The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-17
THE MACHINE AGAINST THE
PEOPLE.

h present campaign u! tne aa-
llerents of Theodore Roosevelt Tor ms
nomination has demonstrated n fact
and proven a condition that are in
teresting in politics. AT the confer
ence held at Chicago last week II was
found that in many of the states it
was a fight between the political ma
chine for Taft on one hand and the
majority Of the people for Roosevelt
on the other. We believe It would
he a conservative estimate to say that
President Taft would not have one
fourth of the delegates to the national
convention were It not for the power
he IL able to WELD through appoint
ments.
The Times had pointed out before
and the Chicago conference corrobor-
ated the idea, that in all the strong
machine states there would be divid-
ed delegations. Dur opinion was bas-
ed on the fact that in states. for in
stance like Pennsylvania and Illinois
the machines would be for Taft. But
IN all those states. except for the -four
delegates-at-large. the delegations are
selected by congressional districts
" delegates for each district. The
congressman in a district is the build
err Of the machine, but as his election
comes every W years.. he is so In
tensely human that he keeps his ear
to the ground continually to ascertain
what the voters of his district want,
because It is easier to get into office
by having the voters for the candi-
date thai against him. In the dis
tricts where the Roosevelt sentiment
is strong with the people, the con-
gressional machine Joins the popular
demand and the delegates from such
districts will be for Roosevelt.
In Pennsylvania Senator Penrose
inherited the old Quay machine. and
while he has far less political ability
than the dead senator he Is able to
control the state on all matters in
which the whole state is concerned.
There are, however. thirty-six con-
sressional districts in the state each
with a machine Of it's own and each
congressman DESTROYS of getting on
the band wagon Of public opinion. 1t
is easy to see that in a OF the dis
tricts the Penrose machine will not
lie able to control the congressional
machines. The city of Philadelphia
lliS SLN toIiGl tSSlollal NlSlIlSAS anu
twelve delegates. Last fall the Pen
rose machine candidate for mayo was
overwhelmingly defeated. ana the
same elements that caused that de-
feat are out hammer and tongs for
Roosevelt. 1t is not very difficult to
So" where the congressional machines
In that city will line up. The same
conditions prevail in Greater Pitts
. hurrh which includes the two united
cities Of Pittsburgh and Allegheny.
The four congressional districts with
their eight delegates are after Pen
roses scalp and Senator Oliver. who
is a Pittsburgh newspaper man. is
in open warfare or the state machine,
as is Congressman Dalzell and a score
of lesser lights.
The two cities cited have one-fourth
the delegation from the state and they
are against Taft personally and
against the Penrose machine which
. is backing him. A number of the
other districts-especially those con-
tanning the great coal mines-are for
Roosevelt. The people, largely coal
miners, have not forgotten that when
Roosevelt was president. during the
great anthracite coal strike. when
starvation was staring the miners and
their families in the face. he invited
with a club. it was said. the mine
n to a conference with him and
the representatives of the mine work
ers at the white house and with no
authority except his square deal pol
icy brought the two elements togeth-
er and ended the strike so emphati-
cally hat 1t has remained ended to
this day, and many who read this will
have to dig out the rusty tones Of
memory to recall the event. But
those miners INT their sons and their
sons-in-law have not forgotten it
and for them the Penrose machine
will he entirely without power or in
fluence.
Illustrations such as the ones given
could he multiplied far beyond the
length Of this editorial. Those given
show that the power of a political ma
chine. upon which the Taft manage
ment relies for his nomination. can
be shattered by the people. But the
conditions-the strength OF the Taft
power-shows also what a power such
a machine is when the wheels are set
in motion.