The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-16
GEN. HARRIsoE AND The MACHINE.

ana This accusation is almost as terrible as
that onos brought against William Pitt and
which, in a crushing reply. he characterized
as "ths atrocious crime of being young
man." The dreadful charge of representing
the machine" in politics could only come
from the supremely good and superlatively
virtuous managers of boom edited in heaven
or Chicago. As only those who live in glass
houses can venture to throw stones, it must
be presumed that the able boomers who make
this charge against General Harrison are
themselves in position to do it. They are,
of course, bitterly opposed to anything that
savors of an attempt to mold, color or con-
solidate public sentiment, or manu- facture
public opinion. They would not make use
of literary bureau to disseminate false
charges against all other candidates but their
own. They would not print bogus interviews
with delegates and put words in mems
mouths which they never used for the pur-
pose Of placing them in q false position.
They would not capture the Associated Press
and use it to circulate malicious lies through
channels almost impossible of contradiction.
Of course, the people who charge that Gen.
eral Harrison represents ''the machine in
Indiana would not do anything Of this kind.
But, passing by the origin Of the charge and
L. - T. Ii -
the charge itself. As matter of fact, does
General Harrison represent the Republican
machine in Indianai We say unhesitatingly
yes; and if that is a crime make the most
of it. This is the Journals answer. and we
have no doubt it would be General Harrison's
answer if he should think it worth while to
make any. What is called 'the machine" in
politics represents the party organization.
The expression was coined in the early days
of mugwumpism to express their opinion Of
all they regarded as naughty in politics. It
has proved sweet boon to mugwumps, inde-
pendents, soreheads and kickers Of high and
low degree, who, when they cannot air their
dyspeptic and unhappy feelings in any other
way, vent them on 'the machine" In real
ity their only ground for complaint against
the machine was that they couldn't run it.
They thought they had no use for the ma
chine. when, in fact, the machine had no
use for them. They imagined that they
were discarding the machine, when, in reality,
it was discarding them. For the machine is
nothing more or less than party organization.
and no man can DO of party or act with it
without recognizing the organization. When
you shall have succeeded in eliminating the
machine from politics and party management,
you will have eliminated the party itself,
for there never was, and never can be, po-
litical party without organization.
Indiana Republicans believe in 'fhe ma
chine" as the mugwumps and soreheads call
it; that is, they believe in party organization.
They regard it as the only means of securing
organized effort and of attaining beneficial re-
suits in politics. They have found by expe-
rience that organization secures harmony Of
feeling and action, singleness of purpose, uni
ty of plan and energy in execution. They
have, first and last, spent great deal Of time
and labor on this machine, and they are as
proud of it as engineer of his locomotive
or his Corliss engine. They like to keep il
well oiled, frightened up and in good running
order, for they find that when the machine Is
wanted it is wanted badly. and it is sure to
be called out at least as often as every other
year. This is the machine that Gen.
Harrison representative Republican party
in Indiana. It's wheels extend into every coun
tv and township in the State. 1t has about 250,
600 cogs, and every cog represents a voter. In
the absence of any better way of expressing
its feelings the machine does it through
township. county, district and State conven
tons, and in the present year of our Lord.
1858. every one of these has declared in favor
Of General Harrison for President. Having
thus been chosen by the machine to repre-
sent 1t, he could not we'll avoid the RESPONSE
bility. He could not if he would, and We
presume he would not if he could. The ma
chine Republicans Of Indiana to the number
of nearly quarter of a million believe tina
Indiana is essential to Republican success,
and they know that with General Harrison a
the head of the machine they can carry thu
State. He knows the road and knows tn,
machine. and the machine knows him. II
drop the figure, the Republicans of Indian,
present General Harrison as their candidate
because he represents whatever is best in tn
record-the achievements. the aims and tn
aspirations of the party-and because the!
know he can carry the State and be elected
This is the way and the sense in which b
represents the machine
i