the boss and the machine-第16部分

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gratification　of　financial　greed。　In　1857　he　was　elected　to　the
United　States　Senate　as　a　Republican　by　a　legislature　in　which
the　Democrats　had　a　majority。　Three　Democrats　voted　for　him；　and
so　bitter　was　the　feeling　against　the　renegade　trio　that　no　hotel
in　Harrisburg　would　shelter　them。

In　1860　he　was　a　candidate　for　the　Republican　presidential
nomination。　President　Lincoln　made　him　Secretary　of　War。　But　his
management　was　so　ill…savored　that　a　committee　of　leading
business　men　from　the　largest　cities　of　the　country　told　the
President　that　it　was　impossible　to　transact　business　with　such　a
man。　These　complaints　coupled　with　other　considerations　moved
Lincoln　to　dismiss　Cameron。　He　did　so　in　characteristic　fashion。
On　January　11；　1862；　he　sent　Cameron　a　curt　note　saying　that　he
proposed　to　appoint　him　minister　to　Russia。　And　thither　into
exile　Cameron　went。　A　few　months　later；　the　House　of
Representatives　passed　a　resolution　of　censure；　citing　Cameron's
employment　of　irresponsible　persons　and　his　purchase　of　supplies
by　private　contract　instead　of　competitive　bidding。　The
resolution；　however；　was　later　expunged　from　the　records；　and
Cameron；　on　his　return　from　Russia；　again　entered　the　Senate
under　circumstances　so　suspicious　that　only　the　political
influence　of　the　boss　thwarted　an　action　for　bribery。　In　1877　he
resigned；　naming　as　his　successor　his　son　〃Don；〃　who　was　promptly
elected。

In　the　meantime　another　personage　had　appeared　on　the　scene。
〃Cameron　made　the　use　of　money　an　essential　to　success　in
politics；　but　Quay　made　politics　expensive　beyond　the　most
extravagant　dreams。〃　From　the　time　he　arrived　of　age　until　his
death；　with　the　exception　of　three　or　four　years；　Matthew　S。　Quay
held　public　office。　When　the　Civil　War　broke　out；　he　had　been　for
some　time　prothonotary　of　Beaver　County；　and　during　the　war　he
served　as　Governor　Curtin's　private　secretary。　In　1865　he　was
elected　to　the　legislature。　In　1877　he　induced　the　legislature　to
resurrect　the　discarded　office　of　Recorder　of　Philadelphia；　and
for　two　years　he　collected　the　annual　fees　of　40；000。　In　1887　he
was　elected　to　the　United　States　Senate；　in　which　he　remained
except　for　a　brief　interval　until　his　death。

In　1899　came　revelations　of　Quay's　substantial　interests　in　state
moneys。　The　suicide　of　the　cashier　of　the　People's　Bank　of
Philadelphia；　which　was　largely　owned　by　politicians　and　was　a
favorite　depository　of　state　funds；　led　to　an　investigation　of
the　bank's　affairs；　and　disclosed　the　fact　that　Quay　and　some　of
his　associates　had　used　state　funds　for　speculation。　Quay's
famous　telegram　to　the　cashier　was　found　among　the　dead
official's　papers；　〃If　you　can　buy　and　carry　a　thousand　Met。　for
me　I　will　shake　the　plum　tree。〃

Quay　was　indicted；　but　escaped　trial　by　pleading　the　statute　of
limitations　as　preventing　the　introduction　of　necessary　evidence
against　him。　A　great　crowd　of　shouting　henchmen　accosted　him　as　a
hero　when　he　left　the　courtroom；　and　escorted　him　to　his　hotel。
And　the　legislature　soon　thereafter　elected　him　to　his　third　term
in　the　Senate。

