Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-04-30

The Seventh ward, we will say, is
called on and the chairman of the.del-
egation roars out Fourteen votes for
Jones and one for Smith" An assist
ant secretary repeats to the main sec
rotary, Fourteen votes for Smith and
one for Jones'" and it is so recorded
The chairman from the Seventh ward
may think the vote of his delegation
has been recorded properly. Some
times, when things appear to be run
ming too close, they will not even give
the opposition candidate any votes
until the bosses candidate is safe.
Any motion for a rollcall is 'gaveled
down" by the chairman, and the SER
geants-at-arms, always chosen by the
bosses" are eager to eject any OBJ
streperous patriot who begins any
iargon about his rights"
To "gavel down" a motion is simply
TO hammer on the table with the gavel
and proclaim that a motion has been
carried" or defeated" just as you
want it to go. In this way, no matter
what the majority is, the bosses" and
the chairman and secretaries can
thwart the will of any convention, un.
less the convention splits and "a bolt
is started. To bolt" is to leave the
hall, organize separate convention
and proceed as though the other con-
vention was not in existence.
This is a last resort and is seldom
done. Delegates are timid and they
rarely have any independent action.
| They may fume in private, but they
take the gaff" in public. Party fealty,
party cohesion, party this, that and
the other weighs on them and makes
| them towards. For the most part the
delegates hope to get some crumbs
from the party table and they fear 10
revolt, knowing well they will be
marked men with 1.-The organization
OH. potent phrase, ''the organization .
There is the ward organization, the
county organization" the state or
| ganiZation," the national CrganiZa
ton" all inextricably linked and
welded together, and the national com
mitteeman can put his finger on a
garbage wagon driver In a remote
ward and separate him from his jot
| if the driver doesn't do exactly as he
is told. It's beautiful system. DOM
imagine that it is not perfected so fan
as it can be.
! Occasionally some fossil of respecta
bility, galvanized into spasmodic &C
ton by something particularly brazer
on the part of the powers that run the
convention, will get up from the plat
form, where he is supposed to be ac
quiescent to the program, and star
the animals by fiery diatribe agains
the bare-faced robbery going on unde
his very nose. At such time it i:
really delightful to see the perfect re
spect in which his remarks are lis
tened to by the chairman and tn,
bosses" His remarks may be pune
tured by cheers by the malcontents Il
the delegates seats, but the strong
arm" contingent governed by tn
bosses" sits quietly until he fires hi
broadside. Then possibly a boss
gets up, or the chairman gets in
happy remark or two and there is
thunder-roll of applause from tn
bosses gang. The respectable ger
tleman has simply talked for tn
pleasure of having his cerebellum v
brate. He might as well have recite
Mary had a little lamb"
Our ward stood eight to seven in on
convention, and our chairman al
nounced it correctly. He was an OF
ponent of mine, but he did not try
: change the vote. But when the vot
| was announced from the stage it wa
Is for the other side. Several of U
: yelled bloody murder" at the stea
! but, bless you, that convention WEI
right ahead with it's business as easil
!, as if seven men standing upright
their seats and bowling Mister Chat
man; Mister Chairman" was mel
= tableau and nothing that concerne
the convention in the remotest d
!, gree.
h BY the way, convention oratory
t, divided into two kinds, the "turnt
J. loose" and the "squelched." TT