The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-29
MACHINERY IN POLITICS.

| In speech made by Senator elect
Thomas S. Martin at Williamsburg on
| Wednesday last. at the alumni banquet
OF William and Mary College. in speaking
or the value OF machinery" in politics
he said:
| use the word machinery advisedly. I
use " because hear so much senseless
| cTluElsn or party machinery, and / have
| ~ NIUE sympathy with that criticism.
| We should with satisfaction and pleasure
| note the demand for purer politics, as We
90 the demand for purer social order,
| or purer Christianity, and purer and
| peter civilization in every respect. But
| l must dissent from the idea so often at
tempted TO be inculcated that strong
party organization, well-managed party
machinery Is inconsistent with purity IN
| politics, When the organization is cor
Iupt stamp IT out az you would cOrrup-
tiVh IN any other place under any and
al circumstances. But I protest against
the ldea that party organization. strong.
Weil-dlrected party =. machinery FOR the
conduct or party affairs in Congress. or
put, OF Congress, is inconsistent with the
highest morality, the purest politics or
the most elevated patriotism.
10 our party organization in Virginia
we owe the purity of our civilization and
me preservation of our institutions
trust that the time will never come when
any considerable number Of our people
WIZ be deluded into thinking otherwise
man well and gratefully Of those patriotic
.NFgihlans who have devoted themselves
virtue and intelligence Of our country
%hen threatened with destrucA ion by the
domination of ignorance and depravity.
We quite agree with Mr.. Martin that
party organization and discipline are ne
cessary TO party success and are most
commendable In themselves. But there are
Two Kinds Of party organizations and
discipline. There IS the organization that
comes from enthusiastic devotion 10 prin-
ciples, which draws all those who love
them into one common and Joyous band
each individual Of which strives with all
ms might for victory IN order tina. he |
may see these principles which Establish |
justice and insure domestic TRANQUILITY"
and which he loves and reveres. prevail |
in the land for the equal benefit of all |
citizens alike. There is then the other
party organization. which has for its |
basis the allegiance Of men who work |
only for pay, or the opportunity to plum
der. 1t is the same thing, whether this
pay Is money actually delivered to them |
or Is the expectation Of Offices that have
salaries and opportunities accompanying. !
ms last sort Of party organization is
what Is understood 10 be be and is proper-
~ called machinery" but there is moth
ing IL the first 10 which that word can
properly be applied.
There has never been in Virginia n con-
dition Of politics which was more thor
oughly the party organization of the
second sort described above than the
Democratic politics Of this State in the
election Of last November. Even in the
election Of Mr.. Martin himself 10 the
United States Senate, there was only too
much of that state of politics here. and
II 1t was that sort of "machnery in
politics which he had in hts mind when
he was making his speech The Times
and Mr.. Martin are as far apart as the
TWO poles. To us n'thlng has ever hap
pened that was more detestable than the
state Of Virginia politics during the last
canvass and election. II was
a condition Of things in which candidates
for the Legislature received money to
aid them in securing their election and
then voted for senator in the Legislature
as the donors Of that money wished them
10 vote but in direct opositon 10 the way
hat they had declared that they would
vote, and that ninety-nine out OF every
hundred Of their constituents avowedly
wished them 10 vote. God forbid that
we shall ever again see any such ina
'hlnefy in Nirginia's politics as disgraced
ler IN the election of 1893.