132 Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 
the price of $250,000 per vote, without impairing its 
capital. If one business institution has the power to 
do this, how easy would it be for all the allied inter- 
ests so to appeal to human selfishness and human need 
as to defy change! They might easily make of a ma- 
jority of the voters of twelve states, their employes, 
and pay them higher salaries than any like number 
of employes in the world receive. Such a class of 
voters would almost of necessity regard the support 
of their employers at the polls, not only as excusable, but 
as praiseworthy. Such states might be given govern- 
ments which would be models in the matter of meeting 
the wants of the people, so that fidelity to the corpora- 
tions, like the faith of the feudal vassal of old, would 
seem the truest patriotism. And in the matter of plain, 
bald, corruption, in which these men are now past mas- 
ters, could needy, greedy, human flesh and blood endure 
the temptations which would be offered when it came to 
legislative action in the pivotal states? 
I have left out of the reckoning, the easiest mode of 
controlling states now in existence, that of getting the 
government through the boss. Yet I think there is no 
doubt that twelve states may be named where single men 
in their capacity of bosses hold state governments as in 
the hollow of their hands. Asa tentative list, I offer the 
following: Delaware, under the boss-ship of Addicks; 
Rhode Island, under Aldrich; Florida, Flagler; Pennsyl- 
vania, Quay; North Dakota, Hansbrough; Montana, 
Clark; Washington, Ankeny; Nevada, Stewart; West 
Virginia, Elkins; South Dakota, Kittredge; New York, 
Platt; Ohio, Hanna. If, as I apprehend, one or two of the 
above might be disputed, I think it would be on the 
ground, not that the office of boss has been abolished, 
but that the wrong man has been named. To make up 
for any shortage, I may be permitted to offer New Jersey, 
which is bossed directly from the general offices of the 
trusts in New York. 
Such being the case, it seems to me that the minds 
of citizens may well be directed to an anxious considera: 
tion of the amendability of the constitution of the United 
States. I have long believed that the only avenue of 