Pittsburgh；　as　well　as　Philadelphia；　had　its　machine　which　was
carefully　geared　to　Quay's　state　machine。　The　connection　was　made
clear　by　the　testimony　of　William　Flinn；　a　contractor　boss；
before　a　committee　of　the　United　States　Senate。　Flinn　explained
the　reason　for　a　written　agreement　between　Quay　on　the　one　hand
and　Flinn　and　one　Brown　in　behalf　of　Chris　Magee；　the　Big　Boss；
on　the　other；　for　the　division　of　the　sovereignty　of　western
Pennsylvania。　〃Senator　Quay　told　me；〃　said　Flinn；　〃that　he　would
not　permit　us　to　elect　the　Republican　candidate　for　mayor　in
Pittsburghh　unless　we　adjust　the　politics　to　suit　him。〃　The
people　evidently　had　nothing　to　say　about　it。

The　experiences　of　New　York　and　Pennsylvania　are　by　no　means
isolated；　they　are　illustrative。　Very　few　States　have　escaped　a
legislative　scandal。　In　particular；　Rhode　Island；　Delaware；
Illinois；　Colorado；　Montana；　California；　Ohio；　Mississippi；　Texas
can　give　pertinent　testimony　to　the　willingness　of　legislatures
to　prostitute　their　great　powers　to　the　will　of　the　boss　or　the
machine。



CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　NATIONAL　HIERARCHY

American　political　maneuver　culminates　at　Washington。　The
Presidency　and　membership　in　the　Senate　and　the　House　of
Representatives　are　the　great　stakes。　By　a　venerable　tradition；
scrupulously　followed；　the　judicial　department　is　kept　beyond　the
reach　of　party　greed。

The　framers　of　the　Constitution　believed　that　they　had　contrived
a　method　of　electing　the　President　and　Vice…President　which　would
preserve　the　choice　from　partizan　taint。　Each　State　should　choose
a　number　of　electors　〃equal　to　the　whole　number　of　Senators　and
Representatives　to　which　the　State　maybe　entitled　in　the
Congress。〃　These　electors　were　to　form　an　independent　body；　to
meet　in　their　respective　States　and　〃ballot　for　two　persons；〃　and
send　the　result　of　their　balloting　to　the　Capitol；　where　the
President　of　the　Senate；　in　the　presence　of　the　Senate　and　the
House　of　Representatives；　opened　the　certificates　and　counted　the
votes。　The　one　receiving　the　greatest　number　of　votes　was　to　be
declared　elected　President；　the　one　receiving　the　next　highest
number　of　votes；　Vice…President。　George　Washington　was　the　only
President　elected　by　such　an　autonomous　group。　The　election　of
John　Adams　was　bitterly　contested；　and　the　voters　knew；　when　they
were　casting　their　ballots　in　1796；　whether　they　were　voting　for
a　Federalist　or　a　Jeffersonian。　From　that　day　forward　this
greatest　of　political　prizes　has　been　awarded　through　partizan
competition。　In　1804　the　method　of　selecting　the　Vice…President
was　changed　by　the　twelfth　constitutional　amendment。　The　electors
since　that　time　ballot　for　President　and　Vice…President。　Whatever
may　be　the　legal　privileges　of　the　members　of　the　Electoral
College；　they　are　considered；　by　the　voters；　as　agents　of　the
party　upon　whose　tickets　their　names　appear；　and　to　abuse　this
relationship　would　universally　be　deemed　an　act　of　perfidy。

The　Constitution　permits　the　legislatures　of　the　States　to
determine　how　the　electors　shall　be　chosen。　In　the　earlier
period；　the　legislatures　elected　them；　later　they　were　elected　by
the　people；　sometimes　they　were　elected　at　large；　but　usually
they　were　chosen　by　districts。　And　this　is　now　the　general
custom。　Since　the　development　of　direct　nominations；　there　has
been　a　strong　movement　towards　the　abolition　of　the　Electoral
College　and　the　election　of　the　President　by　direct　vote。

