American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-03-01
BUILDING A MACHINE.
Writer in Southeast Idaho Newspaper
Sees Big Political Machine In Farm
Markets Bureau.


Bancroft, Idaho. Feb. IA. 1917.
To the Editor of the Standard,
Dear Sir: In opening his cam
paign several years ago. Governor
Alexander before a very large and
representative audience described the
building of a political machine, in
fact he went into the matter very
thoroughly and in detail and explain
ed to his listeners that if for no other
reason at all there should be a change
of administration on account Of the
great power Of the Republican machine
which had been building during the
administrations Of Governors Gooding,
Brady and Haines. He showed the
danger and the damage that such a
machine would be to the upbuilding
OF the state, to the farmer, the mer-
chant, the manufacturer, and to every
body who might have business with
the state.
The governor warned his audience
to look him over we'll, to weigh him
in the balance and if he sized up we'll
as an anti-machine man, then to vote
for him for one term of two years.
AT the same meeting he told his au-
dience that there was not much dan
ger of a machine during a party per-
iod of two years, but cautioned them to
look out for the second. He said a
Democratic machine was no different
from Republican machine, that when
once machine was powerful enough
1t bowed to nobody.
In fairness to the governor l be-
lieve that he did very little machine
building during the first term, that
everybody was treated fairly and
equally with perhaps a little favor
itism here and there but nothing of
a serious nature.
But what about the second term?
Under the guise of a farm market
Bureau, the kind and generous Re-
publican legislature of two years ago
made appropriation of ten thousand
dollars. and the foresighted governor
lost no time in signing the bill Great
ing the office and signing the appro-
priation and the farm market bureau
TO all intents and purposes did some
splendid work for the first eighteen
months of its existence. They es-
tablished markets. founded farmers
organizations all over the state How
ever, about election time the bureau
evidently found the necessity of doing
other work besides catering to the
farm industry. Although the farm
bureau was not supposed to be in
politics the writer remembers well
about ten days before election receiv-
ing a package containing a splendid
report Of the bureau. a splendid ap-
peal over his own signature in behalf
of Governor Alexander. a splendid
book on Democracy, and some very
clever Democratic editorials, all non
partisan, all non-political.
Being a Democrat this all looked
good to the writer, as | fully realized
that anything Democratic is non-po-
litical.
Several Of my Republican friends
and neighbOrs have recalled for my
benefit what the governor had related
two years ago and especially remind
ed me of the remarks that the goyer-
nor had made with regard to the dan
ger of the machine during an admin
istration's second term and proved to
my satisfaction that here was now be-
ing laid the foundation for the larg
est and best oiled machine ever built,
under the guise Of building up the
farm markets bureau.
No less than six measures are now
before the legislature, all of them. if
enacted would build up the most pow
erful machine the state has ever
known, a non-partisan Democratic
machine, controlling the acts of every
auditor and assessor in the state of
Idaho. making their own work second
airy 10 that of the work of the farm
bureau, placing The regulation Of every
grower, producer and vender Of farm
products absolutely subservient to the
farm market, both as to market and
price, placing every organization of
creamery or cheese factory under alb
solute control of the same bureau, etc.
This is the machine your own gov
ernor warned you against. This is
The machine that aims to control every
producer and vender in the state of
Idaho.
Look up House Bills Nos. so TO 81
and see whether the Gar or the farm
markets bureau would have the most
authority and see the upbuilding Of
machine that would put the largest
steam roller to shame. This is what
your governor warned you against.
This is what your governor proposes
to give you.-Eugene Ruger in Ban
mock Standard