The sun., 1873-09-27
Machine Poiitics-Uow il was Done
Mt Utica.


Utica. The indications were abundant
that II lorgc majority of the Convention
were in favor of the passage of q reSolu-
tion that should condemn the increase Of
! the salaries " Congressman, dcnounce
J .',osc who kept the money, and demand
! the repeal OF this section of the law.
The unmi,takablc sentiment OF the ma
/ ioiity of the Republicans assembled at
| | tica was held in check by repeated asscr-
tious of magnatcs of the party that AN
emphatic resolution of the kind above
mentioned would bc reported by the plat
form committee, and that moreover it
would contain request to senator CONK-
LING TO introduce a bill for the repeal of
the obnoxious law. Glorious! shouted
the delegates and outsiders from the rural
districts, who did not then dream that the
managers of the party uachine would sell
them short at the going down of the sun
on Wednesday.
The Republicans of the interior already
see that their Convention committed u
serious bluuder. Nohigher proof OF this is
needed than the following extract from the
Utica Morning Hcruid, the organ of the
y
counties. and II thoroughly thick and thin
partisan Journal Such IA rebuke to the
Convention could never have been wrung
from such "a newspaper had not the case
bccn deemed desperate;
"The hill increasing the pav of Senators Rev
re.cutstlt-. and other officials" says the
ti,u. This is the wcpk"st and most ambiguous
resolution In the Platform. II docs not censuic
those who have poclsctcd tho back pay, norVall
Tor the tcucal of the obnoxious law which j.
condemned hv everybody, and the repeal ut
which has he,f demanded hy every other state
, Convention. IL is wcil enough t. CONNER d
those wao opnpecd the Increase " salary. and
20 call for e law covering unapprnrriatcd and
reformed back pay into the Treasury. Hut
sn'lcfhir. rrrrr definite and practical was cN-
rcrted hN tue people in regard 10 the incrc .tee
ot .alar, amt tine hacl-pny clause. We aresony
h this omission Wgs made. but IL can In great
measure l' .. .i' liHt bv tuo Republican journals
@. thc STATE, winch have iuli knowledge II
thurty flrthc party which has n policy To ca.
foice against the viii Of the people
Now, how could such resolution be
palr.od of upon the Convention? Tie
answer i, obvious; II was done 10y ma
chiuery of the ordinary pattern used Tor
many years ia running the state Convon-
tious of New York. We will describe it.
The state Committee, according to re-
N'HA lii''A'l'ltANs 'tsAilll lAlt ilEuA W thll
state Conventions To- order. aud designate
the temporary presiding officer. This very
harmless looking proceeding is the very
pivot on which the whole machine turus.
The Chairman of the state Committee
rapS to ORDER and some other member of
the committee springs to his feet and nom
mates the picked man for temporary Pres
ident. The question Is promptly put, half
IA dozen machine delegates say aye. the
rest say nothing, and the machine Presi-
dent takes the char.
And now those who control the ma
chinery have cot 'em Two marked men
rise in rapid succession, both previously
picked out lay the state Committee and
their names given To- the temporary Pres
ident and move that the chair appoint
committee ou permanent organization.
and a committee Ia prepare platform oi
W,nciplos, to which all resolutions intro
duced 10y individual members shall be- re-
frircl without debate Usually these two
motions are adopted without exciting the
attention of th" mass of delegates the
greater part OF whom ,lt with a bnwildercd
look. or stare AT the pictures on the walls
OF the room. Perhaps, however, some
sharp fellow from n mouutaIn county
checks for "a moment the running of tAc
wrll-oilcd machinery hy obiccting t. that
part of tho motion about the platform
which requires that an resolutions shall he
referred t. thc committee without debate.
II very pcrverse and plucky lac even ven
turcs - hint that this proportion prevents
free discussion on fundamental principles,
. a. D.