The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-03
THE POLITICAL MACHINE.

THE POLITICAL MACHINE.
 As Mir. Lilley has not yet been nom mated by the dominant party. 1t Is bit premature to bring up for more sarious discussion the machine of which It is proposed to make him the beneficiary. but since 1t has been re- fsrred to by the Springfield Republi- can and discussed by the Hartford Courant 1t can no longer be ignored. If Mir. Liiley is nominated 1t will, of course. have to be discussed In all of its phases, but a word or two now niay help to enlighten the view If those who love to dwell In darkness.
 It is the belief of the Republican that if the dfrect primary nominating principle were adopted in Connecticut 1t would Incidentally drop the present (repubfican) machine oligarchy Into pit 50 deep that 1t would never reach the surface again" To this The Cour- ant replies that 1t favors the adoption of the direct nominating principle. because t would sweep aside the "cat- tle," who remain active in politics for what there is in 1t for them. It also favors the direct primary, because 1t believes 1t would increase the interest of "the every day citizen" In politics. It then goes on to say accurately and truly: "But we do not believe that a direct primary would deprive earnest and honest political workers of their influence. They would turn their ef- forts to the polls of the primary in- stead of to the preparation for the caucus While now they go about urging their friends to go to the eau GUS, they would then be urging them to go to the polls A candidate at the primaries succeeds through the eforts of himself and his friends as truly as the candidate does. There has to be an organization if there Is party"
 The difference between the kind of political machinery these gifted news papers are considering and the kind which is ready to the hand of the par ty engineers in Connecticut to-day Is that under thesdirect primary law the nominee of the republican party this year would be Governor Woodruff and not George L. LAliey. The machine would not have been able to control the popular vote as 1t has easily con- trolley the registered or canned vote. So much for that end of the con- troversy. The real point to be con- sidered Is the need of political ma chinery to do the work of political parties. AS the Courant says there must be organization if there are to be parties, but there need not be the Kind of organization which dominates in the state of Connecticut and the law should forbid 1t, If not directly then indirectly. Michael Kenealy, the chairman of the republican state com nittee is credited with this sound and reputable observation: The party organization exists In order to elect the ticket which has been nominated, not to noninate the ticket to be offer cd the people," The exactly opposite Nc jew Is held by the men in Connecti7 c,At to-day, who insist upon choosing the> ticket before the convention meets. They are not leaders in the Kenealy sense:S they are ratlflers of the edict of the machine.
 But thfs would not be so serious a thing if the gefforts of the machine stopped there. The voters could soon take 1t out of them at the polls, as they threaten to do this fall. The :, evil of the Connecticut republican ma chine is found In It's ramified power, built up since misfortune and error overlook the democrats, and effective resistance was stilled. The machine seeks to nominate in order that 1t may control the executive department of the government when the temptation to veto a legislative act comes, The machine seeks to reach out into the various townships of the state, and there control local machine opinion in ways which gratify local needs and meet local demands, in order to more effectively control the houses of legis- laton when big hens get to setting The machine seeks to control the offic- tal output, which comes by appoint