It helps the bosses to get control of the machinery of the party--as in 1912 was true of the Republican party--but it does not help the party.

On the average, the most sweeping party victories in our history have been won when the patronage was against the victors.

All that the patronage does is to help the worst element in the party retain control of the party organization.

Two of the evil elements in our Government against which good citizens have to contend are, 1, the lack of continuous activity on the part of these good citizens themselves, and, 2, the ever-present activity of those who have only an evil self-interest in political life.

It is difficult to interest the average citizen in any particular movement to the degree of getting him to take an efficient part in it.
He wishes the movement well, but he will not, or often cannot, take the time and the trouble to serve it efficiently; and this whether he happens to be a mechanic or a banker, a telegraph operator or a storekeeper.