The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-02
Has Depended on Machine
For His Successes During
Past 30 Years
MAKING SPEECHES
ALL OVER STATE
Educated in Quay School of Politics,
His Appeal to the Voters Them
selves is Being Watched With
Unusual Interest
BY c. e. STEWART

Washington, July 1.-(Special)-After
career of 30 years as machine politician
Boise Penrose, United States senator from
Pennsylvania, has turned to the people
the rank and file of his party-for the,
support which he needs to gain re-elee-
ton to the Senate This is one of the
most interesting spectacles OF modern poi
itics as viewed from Washington.
For almost three decades-he entered
the state legislature in 1SS4-Senator PEN
rose has been active and prominent in
the politics of Pennsylvania, and through
out that career he relied entirely upon
the organization" For decade or more
Senator Penrose was boss par excel
lence of a machine de luxe, whatever
that is. He succeeded Mat Quay as
the director of the republican party In
the keystone State, and as a graduate
of the Quay school of politics 1t was
but natural that he could see nothing in
the game, but the organization.
Controlling committees, dominating con-
ventions, naming candidates, writing plat
forms and debating to legislatures has
been all in the days work to Senator
Penrose. Indeed, 1t might be said to
have been the days work with him. And
he was decidedly successful at it, as
his election for three terms in the United
States Senate bears eloquent witness.
Machine Overwhelmed
But last year something happened. The
bull moose movement overwhelmed the
Penrose machine in Pennsylvania, and
when stock was taken after the election
1t was found that the progressives had
taken possession of the republican organ
ization. "Bilr Flynn of Pittsburg had
succeeded Penrose as the boss, and 1t
speedily developed that he had it in mind
to succeed Penrose as senator.
Stripped of the power which control
of the party machinery gave him there
was but one thing left for Senator Pen
rose to do, and he is trying to do it.
He is fighting the machine and making
an appeal for reelection as the candi-
date of the people. Think of 1t! Cam
paign Autographs of Boise Penrose, la
beled "the Peoples choice scattered all
over the state of Pennsylvania is enough
to make a bull moose laugh or below.
The senator is spending little of his
time in Washington these days-just as
little as is compatible with his position
of republican leader in the Senate. He
is out on the hustings, making speeches
in all sections of the state and to all
classes of the people-giving the people
an opportunity to see what manner of
man their choice is-showing the peo-
pie Just what the peoples candidate"
looks like; they never had the chance
before AS his preceptor, Matt Quay
would put 1t, he Is appealing to the boys
in the trenches. Quay, when he had
trouble with the machine. which hap
pened once or twice. always turned that
trick, and its novelty always made 1t
successful and he got away with 1t.
Must Get Popular Vote
OF course, Senator Penrose has to
get popular votes to retain his seat in
the Senate. Direct election of United
States senator's, which is to be tried
out next year for the first time, means
that. However, If he still retained
absolute control of all the party ma
chinery and his dictatorship was as SUI
preme as 1t was for 10 years there
would be little need for his making
popular appeal. All he would have to
do would be to pass the word down
the lines, for in the old days repub-
licans of his state We're accustomed
to voting as they were told to vote by
the man higher up. But lately the re-
publicans of Pennsylvania, as well as
of other states, have developed habit
of voting as they "d"d please" as