as I had been concerned, and so far as the Republican
leaders in Massachusetts had been concerned, with the exception
of General Butler, a different policy had been adopted. We
had never attempted to make a political instrument of official
patronage. There had never been anything like a "boss" or
a machine. Our State politics had been conducted, and our
candidates for office nominated, after the old fashion of
a New England town meeting. When an election approached,
or when a great measure or political question was to be decided,
men who were influential consulted together informally, ascertained
the public sentiment, deferred to it, if it seemed to be right,
and did what they could to persuade it and guide it by speech
and discussion in the press, if it needed guidance, and trusted,
hardly ever in vain, to the intelligence of the people for
the result. I do not know but the diminution of the comparative
importance of the towns, and the change of the Commonwealth
and cluster of cities and manufacturing villages, and the
influx of other elements than that of the old New England
stock may not bring about, or if indeed it is not already
bringing about, a different conduct of affairs. But I have
never adopted any other method, and I have never desired that
my public life or influence should survive the introduction
of any other method in Massachusetts. Mr. Ingalls's methods
and mine have been tested by their results. The people of
Kansas are largely of Massachusetts origin. I believe if
her leading men had pursued Massachusetts methods she would
to a great extent have repeated Massachusetts history. Our
method of political management and control has been vindicated
by the fact that the Commonwealth has been kept true to its
ancient faith, except in a very few years when accidental
causes have caused the election of a Democratic Governor.
Those elections were protests against an attempt to depart
from the old-fashioned method of ascertaining the will of
the people in selecting Republican candidates. Massachusetts
has kept the succession of United States Senators unbroken,
and has had a Republican delegation in the House ever since
the party came into power, with two exceptions. She has in
general maintained her great Republican majority. On the other
hand Kansas has been represented in turn by Democrats and
Populists and Socialists and the advocates of fiat money and
free silver.

Senator Cockrell of Mis