Itmustnotbeforgottenthatsomeoftheworstpracticesofthemachineindealingsofthiskindrepresentedmerelyvirtuesinthewrongplace，virtueswrenchedoutofproperrelationtotheirsurroundings。AmaninadoubtfuldistrictmightwinonlybecauseofthehelpMr。Plattgavehim；hemightbeadecentyoungfellowwithoutmoneyenoughtofinancehisowncampaign，whowasabletofinanceitonlybecausePlattofhisownaccordfoundoutorwasapprisedofhisneedandadvancedthemoney。Suchamanfeltgrateful，and，becauseofhisgoodqualities，joinedwiththepurelysordidandcorruptheelersandcrookedpoliticianstobecomepartofthePlattmachine。InhisturnMr。Plattwasrecognizedbythebusinessmen，thebigcontributors，asanhonorableman；notonlyamanofhisword，butamanwho，wheneverhereceivedafavor，couldbetrustedtodohisbesttorepayitonanyoccasionthatarose。Ibelievethatusuallythecontributors，andtherecipient，sincerelyfeltthatthetransactionwasproperandsubservedthecauseofgoodpoliticsandgoodbusiness；
and，indeed，asregardsthemajorpartofthecontributions，itisprobablethatthiswasthefact，andthattheonlycriticismthatcouldproperlybemadeaboutthecontributionswasthattheywerenotmadewithpublicity——andatthattimeneitherthepartiesnorthepublichadanyrealizationthatpublicitywasnecessary，oranyadequateunderstandingofthedangersofthe“invisibleempire“whichthrovebywhatwasdoneinsecrecy。Many，probablymost，ofthecontributorsofthistypeneverwishedanythingpersonalinexchangefortheircontributions，andmadethemwithsincerepatriotism，desiringinreturnonlythattheGovernmentshouldbeconductedonaproperbasis。Unfortunately，itwas，inpractice，exceedinglydifficulttodistinguishthesemenfromtheotherswhocontributedbigsumstothevariouspartybosseswiththeexpectationofgainingconcreteandpersonaladvantages(inwhichthebossesshared)attheexpenseofthegeneralpublic。Itwasveryhardtodrawthelinebetweenthesetwotypesofcontributions。
Therewasbutonekindofmoneycontributionsastowhichitseemedtomeabsolutelyimpossibleforeitherthecontributorortherecipienttodisguisetothemselvestheevilmeaningofthecontribution。Thiswaswhereabigcorporationcontributedtobothpoliticalparties。I
knewofonesuchcasewhereinaStatecampaignabigcorporationwhichhadmanydealingswithpublicofficialsfranklycontributedintheneighborhoodofahundredthousanddollarstoonecampaignfundandfiftythousanddollarstothecampaignfundoftheotherside——
and，Ibelieve，madesomefurthersubstantialcontributionsinthesameratiooftwodollarstoonesideforeveryonedollargiventotheother。ThecontributorswereDemocrats，andthebigcontributionswenttotheDemocraticmanagers。TheRepublicanwaselected，andafterhiselection，whenamattercameupaffectingthecompany，inwhichitsinterestswerehostiletothoseofthegeneralpublic，thesuccessfulcandidate，thenholdingahighStateoffice，wasapproachedbyhiscampaignmanagersandthesituationputfranklybeforehim。Hewaslessdisturbedthanastonished，andremarked，“Why，IthoughtSo-
and-soandhisassociateswereDemocratsandsubscribedtotheDemocraticcampaignfund。”“Sotheydid。”wastheanswer；“theysubscribedtothemtwiceasmuchastheysubscribedtous，butiftheyhadhadanyideathatyouintendeddoingwhatyounowsayyouwilldo，theywouldhavesubscribeditalltotheotherside，andmoretoo。”
TheStateofficialinhisturnansweredthathewasverysorryifanyonehadsubscribedunderamisapprehension，thatitwasnofaultofhis，forhehadstateddefinitelyandclearlyhisposition，thatheofcoursehadnomoneywherewithhimselftoreturnwhatwithouthisknowledgehadbeencontributed，andthatallhecouldsaywasthatanymanwhohadsubscribedtohiscampaignfundundertheimpressionthatthereceiptofthesubscriptionwouldbeabartotheperformanceofpublicdutywassadlymistaken。