The　President　is　the　most　powerful　official　in　our　government　and
in　many　respects　he　is　the　most　powerful　ruler　in　the　world。　He
is　Commander…in…Chief　of　the　Army　and　Navy。　His　is　virtually　the
sole　responsibility　in　conducting　international　relations。　He　is
at　the　head　of　the　civil　administration　and　all　the　important
administrative　departments　are　answerable　to　him。　He　possesses　a
vast　power　of　appointment　through　which　he　dispenses　political
favors。　His　wish　is　potent　in　shaping　legislation　and　his　veto　is
rarely　overridden。　With　Congress　he　must　be　in　daily　contact；　for
the　Senate　has　the　power　of　ratifying　or　discarding　his
appointments　and　of　sanctioning　or　rejecting　his　treaties　with
foreign　countries；　and　the　House　of　Representatives　originates
all　money　bills　and　thus　possesses　a　formidable　check　upon
executive　usurpation。

The　Constitution　originally　reposed　the　choice　of　United　States
Senators　with　the　state　legislatures。　A　great　deal　of　virtue　was
to　flow　from　such　an　indirect　election。　The　members　of　the
legislature　were　presumed　to　act　with　calm　judgment　and　to　choose
only　the　wise　and　experienced　for　the　dignity　of　the　toga。　And
until　the　period　following　the　Civil　War　the　great　majority　of
the　States　delighted　to　send　their　ablest　statesmen　to　the
Senate。　Upon　its　roll　we　find　the　names　of　many　of　our
illustrious　orators　and　jurists。　After　the　Civil　War；　when　the
spirit　of　commercialism　invaded　every　activity；　men　who　were
merely　rich　began　to　aspire　to　senatorial　honors。　The　debauch　of
the　state　legislatures　which　was　revealed　in　the　closing　year　of
the　nineteenth　century　and　the　opening　days　of　the　twentieth　so
revolted　the　people　that　the　seventeenth　constitutional　amendment
was　adopted　（1913）　providing　for　the　election　of　senators　by
direct　vote。

The　House　of　Representatives　was　designed　to　be　the〃　popular
house。〃　Its　election　from　small　districts；　by　direct　vote；　every
two　years　is　a　guarantee　of　its　popular　character。　From　this
characteristic　it　has　never　departed。　It　is　the　People's　House。
It　originates　all　revenue　measures。　On　its　floor；　in　the　rough
and　tumble　of　debate；　partizan　motives　are　rarely　absent。

Upon　this　national　tripod；　the　Presidency；　the　Senate；　and　the
House；　is　builded　the　vast　national　party　machine。　Every　citizen
is　familiar　with　the　outer　aspect　of　these　great　national　parties
as　they　strive　in　placid　times　to　create　a　real　issue　of　the
tariff；　or　imperialism；　or　what　not；　so　as　to　establish　at　least
an　ostensible　difference　between　them；　or　as　they；　in　critical
times；　make　the　party　name　synonymous　with　national　security。　The
high…sounding　platforms；　the　frenzied　orators；　the　parades；　mass
meetings；　special　trains；　pamphlets；　books；　editorials；
lithographs；　posterall　these　paraphernalia　are　conjured　up　in
the　voter's　mind　when　he　reads　the　words　Democratic　and
Republican。

But；　from　the　standpoint　of　the　professional　politician；　all　this
that　the　voter　sees　is　a　mask；　the　patriotic　veneer　to　hide　the
machine；　that　complex　hierarchy　of　committees　ranging　from
Washington　to　every　cross…roads　in　the　Republic。　The　committee
system；　described　in　a　former　chapter；　was　perfected　by　the
Republican　party　during　the　days　of　the　Civil　War；　under　the
stress　of　national　necessity。　The　great　party　leaders　were　then
in　Congress。　When　the　assassination　of　Lincoln　placed　Andrew
Johnson　in　power；　the　bitter　quarrel　between　Congress　and　the
President　firmly　united　the　Republicans；　and　in　order　to　carry
the　mid…election　in　1866；　they　organized　a　Congressional　Campaign
Committee　to　conduct　the　canvass。　This　practice　has　been