the boss and the machine-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



In　the　emergence　of　new　issues；　new　parties　are　born。　But　it　is
one　of　the　singular　characteristics　of　the　American　party　system
that　third　parties　are　abortive。　Their　adherents　serve　mainly　as
evangelists；　crying　their　social　and　economic　gospel　in　the
political　wilderness。　If　the　issues　are　vital；　they　are　gradually
absorbed　by　the　older　parties。

Before　the　Civil　War　several　sporadic　parties　were　formed。　The
most　unique　was　the　Anti…Masonic　party。　It　flourished　on　the
hysteria　caused　by　the　abduction　of　William　Morgan　of　Batavia；　in
western　New　York；　in　1826。　Morgan　had　written　a　book　purporting
to　lay　bare　the　secrets　of　Freemasonry。　His　mysterious
disappearance　was　laid　at　the　doors　of　leading　Freemasons；　and　it
was　alleged　that　members　of　this　order　placed　their　secret
obligations　above　their　duties　as　citizens　and　were　hence　unfit
for　public　office。　The　movement　became　impressive　in
Pennsylvania；　Vermont；　Massachusetts；　Ohio；　and　New　York。　It
served　to　introduce　Seward　and　Fillmore　into　politics。　Even　a
national　party　was　organized；　and　William　Wirt；　of　Maryland；　a
distinguished　lawyer；　was　nominated　for　President。　He　received；
however；　only　the　electoral　votes　of　Vermont。　The　excitement　soon
cooled；　and　the　party　disappeared。

The　American　or　Know…Nothing　party　had　for　its　slogan　〃America
for　Americans；〃　and　was　a　considerable　factor　in　certain
localities；　especially　in　New　York　and　the　Middle　States；　from
1853　to　1856。　The　Free　Soil　party；　espousing　the　cause　of　slavery
restriction；　named　Martin　Van　Buren　as　its　presidential　candidate
and　polled　enough　votes　in　the　election　of　1848　to　defeat　Cass；
the　Democratic　candidate。　It　did　not　survive　the　election　of
1852；　but　its　essential　principle　was　adopted　by　the　Republican
party。

Since　the　Civil　War；　the　currency　question　has　twice　given　life
to　third…party　movements。　The　Greenbacks　of　1876…1884　and　the
Populists　of　the　90's　were　both　of　the　West。　Both　carried　on　for
a　few　years　a　vigorous　crusade；　and　both　were　absorbed　by　the
older　parties　as　the　currency　question　assumed　concrete　form　and
became　g　commanding　political　issue。　Since　1872；　the
Prohibitionists　have　named　national　tickets。　Their　question；
which　was　always　dodged　by　the　dominant　parties；　is　now　rapidly
nearing　a　solution。

The　one　apparently　unreconcilable　element　in　our　political　life
is　the　socialistic　or　labor　party。　Never　of　great　importance　in
any　national　election；　the　various　labor　parties　have　been　of
considerable　influence　in　local　politics。　Because　of　its
magnitude；　the　labor　vote　has　always　been　courted　by　Democrats
and　Republicans　with　equal　ardor　but　with　varying　success。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　RISE　OF　THE　MACHINE

Ideas　or　principles　alone；　however　eloquently　and　insistently
proclaimed；　will　not　make　a　party。　There　must　be　organization。
Thus　we　have　two　distinct　practical　phases　of　American　party
politics：　one　regards　the　party　as　an　agency　of　the　electorate；　a
necessary　organ　of　democracy；　the　other；　the　party　as　an
organization；　an　army　determined　to　achieve　certain　conquests。
Every　party　has；　therefore；　two　aspects；　each　attracting　a
different　kind　of　person：　one　kind　allured　by　the　principles
espoused；　the　other；　by　the　opportunities　of　place　and　personal
gain　in　the　organization。　The　one　kind　typifies　the　body　of
voters；　the　other　the　dominant　minority　of　the　party。

