The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-06-26
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1912.
POLITICAL MACHINE METHODS

vi tO&e uVU~~SbssVe =.
A review of proceedings In the re-
publican national convention leads to
the conclusion that political machine
methods are being successfully used
to bring about q result desired by the
managers. The program initiated oy
the national committee 10 resulting as
anticipated; the committee virtu ally
created conditions that would sccom
plish the purpose in view.
This conclusion 10 justified by the
fact that contests brought before the
national committee we're evidently In
some cases decided without regard to
their merits, and seats in the conven-
ton awarded to applicants who had
no legal or moral right to them. These
men having been seated on temporary
organization, efforts to remove them
we're unavailing, and their votes
throughout the proceedings we're not
the votes Of the people they were sup.
posed to represent.
This is not q factional view of the
situation. 1t is supported by develop
nents in the Washington and Cali
1ornia cases, which are familiar to
newspsper resdersiin this part OF the
country. The fourteen Washington
delegates are:theiproduct OF the action
Of seventeen local) committee men in
that state, who appointed delegate in
place OF those chosen by 1000 voters
at the primaries. In the California
case, seats we're given to two delegates
against whom q state majority of H.
600 was recorded.
All through the proceedings, the
presidential preference of members of
the several committees was given pub
licity, with ~thelgenersl understanding
that their action would be Influenced
by their personal views as to the
presidential candidates.. In other
words, 1t was q packed jury, and Il
conditions had been reversed-if the
minority eide we're In the saddle-its
action probably would have been gov
erned by similar considerations.
It is an instructive exhibition of the
workings OF political machine meth
DDS. Somel seventy or eighty men
whose right to seats in the convention
was challengedlwere seated by the ma
tional committee, whose action is al
legged to have been Influenced by their
preference for q presidential csndi'
date. An appeal is taken to the Gre
dentials committee, In which some o
the challenged partiesl have member
ship. The credentials committee, also
10 alleged to be preiudiced because o
the controversy regarding presidential
candidates.
Finally the matter reaches the foo
Of the conventions, land II 10 proposes
that, in passing upon the right Of thes
seventy Dr. eighty lmen to seats in thu
body, no votel shall be cast by th
parties whose seats are contested
That ~lookedllike . fair proposition
but it was pointed out that under sue
Al arrangement, it would be posstbl
to bring 80 many contests and exclud
so many from voting, that q minorit
could easily get control OF the CONVEX
ton. That objection would cen I
be good.
1t vas thenEdecided that conteste
deleg ates be allowed, to vote on q
questions except th~eir;own case. TIL
permitted a large number of slleg,
fraudulent delegates to support Il
claims of other alleged fraudule
delegates with'.the expectation tn
the latter would reciprocate in the
turn.
It was . greatlmixup, with plausit
arguments on behalf of each side
interesting exposure of the workin
of political machine. methods. T
award of presidential nominations
direct vote, at ar election entirely
moved from the manipulation of n
chine politicians, is the proper go
tion Of the problem. The evils Of
present system are conspicuously
evidence at the Chicago convention