The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-05-20
THAT POLITICAL MACHINE


Voters of North Carolina will not be
particularly impressed or unduly influ-
enced by DR.. Ralph w McDonald's fluent
fulminations against the State Democratic
machine.
OF course there is Democratic machine,
or party organization, in North Carolina
No political party operates locally, in a
Statewide capacity or on nationwide
scale, without an organization; and the
effectiveness of party organization is
usually the measure of the party's success
i'm winning elections and gaining control OF
the offices and political patronage.
As far as the best thinkers have been
able to discover there is no way to circum-
vent this old and everywhere prevalent &C
compartment of the American political
system. As long as we have political par
ties under our system We will have polite al
machines or organizations. If the Demo-
cratic party in North Carolina had no or
ganization, a Republican administration
would soon be in power at Raleigh. The
Republicans have an organization, and the
only practical way to combat a political
organization is with political Organiza-
ton; so the Democrats have State organ
izatiOn.
As to whether the State organization of
Democrats is good or bad; is at this time a
party to a conspiracy to perpetuate itself
in power, pr to nominate a certain Demo-
cratic candidate for Governor, are matters
which The Times-News will not take up
for discussion at present It is sufficient to
say that as far as this newspaper is con-
cerned, DR.. McDonald's charges afford no
fuel for excitement.
The reason for our cOmplacency is the
certainty that North Carolina cannot be
relieved of political machines by electing
DR.. Mcdonald to the governorship.
There are four candidates for the Demo-
cratic nomination for governor, and each
of the gentlemen has machine-or or
ganization-a Statewide organization, in
fact-and DR.. McDonald's machine is as
well creased and oiled and is working as
smoothly as any political machine we have
ever seen in operation. II DIR. Mcdonald is
elected governor his political machine will
displace the one he charges is running the
State at present.
In fact, this newspaper is confident that
North Carolina "ain't never seen no SIGH
political machine" as would be running in
Raleigh, with DIR. Mcdonald as governor
Politicians of the Mcdonald type know
how to build political machines and how
to operate them; and they can't be elected
or maintain themselves in office without
machines, or organizations, with any bet
ter success than any other brand of poll
ticians.
So, let no voter conclude that the end of
the political machine age will be ushered
in with the election of DIR. Mcdonald as
governor. ..., ,..,,.
DIR. Mcdonald as a candidate has the
very best: political organization he and his
hackers have been able to contrive. That
organization, or machine, would assuredly
survive his election to the governorship
1t would be enlarged, expanded, strength
ened. -.
To keep DR.. Mcdonald in power il
North Carolina would require the operat
ing of machine similar to those which
have for years dominated both of the ma
ior political parties in other geographical
sections of the country. Machines of thos
patterns have been. unknown in Nort
Carolina. Perhaps one of the plans an
nounced by DR.. Mcdonald. for his Ne,
Deal for this State is the introduction of
1887 model political machine. .IFld