ThecontrolbyMr。Plattandhislieutenantsovertheorganizationwaswell-nighcomplete。Thereweresplitsamongthebosses，andinsurgentmovementsnowandthen，buttheordinarycitizenshadnocontroloverthepoliticalmachineryexceptinaveryfewdistricts。Therewere，however，plentyofgoodmeninpolitics，menwhoeithercamefromdistrictswheretherewaspopularcontrol，orwhorepresentedagenuineaspirationtowardsgoodcitizenshiponthepartofsomebossorgroupofbosses，orelsewhohadbeennominatedfranklyforreasonsofexpediencybybosseswhoseattitudetowardsgoodcitizenshipwasatbestoneofGallio-likeindifference。AtthetimewhenIwasnominatedforGovernor，aslaterwhenMr。HugheswasnominatedandrenominatedforGovernor，therewasnopossibilityofsecuringthenominationunlessthebossespermittedit。Ineachcasethebosses，themachineleaders，tookamanforwhomtheydidnotcare，becausehewastheonlymanwithwhomtheycouldwin。InthecaseofMr。HughestherewasofcoursealsothefactofpressurefromtheNationalAdministration。
Butthebosseswereneverovercomeinafairfight，whentheyhadmadeuptheirmindstofight，untiltheSaratogaConventionin1910，whenMr。StimsonwasnominatedforGovernor。
SenatorPlatthadthesameinborncapacityforthekindofpoliticswhichhelikedthatmanybigWallStreetmenhaveshownfornotwhollydissimilartypesoffinance。Itwashischiefinterest，andheappliedhimselftoitunremittingly。Hehandledhisprivatebusinesssuccessfully；butitwaspoliticsinwhichhewasabsorbed，andheconcernedhimselftherewitheverydayintheyear。Hehadbuiltupanexcellentsystemoforganization，andthenecessaryfundscamefromcorporationsandmenofwealthwhocontributedasIhavedescribedabove。ThemajorityofthemenwithanaturalcapacityfororganizationleadershipofthetypewhichhasgenerallybeenprevalentinNewYorkpoliticsturnedtoSenatorPlattastheirnaturalchiefandhelpedbuilduptheorganization，untilunderhisleadershipitbecamemorepowerfulandinapositionofgreatercontrolthananyotherRepublicanmachineinthecountry，exceptinginPennsylvania。
TheDemocraticmachinesinsomeofthebigcities，asinNewYorkandBoston，andthecountryDemocraticmachineofNewYorkunderDavidB。
Hill，wereprobablyevenmoreefficient，representinganevenmorecompletemasterybythebosses，andanevengreaterdegreeofdrilledobedienceamongthehenchmen。ItwouldbeanentiremistaketosupposethatMr。Platt’slieutenantswereeitherallbadmenorallinfluencedbyunworthymotives。Hewasconstantlydoingfavorsformen。Hehadwonthegratitudeofmanygoodmen。Inthecountrydistrictsespecially，thereweremanyplaceswherehismachineincludedthemajorityofthebestcitizens，theleadingandsubstantialcitizens，amongtheinhabitants。Someofhisstrongestandmostefficientlieutenantsweredisinterestedmenofhighcharacter。
TherehadalwaysbeenagooddealofoppositiontoMr。Plattandthemachine，buttheleadershipofthisoppositionwasapttobefoundonlyamongthosewhomAbrahamLincolncalledthe“silkstockings。”andmuchofitexcitedalmostasmuchderisionamongtheplainpeopleasthemachineitselfexcitedangerordislike。VerymanyofMr。Platt’sopponentsreallydislikedhimandhismethods，foraestheticratherthanformoralreasons，andthebulkofthepeoplehalf-consciouslyfeltthisandrefusedtosubmittotheirleadership。Themenwhoopposedhiminthismannerweregoodcitizensaccordingtotheirlights，prominentinthesocialclubsandinphilanthropiccircles，menofmeansandoftenmenofbusinessstanding。Theydislikedcoarseandvulgarpoliticians，andtheysincerelyreprobatedalltheshortcomingsthatwererecognizedby，andwereoffensiveto，peopleoftheirowncaste。Theyhadnottheslightestunderstandingoftheneeds，interests，waysofthought，andconvictionsoftheaveragesmallman；andthesmallmanfeltthis，althoughhecouldnotexpressit，andsensedthattheywerereallynotconcernedwithhiswelfare，andthattheydidnotofferhimanythingmateriallybetterfromhispointofviewthanthemachine。
WhenreformersofthistypeattemptedtoopposeMr。Platt，theyusuallyputupeithersomeratherinefficient，well-meaningperson，whobathedeveryday，anddidn’tsteal，butwhoseonlygoodpointwas“respectability。”andwhoknewnothingofthegreatfundamentalquestionsloomingbeforeus；orelsetheyputupsomebigbusinessmanorcorporationlawyerwhowasweddedtothegrosswrongandinjusticeofoureconomicsystem，andwhoneitherbypersonalitynorbyprogrammegavetheordinaryplainpeopleanybeliefthattherewaspromiseofvitalgoodtotheminthechange。Thecorrectnessoftheirviewwasprovedbythefactthatassoonasfundamentaleconomicandsocialreformswereatstaketheaesthetic，asdistinguishedfromthegenuinelymoral，reformers，forthemostpartsidedwiththebossesagainstthepeople。
