The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-08-04

is used to buy votes in every part OF 1t
Many may talk a little more openly
about it in Gencsee. livingston, wy
omng, Orleans and Niag;,r;, counties
perhaps, but the fact is not concealed
anywhere. The practice has increased
in spite of the Australian ballot law
the bosses evidently believing that IAN
honest man will stay bought The
districts still is the team hiring plan
The farmer who will take the trouble
to hitcn up and drive to the polls
without being paid two or three dol
lars is getting to be Il very Well known
man. In the cities and villages the
cash is paid outright by lleutenants.
as before. Bills from the State COM
mittees are expected fully as much az
the printed ballots from the State
capitol. Without the former there
would be more honest elections, bu;
a large percentage of the ballots would
not he used.
OF course there are legitimate use
for money in a State campaign. The
cash for expenses of organization
room rent, printing. clerk hire, cost OF
speakers, railroad fare, literature, ex-
press charges and other necessary
OUTLAWS. unless supplied by the State
organization, would fall on the local or
county committee and would not be
forthcoming. Continued lack of suffi-
cient money for these purposes is one
reason advanced to account for the
democratic machine being more OF a
district committees have had tn get
along on practically nothing. There
has not been money enough To make
Il proper canvass of voters, Il most
important step before any election.
Some devoted politicians here and
there have made these canvasses year
after year at their own expense and
are tired of it,
On the whole there has not been a
comprehensive, reliable canvass by the
democratic State organization for
many elections. Thus they have not
to get their share of new voters by
Il wise distribution of campaign
literature. This was one of Senator
Hills strong points. In his strenuous
days he now and then go; enough
money together to lis; fairy we'll all
the voters of the State. The sheets
showed the name, address. and. what
was very important to MIR. Hill, the
nationality of the citizen.
1t caused Il German or IL Swecde or
other foreign born citizen to get just
the printed party argument that would
appeal to him and save the waste that
attended the less methodical dstri-
button of political tracts. 1t is tire
of this kind in sixty counties. with
all the correspondence and attention
to detail which it entails. Few men
have the patience to do it effectively
Hill, active in giving battle to crafty
and able antagonists on the stump and
i'm the press. never forgot the import
ancc of the canvass. He gave to its
taking the closest attention and acted
on the minutcly stucled results. In
no other way was he able, election
after election. to offset the many
times greater campaign funds posses
sed by the republicans.
Hill is now retired. There are other
democratic leaders. but no sucr man
ager of the conduct of n campaign as
was he. In fact. the democrats have
no one who in that capacity makes
any attempt t" take his place. This
may not be the reason why the demo-
cratic machine has become demora-
lized-that is because ii has no boss
who nrganiZes-but it will be hard to
convince thousands OF SOOu democrats
that the party would not be far better
off with a little more method in the
management of it's affairs and Il firm
hand once more at the wheel. To
! them their decentralization comes nov
from too much machine management.
but too little of it,
Not all men who 50 think We're
known as Hill Democrats: many of
them would not like to see Hill return
to active politics. Their idea Of what.
in part at least, is responsible for
party demoraliZa tion-thc lack of n
paintaking. Woodworking, devoted. even
EDITORIAL boss--is interesting. consid-
cred with the opposite contention that
such management has ruined the State
machine.
BE the cause what 1t may. the use
of money or the lack of it, too much
bossism or too little discipline, the
increasing length of tme between
democratic victories In the State has
turned the political aspirations Of the
sons of old democratic families toward
| the other party. There is not Il county
that has not many descendants OF
democratic leaders of prominence vot-
ing against the principles of thei,