the boss and the machine-第15节

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Now　graft　in　San　Francisco　became　simply　universal。　George
Kennan；　summarizing　the　practices　of　the　looters；　says　they　〃took
toll　everywhere　from　everybody　and　in　almost　every　imaginable
way：　they　went　into　partnership　with　dishonest　contractors；　sold
privileges　and　permits　to　business　men；　extorted　money　from
restaurants　and　saloons；　levied　assessments　on　municipal
employees；　shared　the　profits　of　houses　of　prostitution；　forced
beer；　whiskey；　champagne；　and　cigars　on　restaurants　and　saloons
on　commission；　blackmailed　gamblers；　pool…sellers；　and　promoters
of　prize…fights；　sold　franchises　to　wealthy　corporations；　created
such　municipal　bureaus　as　the　commissary　department　and　the　city
commercial　company　in　order　to　make　robbery　of　the　city　more
easy；　leased　rooms　and　buildings　for　municipal　offices　at
exorbitant　rates；　and　compelled　the　lessees　to　share　profits；
held　up　milkmen；　kite…advertisers；　junk…dealers；　and　even
street…sweepers；　and　took　bribes　from　everybody　who　wanted　an
illegal　privilege　and　was　willing　to　pay　for　it。　The　motto　of　the
administration　seemed　to　be　'Encourage　dishonesty；　and　then　let
no　dishonest　dollar　escape。'〃

The　machinery　through　which　this　was　effected　was　simple：　the
mayor　had　vast　appointing　powers　and　by　this　means　directly
controlled　all　the　city　departments。　But　the　mayor　was　only　an
automaton。　Back　of　him　was　Abe　Ruef；　the　Boss；　an　unscrupulous
lawyer　who　had　wormed　his　way　into　the　labor　party；　and
manipulated　the　〃leaders〃　like　puppets。　Ruef's　game　also　was
elementary。　He　sold　his　omnipotence　for　cash；　either　under　the
respectable　cloak　of　〃retainer〃　or　under　the　more　common　device
of　commissions　and　dividends；　so　that　thugs　retained　him　for
their　freedom；　contractors　for　the　favors　they　expected；　and
public　service　corporations　for　their　franchises。

Finally；　through　the　persistence　of　a　few　private　citizens；　a
Grand　Jury　was　summoned。　Under　the　foremanship　of　B。　P。　Oliver　it
made　a　thorough　investigation。　Francis　J。　Heney　was　employed　as
special　prosecutor　and　William　J。　Burns　as　detective。　Heney　and
Burns　formed　an　aggressive　team。　The　Ring　proved　as　vulnerable　as
it　was　rotten。　Over　three　hundred　indictments　were　returned；
involving　persons　in　every　walk　of　life。　Ruef　was　sentenced　to
fourteen　years　in　the　penitentiary。　Schmitz　was　freed　on　a
technicality；　after　being　found　guilty　and　sentenced　to　five
years。　Most　of　the　other　indictments　were　not　tried；　the
prosecutor's　attention　having　been　diverted　to　the　trail　of　the
franchise…seekers；　who　have　thus　far　eluded　conviction。

Minneapolis；　a　city　blending　New　England　traditions　with
Scandinavian　thrift；　illustrates；　in　its　experiences　with　〃Doe〃
Ames；　the　maneuvers　of　the　peripatetic　boss。　Ames　was　four　times
mayor　of　the　city；　but　never　his　own　successor。　Each　succeeding
experience　with　him　grew　more　lurid　of　indecency；　until　his　third
term　was　crystallized　in　Minneapolis　tradition　as　〃the　notorious
Ames　administration。〃　Domestic　scandal　made　him　a　social　outcast；
political　corruption　a　byword；　and　Ames　disappeared　from　public
view　for　ten　years。

In　1900　a　new　primary　law　provided　the　opportunity　to　return　him
to　power　for　the　fourth　time。　Ames；　who　had　been　a　Democrat；　now
found　it　convenient　to　become　a　Republican。　The　new　law；　like
most　of　the　early　primary　laws；　permitted　members　of　one　party　to
vote　in　the　primaries　of　the　other　party。　So　Ames's　following；
estimated　at　about　fifteen　hundred；　voted　in　the　Republican
primaries；　and　he　became　a　regular　candidate　of　that　party　in　a
presidential　year；　when　citizens　felt　the　special　urge　to　vote
for　the　party。

Ames　was　the　type　of　boss　with　whom　discipline　is　secondary　to
personal　aggrandizement。　He　had　a　passion　for　popularity；　was
imposing　of　presence；　possessed　considerable　professional　skill；
and　played　constantly　for　the　support　of　the　poor。　The　attacks
upon　him　he　turned　into　political　capital　by　saying　that　he　was
made　a　victim　by　the　rich　because　he　championed　the　poor。
Susceptible　to　flattery　and　fond　of　display；　he　lacked　the　power
to　command。　He　had　followers；　not　henchmen。　His　following　was
composed　of　the　lowly；　who　were　duped　by　his　phrases；　and　of
criminals；　who　knew　his　bent；　and　they　followed　him　into　any
party　whither　he　found　it　convenient　to　go；　Republican；
Democratic；　or　Populist。