WhenIbecameGovernor，theconscienceofthepeoplewasinnowayorshapearoused，asithassincebecomeroused。Thepeopleacceptedandpracticedinamatter-of-coursewayasquiteproperthingswhichtheywouldnotnowtolerate。Theyhadnodefiniteandclearlyoutlinedconceptionofwhattheywishedinthewayofreform。Theyonthewholetolerated，andindeedapprovedof，themachine；andtherehadbeennodevelopmentonanyconsiderablescaleofreformerswiththevisiontoseewhattheneedsofthepeoplewere，andthehighpurposesanelytoachievewhatwasnecessaryinordertomeettheseneeds。Iknewboththemachineandthesilk-stockingreformersfairlywell，frommanyyears’closeassociationwiththem。Themachineassuchhadnoidealsatall，althoughmanyofthemencomposingitdidhave。Ontheotherhand，theidealsofverymanyofthesilk-stockingreformersdidnotrelatetothequestionsofrealandvitalinteresttoourpeople；and，singularlyenough，ininternationalmatters，thesesamesilk-stockingswerenomoretobetrustedthantheaverageignorantdemagogueorshortsightedspoilspoliticians。Ifeltthatthesemenwouldbebrokenreedstowhichtotrustinanyvitalcontestforbettermentofsocialandindustrialconditions。
IhadneitherthetrainingnorthecapacitythatwouldhaveenabledmetomatchMr。Plattandhismachinepeopleontheirownground。NordidIbelievethattheefforttobuildupamachineofmyownunderthethenexistingconditionswouldmeettheneedsofthesituationsofarasthepeoplewereconcerned。Ithereforemadenoefforttocreateamachineofmyown，andconsistentlyadoptedtheplanofgoingovertheheadsofthemenholdingpublicofficeandofthemenincontroloftheorganization，andappealingdirectlytothepeoplebehindthem。
Themachine，forinstance，hadamoreorlessstrongcontroloverthegreatbulkofthemembersoftheStateLegislature；butinthelastresortthepeoplebehindtheselegislatorshadastillgreatercontroloverthem。ImadeupmymindthattheonlywayIcouldbeatthebosseswhenevertheneedtodosoarose(andunlesstherewassuchneedIdidnotwishtotry)was，notbyattemptingtomanipulatethemachinery，andnotbytrustingmerelytotheprofessionalreformers，butbymakingmyappealasdirectlyandasemphaticallyasIknewhowtothemassofvotersthemselves，tothepeople，tothemenwhoifwakedupwouldbeabletoimposetheirwillontheirrepresentatives。Mysuccessdependedupongettingthepeopleinthedifferentdistrictstolookatmattersinmyway，andgettingthemtotakesuchanactiveinterestinaffairsastoenablethemtoexercisecontrolovertheirrepresentatives。
TherewereafewoftheSenatorsandAssemblymenwhomIcouldreachbyseeingthempersonallyandputtingbeforethemmyarguments；butmostofthemweretoomuchunderthecontrolofthemachineformetoshakethemlooseunlesstheyknewthatthepeoplewereactivelybehindme。
InmakingmyappealtothepeopleasawholeIwasdealingwithanentirelydifferentconstituencyfromthatwhich，especiallyinthebigcities，likedtothinkofitselfasthe“betterelement。”theparticularexponentofreformandgoodcitizenship。Iwasdealingwithshrewd，hard-headed，kindlymenandwomen，chieflyconcernedwiththeabsorbingworkofearningtheirownliving，andimpatientoffads，whohadgrowntofeelthattheassociationswiththeword“reformer“werenotmuchbetterthantheassociationswiththeword“politician。”I
hadtoconvincethesemenandwomenofmygoodfaith，and，moreover，ofmycommonsenseandefficiency。Theyweremostofthemstrongpartisans，andanoutragehadtobeveryrealandverygreattoshakethemevenpartiallyloosefromtheirpartyaffiliations。Moreover，theytooklittleinterestinanyfightofmerepersonalities。Theywerenotinfluencedintheleastbythesilk-stockingreformviewofMr。Platt。IknewthatiftheywerepersuadedthatIwasengagedinamerefactionfightagainsthim，thatitwasamereissuebetweenhisambitionandmine，theywouldatoncebecomeindifferent，andmyfightwouldbelost。
