liberty。〃 Within a few years; these
patriots became the Revolutionists; and the Tories became the
Loyalists。 As always happens in a successful revolution; the
party of opposition vanished; and when the peace of 1783 finally
put the stamp of reality upon the Declaration of 1776; the
patriot party had won its cause and had served its day。

Immediately thereafter a new issue; and a very significant one;
began to divide the thought of the people。 The Articles of
Confederation; adopted as a form of government by the States
during a lull in the nationalistic fervor; had utterly failed to
perform the functions of a national government。 Financially the
Confederation was a beggar at the doors of the States;
commercially it was impotent; politically it was bankrupt。 The
new issue was the formation of a national government that should
in reality represent a federal nation; not a collection of touchy
States。 Washington in his farewell letter to the American people
at the close of the war (1783) urged four considerations: a
strong central government; the payment of the national debt; a
well…organized militia; and the surrender by each State of
certain local privileges for the good of the whole。 His 〃legacy;〃
as this letter came to be called; thus bequeathed to us
Nationalism; fortified on the one hand by Honor and on the other
by Preparedness。

The Confederation floundered in the slough of inadequacy for
several years; however; before the people were sufficiently
impressed with the necessity of a federal government。 When;
finally; through the adroit maneuver of Alexander Hamilton and
James Madison; the Constitutional Convention was called in 1787;
the people were in a somewhat chastened mood; and delegates were
sent to the Convention from all the States except Rhode Island。

No sooner had the delegates convened and chosen George Washington
as presiding officer; than the two opposing sides of opinion were
revealed; the nationalist and the particularist; represented by
the Federalists and the Anti…Federalists; as they later termed
themselves。 The Convention; however; was formed of the
conservative leaders of the States; and its completed work
contained in a large measure; in spite of the great compromises;
the ideas of the Federalists。 This achievement was made possible
by the absence from the Convention of the two types of men who
were to prove the greatest enemy of the new document when it was
presented for popular approval; namely; the office…holder or
politician; who feared that the establishment of a central
government would deprive him of his influence; and the popular
demagogue; who viewed with suspicion all evidence of organized
authority。 It was these two types; joined by a thirdthe
conscientious objectorwho formed the AntiFederalist party to
oppose the adoption of the new Constitution。 Had this opposition
been well…organized; it could unquestionably have defeated the
Constitution; even against its brilliant protagonists; Hamilton;
Madison; Jay; and a score of other masterly men。

The unanimous choice of Washington for President gave the new
Government a non…partizan initiation。 In every way Washington
attempted to foster the spirit of an undivided household。 He
warned his countrymen against partizanship and sinister political
societies。 But he called around his council board talents which
represented incompatible ideals of government。 Thomas Jefferson;
the first Secretary of State; and Alexander Hamilton; the first
Secretary of the Treasury; might for a time unite their energies
under the wise chieftainship of Washington; but their political
principles could never be merged。 And when; finally; Jefferson
resigned; he became forthwith the leader of the oppositionnot
to Washington; but to Federalism as interpreted by Hamilton; John
Adams; and Jay。

The name Anti…Federalist lost its aptness after the inauguration
of the Government。 Jefferson and his school were not opposed to a
federal government。 They were opposed only to its pretensions; to
its assumption of centralized power。 Their deep faith in popular
control is revealed in the name they assumed;
Democratic…Republican。 They were eager to limit the federal power
to the glorification of the States; the Federalists were
ambitious to expand the federal power at the expense of localism。
This is what Jefferson meant when he wrote to Washington as early
as 1792; 〃The Republican party wish to preserve the Government in
its present form。〃 Now this is a very definite and fundamental
distinction。 It involves the political difference between
government by the people and government by the representatives of
the people; and the practical difference between a government by
law and a government by mass…meeting。

Jefferson was a master organizer。 At letter…writing; the one
means of communication in those days; he was a Hercules。 His pen
never wearied。 He soon had a compact party。 It included not only
most of the Anti…Federalists; but the small politicians; the
tradesmen and artisans; who had worked themselves into a
ridiculous frenzy over the French Revolution and who despised
Washington for his noble neutrality。 But more than these;
Jefferson won over a number of distinguished men who had worked
for the adoption of the Constitution; the ablest of whom was
James Madison; often called 〃the Father of the Constitution。〃

The Jeffersonians; thus representing largely the debtor and
farmer class; led by men of conspicuous abilities; proceeded to
batter down the prestige of the Federalists。 They declared
themselves opposed to large expenditures of public funds; to
eager exploitation of government ventures; to the Bank; and to
the Navy; which they termed 〃the great beast with the great
belly。〃 The Federalists included the commercial and creditor
class and that fine element in American life composed of leading
families with whom domination was an instinct; all led;
fortunately; by a few idealists of rare intellectual attainments。
And; with the political stupidity often characteristic of their
class; they stumbled from blunder to blunder。 In 1800 Thomas
Jefferson; who adroitly coined the mistakes of his opponents into
political currency for himself; was elected President。 He had
received no more electoral votes than Aaron Burr; that mysterious
character in our early politics; but the election was decided by
the House of Representatives; where; after seven days' balloting;
several Federalists; choosing what to them was the lesser of two
evils; cast the deciding votes for Jefferson。 When the
Jeffersonians came to power; they no longer opposed federal
pretensions; they now; by one of those strange veerings often
found in American politics; began to give a liberal
interpretation to the Constitution; while the Federalists with
equal inconsistency became strict constructionists。 Even
Jefferson was ready to sacrifice his theory of strict
construction in order to acquire the province of Louisiana。

The Jeffersonians now made several concessions to the
manufacturers; and with their support linked to that of the
agriculturists Jeffersonian democracy flourished without any
potent opposition。 The second war with England lent it a doubtful
luster but the years immediately f

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