The　charter　of　Minneapolis　gave　the　mayor　considerable　appointing
power。　He　was　virtually　the　dictator　of　the　Police　Department。
This　was　the　great　opportunity　of　Ames　and　his　floating　vote。　His
own　brother；　a　weak　individual　with　a　dubious　record；　was　made
Chief　of　Police。　Within　a　few　weeks　about　one…half　of　the　police
force　was　discharged；　and　the　places　filled　with　men　who　could　be
trusted　by　the　gang。　The　number　of　detectives　was　increased　and
an　ex…gambler　placed　at　their　head。　A　medical　student　from　Ames's
office　was　commissioned　a　special　policeman　to　gather　loot　from
the　women　of　the　street。

Through　a　telepathy　of　their　own；　the　criminal　classes　all　over
the　country　soon　learned　of　the　favorable　conditions　in
Minneapolis；　under　which　every　form　of　gambling　and　low　vice
flourished；　and　burglars；　pickpockets；　safe…blowers；　and　harlots
made　their　way　thither。　Mr。　W。　A。　Frisbie；　the　editor　of　a
leading　Minneapolis　paper；　described　the　situation　in　the
following　words：　〃It　is　no　exaggeration　to　say　that　in　this
period　fully　99％　of　the　police　department's　efficiency　was
devoted　to　the　devising　and　enforcing　of　blackmail。　Ordinary
patrolmen　on　beats　feared　to　arrest　known　criminals　for　fear　the
prisoners　would　prove　to　be　'protected'。　。　。　。The　horde　of
detective　favorites　hung　lazily　about　police　headquarters；
waiting　for　some　citizen　to　make　complaint　of　property　stolen；
only　that　they　might　enforce　additional　blackmail　against　the
thief；　or　possibly　secure　the　booty　for　themselves。　One　detective
is　now　＇1903＇　serving　time　in　the　state　prison　for　retaining　a
stolen　diamond　pin。〃

The　mayor　thought　he　had　a　machine　for　grinding　blackmail　from
every　criminal　operation　in　his　city；　but　he　had　only　a　gang；
without　discipline　or　coordinating　power；　and　weakened　by
jealousy　and　suspicion。　The　wonder　is　that　it　lasted　fifteen
months。　Then　came　the　〃April　Grand　Jury；〃　under　the　foremanship
of　a　courageous　and　resourceful　business　man。　The　regime　of
criminals　crumbled；　forty…nine　indictments；　involving　twelve
persons；　were　returned。

The　Grand　Jury；　however；　at　first　stood　alone　in　its
investigations。　The　crowd　of　politicians　and　vultures　were
against　it；　and　no　appropriations　were　granted　for　getting
evidence。　So　its　members　paid　expenses　out　of　their　own　pockets；
and　its　foreman　himself　interviewed　prisoners　and　discovered　the
trail　that　led　to　the　Ring's　undoing。　Ames's　brother　was
convicted　on　second　trial　and　sentenced　to　six　and　a　half　years
in　the　penitentiary；　while　two　of　his　accomplices　received
shorter　terms。　Mayor　Ames；　under　indictment　and　heavy　bonds；　fled
to　Indiana。

The　President　of　the　City　Council；　a　business　man　of　education；
tact；　and　sincerity；　became　mayor；　for　an　interim　of　four　months；
enough　time；　as　it　proved；　for　him　to　return　the　city　to　its
normal　political　life。

These　examples　are　sufficient　to　illustrate　the　organization　and
working　of　the　municipal　machine。　It　must　not　be　imagined　by　the
reader　that　these　cities　alone；　and　a　few　others　made　notorious
by　the　magazine　muck…rakers；　are　the　only　American　cities　that
have　developed　oligarchies。　In　truth；　not　a　single　American　city；
great　or　small；　has　entirely　escaped；　for　a　greater　or　lesser
period；　the　sway　of　a　coterie　of　politicians。　It　has　not　always
been　a　corrupt　sway；　but　it　has　rarely；　if　ever；　given　efficient
administration。

Happily　there　are　not　wanting　signs　that　the　general　conditions
which　have　fostered　the　Ring　are　disappearing。　The　period　of
reform　set　in　about　1890；　when　people　began　to　be　interested　in
the　study　of　municipal　government。　It　was　not　long　afterwards
that　the　first　authoritative　books　on　the　subject　appeared。　Then
colleges　began　to　give　courses　in　municipal　government；　editors
began　to　realize　the　public's　concern　in　local　questions　and　to
discuss　neighborhood　politics　as　well　as　national　politics。　By
1900　a　new　era　brokethe　era　of　the　Grand　Jury。　Nothing　so
hopeful　in　local　politics　had　occurred　in　our　history　as　the
disclosures　which　followed。　They　provoked　the　residuum　of
conscience　in　the　citizenry　and　the　determination　that　honesty
should　rule　in　public　business　and　politics　as　well　as　in　private
transactions。　The　Grand　Jury　inquisitions；　however；　demonstrated
clearly　that　the　criminal　law　was　no　remedy　for　municipal
misrule。　The　great　majority　of　floaters　and　illegal　voters　who
were　indicted　never　faced　a　trial　jury。　The　results　of　the
prosecutions　for　bribery　and　grosser　political　crimes　were
scarcely　more　encouraging。　It　is　true　that　one　Abe　Ruef　in　a
California　penitentiary　is　worth　untold　sermons；　editorials；　and
platform　admonitions；　and　serves　as　a　potent　warning　to　all
public　malefactors。　Yet　the　example　is　soon　forgotten；　and　the
people　return　to　their　former　political　habits。

But　out　of　this　decade　of　gang…hunti