The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-05-03
PARTY ORGANIZATION VS.. PARTY
MACHINE.

Machine OF Boss system be continued
or abolished?" Other issues appear,
but they are subsidiary and depend
ent upon the determination of the prin-
cipal issue above stated.
The governments, federal and state,
in this country are republican in form
and.are controlled by political parties.
These political parties are in turn CON
trolled either (a) by the people, or o.
by bosses. Of necessity Il political
party performs executive functions
through a smaller number of persons
in the mature of an executive board
selected by such party, and this board
or body represents and performs the
will of the party. This is represent
alive organization in its true and prop
er sense. A Machine" on the other
hand, is mot so selected. is the an
tithesis of such an organization, and
instead of performing the will of the
body of the party, assumes the author
ity to coerce and control it. In other
words, a party organization subserves
and promotes the interests and will
of the'party. A"Machine" commands
and dominates it. Legitimate party
organization constitutes one of the
functions of the party body. The
Machine is aparasitic growth upon the
party body and exploits and feeds
upon it. The 'Machine' in South
Dakota in recent years has absolutely
controlled the Republican party in
the state. and its intent and purpose
has been and is, through the party. to
dominate and control the state in its
legislative and other departments.
1t has now so developed in power and
SO thoroughly entrenched itself IL
gainst the people that it has arrogated
to itself the right to call itself the
Republican party and all dissenters
from its domination "Insurgents.'
OPPOSITION TO MACHINE RULE.
By reciprocal arrangements between
the bosses and the principal railway
and other corporate interests this Ma
chine was created, and its system of
ent%renchment has proceeded unoppos-
ed by organized opposition on the
part of theIpeople of this state until
two years ago. While i'll some of our
sister states popular opposition be-
came so pronounced against Ma
chine" politics. manipulated conyen-
| tons. states, Machine" made plat
forms and laws that the Machine"
has there been effectually abolished,
and the reins of party and state con
troll restored to their rightfnl possess
ors-the people in this state two
years ago this protest merely assum-
ed the nebulous form. but by reason
of still further and AFRO
gance on the part of the System.
amounting in one instance to an alb
/ salute denial of the constitutional
rights of the people,, has caused the
great body of Republicans of the state
to unite in an organized protest against
these methods with a firm determina-
ton that the party shall be restored to
original principles. preserved in its
integrity and this iniquitous System
abolished, and thus restore the party
to the confidence and respect of all
lovers of good citizenship and place
it and the state government back in
the hands of the people.
Repeated instances of discrimina-
ton, Legislative and administrative,
in favor of the bosses and their cor
parate allies, states and platforms pre-
pared by a handful of men, part of
whom We're purported representatives
of the people of the state and part
agents of the railroads, forced upon
an unwilling party, repeated year
after year, Legislatures organized and
committees selected by the System
behind closed doors, a denial even of
rights secured to the people by the
Constitution-their sheet anchor of
protection against the encroachment
upon their most sacred rights and
privileges-have led all thinking men
to the firm conviction that speedy
and decisive action is imperative.
This is not a movement against par
ticular individuals or corporations.
1t is a movement made necessary in
self defence to preserve the security,
principles and traditions of the Re-