The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-10-31
SEEN and HEART
around the
NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY Carter Field

w dSLius lOH.-fFdctlcdI jim FdItty
Will have more to do with President
Roosevelts re-electlon--if he Is re-
elected-than all the New Deal braiu
trusters put together, or than many OF
the issues which In the last few
months have attracted SO much at
tention.
Farley has really built up a national
organization. 1t Families down not
only to every county, but to every
precinct In the 48 states, and 1t is
busy all the time. 1t has been work
Ing like mad In directions that have
attracted ne attention whatever. For
example, 1t has been conducting .
drive lately to get every Democrat.
man or woman, who happens to be on
the federal pay roll In Washington but
charged to New York state, to register.
1t has run special excursion trains to
New York with reduced fares, meal
prices, ETC.. to bring about this regis
trati0n.
This Is sample Of the kind OF
activity which makes organization or
machines (the choice OF words depend
Ing on whether you are for them or
against them) strong. 1t Is the kind
OF thing that explains, In large part,
why Tammany normally elects mayors
In New York despite the black eye the
tiger has In most OF the country.
1t Is the reason the Republican or
ganization generally won In Philadel-
phia, the Democratic In Baltimore, etc.
Much better Illustrations are Chi
cage and St Louis. The point here
being that these two big Middle West
ern towns have had periods during
the last twenty years when the strong
organization was with one party, and
then the other party developed a bet
ter. Thus proving that 1t Is not the
normal political inclination OF the
voters In these big cities which Is 50
important, but the fact that the ma
chine gets the vote registered, ann
then gets 1t voted on election day. Not
to mention seeing that II is counted
at least once-after the polls are
closed.
Started In EARLY
Farley began his real activities fo.-
lowing the election OF Roosevelt as
governor of New York IN 1880. His
Tammany background was shocked At
the state OF the party above the Bronx
There were whole counties where the
local Democratic organization was
mere adjunct to the local G. O.
boss, and received patronage scraps
from the local g. O. P. table In re
ward
Farley Installed q real fighting or
ganization. with workers In every up
state precinct. That explained Ronse
velt's enormous majority In 1880
which made him the logical Presl
dental nominee. With the open
Ing OF the 1882 campaign, Farley
started the same sort OF organization
work for the whole country He has
been at 1t ever since. The 1884 cleo
ton, far more sweeping than even the
Roosevelt landslide OF 1892, was no.
generally recognized as the fruit OF
this organization work. but actually 1t
was most potent In bringing 1t about.
Today the organization that Farley
has built up Is stronger thar In 1894
Whereas the Republican national or
ganization, and the local organization
in many doubtful states. Is Infinitely
weaker than at any time since thu
end OF the Civil war.
This is the very little discussed
that the Republican nom
inee to oppose Roosevelt next year
will face. For instance Illinois Is ad
mitted by many observers to be apt to
20 Democratic. Why7 Because Of the
strength OF the Kelley machine In Chi
rago, plus the Farley inspired organl
cation downstate. We're the OLD
Thompson machine In existence In the
Windy City, the state would be hg
nred probably Republican.
In Missouri the Pendergast machine
in Kansas City, plus the decay OF the
old big Four" Republican machine
In ST. Louis. makes all the difference
It's votes In the ballot box. not senti
ment round the radio, that elect. AM
machines know how to get them In the
boxes.
Back to Prohibition
Most people may laugh at the pre-
dictions OF dry leaders that this coun-
try Is headed back toward prohibition
but not the dlstilers Behind this
attitude OF fear Is very curious sItia
ton, very obvious to any one n1nirine
into 1t, but not generally realized. 1t
Involves the possibility that In the
next fight to get prohibition. for thA
light Is not only coming but has be
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