Urban machine politics was an extremely important element in the way life was in the early 1900's. Urban Bosses were more powerful icons than most political (progressive reform) figures back in that era. William M. Tweed, Richard Croker, George Washington Plunkitt and many other men were important political urban bosses. They achieved their prominence by doing things for themselves and by doing things that were maybe not morally correct but also not illegal in the same sense. The bosses also became such significant figures because they got the votes from the people by doing certain things to help them in return. The progressive reformers tried to hold back Plunkitt and other urban bosses by criticizing the way the urban bosses were operating. Plunkitt had a philosophy about honest grafting that aided in how powerful of a boss and figure he became.
             A lot of the urban bosses lived and grew up to a certain degree the same way. Boss Tweed, "Honest" John Kelly, and Richard Croker all left school to begin some type of apprenticeship with a company. Soon after getting those apprenticeships they were then promoted to higher positions of authority. After that they were all controlling Tammany Hall and running for positions in the government. Plunkitt is strongly against going to college if someone is trying to get into politics. "Now, havin' qualified as an expert, as the lawyers say, I am goin' to give advice free to the young men who are goin' to cast their first votes, and who are lookin' forward to political glory and lots of cash. Some young men think they can learn how to be successful politics from books and they cram their heads with all sorts of college rot. They couldn't make a bigger mistake. How, understand me, I aint sayin nothing against colleges. I guess they'll gave to exist as long as there's bookworms,!
             and I suppose they do some good in a certain way...