The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-12
The Machine and Murdoek.

Congressman-at-larse Chas. F. Scott.
in his paper. the lola Register. sums On
the result in the Big Seventh as follows:
with all due Difference and in all
humility and humbleness may q man
who is not a machine Republican nor
an anii-machine Republican. but just n
plain Republican Republican inquire IL
some OF the Topeka and Kansas City
papers are not overlooking just a little.
the word machine in their news reports
and editorial comments on the late Sew
enth district Convention
Prom the beginning OF the campaign
to the close OF the convention these pa
pers have been unable to report the
simplest incident OF the contest without
introducing the machine. IL one OF the
candidates came TO Topeka. he was thero
TO see If he could square 1t with the
machine. IL the rest of the candidates
stayed at home it was because they were
afraid if they came to Topeka they would
be accused of conniving with the ma
chine The machine was first for tina,
man. then for that. and for third. and
fnally for all three. with fourth as
last resort. The machine was deter
mined 10 down Murdoch at all hazards,
and was finally defeated in its frantic
attempts 10 be first in the Murdoch band
wagon.
We submit that all OF this is rather
confusing. We have had sort OF an
| idea that what has been known as the
machine. depended for Its cohesion and
strength chiefly on Chester /. Long. Nor
ton Albaugh, w. Y. Morgan. +. DumcHt
Smith. Andy Richards, Senator NoftzEer.
and s r. Peters. At least all these mca
We're ardent supporters OF Long for the
senate. and they have nearly always. II
not always. worked together In Seventh
district politics. And yet in the last fight
/ no two Of them were for the same man.
/ Senator Long did not attend the con
vention and was consistently impartial
| from beginning 10 end. Smith. Richards.
and Noftzger were themselves candidates
Morgan was for Forsha, Albaugh was
! for Wallace and Peters was for Branine.
! IL Is not a peculiar machine which can
! set all it's main wheels pulling against
/ each other and stiiI grind its srist?
! In view OF these facts IL looks TO a
man up a tree as II the machine had
I gone out OF business, 50 far at least "a
( concerned the fight IN the Seventh dis
I trict And these papers that declare
that Victor Murdoch was nominated as a
rebuke 10 bossism and by reason Of the
7 determination on the part OF the great
/ plain people TO smash the machine. are
doing rank injustice 10 Mr.. MURDOCH
Such a declaration implies that the per
sonality had nothing 10 do with the re-
suit. that he Was merely the accidental
/ beneficiary Of the blind rage Of the peo-
pie Tie truth. Of course, IL that his per-
sonality had everything TO do with the
resule. He was nominated because -
was Victor Murdoch. the most popular
man in the convention and for that rea-
son the most available candidate. and
the men who fell over each other to vote
for him did e without thought OF 'r~-
buklng' anybody or smashing anything
/ Tringleisn and bossiEm and mschinisrn
are all Doubtless very bad things. i7i;
they had no more 20 do with the nofnins-
ton OF Victor Murdoch than they had
with the vernal equinox.