Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1908 — THERE IS NO MACHINE! PERISH THE THOUGHT! [ARTICLE]

THERE IS NO MACHINE! PERISH THE THOUGHT!

The Republican seems very much wrought up over the intimation in The Democrat that the reorganization of the republican county committee last week was a machine victory, and vehemently asserts that there is no such thing as a republican machine in Jasper oounty. No, of course not! And the Republican would not be exS?cted to admit it if there was! ertainly not. How oould it be the official organ of the machine and* tell its readers that there was such a thing? Such a self-evident fact is mere democratic buncomb. Not a blamed thing in it. Now it was merely a coincidence of course that “Bob” Mannan, the machine’s accredited representative from the north end, was sent for by this machine to come down here the Sunday prior to the election of a county superintendent last Jane and was in consultation nearly all day with Halteck et al in the office of Halleck and Leopold, the county chairman and secretary, respectively. It was merely a oonoident also that Mannan was “induced” at this meeting to oppose L. H. Hamilton for oounty superintendent because the machine did not want him. The alleged fact that the office of county surveyor was held out as a reward for such opposition had nothing to do with his aotion, of course. The machine of late years have not always been able to deliver the good promised, and perhaps the talks “Bob” had with the voters whom he interviewed here recently regarding his “candidacy” may have had some influence in his not publishing his announcement thus far. Of course the maohine had nothing to do with lining up Jasper oounty with the Kit Sills crowd at the recent convention here. The fact that Halleck wants to be nominated for state senator and thought Sills had some influence in White oounty and might deliver the delegates to him never entered the head of the “maohine!” Certainly not! Who ever heard of such a thing? We are shocked that anyone would even hint- at such unheard of tactics! > Seriously, though, The Democrat agrees with the Republican that Jasper oounty has at the present time the cleanest set of oounty officers she ever had. But no thanka is due the machine for this. They have been generally nominated and elected in spite of

it. rather than with its support. As an example we pit* Sheriff O’Connor, The fact is the republican machine in this county is becoming more discredited with the voters every day, and the action several of the precinct committeemen, especially those from Carpenter Jp., in refusing to vote for the machine candidate for county chairman, is a hopeful sign. But it has been long intrenched in Jasper oounty and is a menace as long as a root or branch remains. Political machines are usually broken up only by the voters of its party rising up in honest indignation and swatting it good and hard on the solar plexus at the polls.