When　one　speaks；　then；　of　a　party　in　America；　he　embraces　in　that
term：　first；　the　tenets　or　platform　for　which　the　party　assumes
to　stand　（i。e。；　principles　that　may　have　been　wrought　out　of
experience；　may　have　been　created　by　public　opinion；　or　were
perhaps　merely　made　out　of　hand　by　manipulators）；　secondly；　the
voters　who　profess　attachment　to　these　principles；　and　thirdly；
the　political　expert；　the　politician　with　his　organization　or
machine。　Between　the　expert　and　the　great　following　are　many
gradations　of　party　activity；　from　the　occasional　volunteer　to
the　chieftain　who　devotes　all　his　time　to　〃politics。〃

It　was　discovered　very　early　in　American　experience　that　without
organization　issues　would　disintegrate　and　principles　remain　but
scintillating　axioms。　Thus　necessity　enlisted　executive　talent
and　produced　the　politician；　who；　having　once　achieved　an
organization；　remained　at　his　post　to　keep　it　intact　between
elections　and　used　it　for　purposes　not　always　prompted　by　the
public　welfare。

In　colonial　days；　when　the　struggle　began　between　Crown　and
Colonist；　the　colonial　patriots　formed　clubs　to　designate　their
candidates　for　public　office。　In　Massachusetts　these　clubs　were
known　as　〃caucuses；〃　a　word　whose　derivation　is　unknown；　but
which　has　now　become　fixed　in　our　political　vocabulary。　These
early　caucuses　in　Boston　have　been　described　as　follows：　〃Mr。
Samuel　Adams'　father　and　twenty　others；　one　or　two　from　the　north
end　of　the　town；　where　all　the　ship　business　is　carried　on；　used
to　meet；　make　a　caucus；　and　lay　their　plans　for　introducing
certain　persons　into　places　of　trust　and　power。　When　they　had
settled　it；　they　separated；　and　used　each　their　particular
influence　within　his　own　circle。　He　and　his　friends　would　furnish
themselves　with　ballots；　including　the　names　of　the　parties　fixed
upon；　which　they　distributed　on　the　day　of　election。　By　acting　in
concert　together　with　a　careful　and　extensive　distribution　of
ballots　they　generally　carried　the　elections　to　their　own　mind。〃

As　the　revolutionary　propaganda　increased　in　momentum；　caucuses
assumed　a　more　open　character。　They　were　a　sort　of　informal　town
meeting；　where　neighbors　met　and　agreed　on　candidates　and　the
means　of　electing　them。　After　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution；
the　same　methods　were　continued；　though　modified　to　suit　the
needs　of　the　new　party　alignments。　In　this　informal　manner；　local
and　even　congressional　candidates　were　named。

Washington　was　the　unanimous　choice　of　the　nation　In　the　third
presidential　election；　John　Adams　was　the　tacitly　accepted
candidate　of　the　Federalists　and　Jefferson　of　the
Democratic…Republicans；　and　no　formal　nominations　seem　to　have
been　made。　But　from　1800　to　1824　the　presidential　candidates　were
designated　by　members　of　Congress　in　caucus。　It　was　by　this　means
that　the　Virginia　Dynasty　fastened　itself　upon　the　country。　The
congressional　caucus；　which　was　one　of　the　most　arrogant　and
compact　political　machines　that　our　politics　has　produced；
discredited　itself　by　nominating　William　H。　Crawford　（1824）；　a
machine　politician；　whom　the　public　never　believed　to　be　of
presidential　caliber。　In　the　bitter　fight　that　placed　John　Quincy
Adams　in　the　White　House　and　made　Jackson　the　eternal　enemy　of
Clay；　the　congressional　caucus　met　its　doom。　For　several　years；
presidential　candidates　were　nominated　by　various　informal
methods。　In　1828　a　number　of　state　legislatures　formally
nominated　Jackson。　In　several　States　the　party　members　of　the
legislatures　in　caucus　nominated　presidential　candidates。　DeWitt
Clinton　was　so　designated　by　the　New　York　legislature　in　1812　and
Henry　Clay　by　the　Kentucky　legislature　in　1822。　Great　mass
meetings；　often　garnished　with　barbecues；　were　held　in　many　parts
of　the　country　in　1824　for　indorsing　the　informal　nominations　of
the　various　candidates。

But　none　of　these　methods　served　the　purpose。　The　President　was　a
national　officer；　backed　by　a　national　party；　and　chosen　by　a
national　electorate。　A　national　system　of　nominating　the
presidential　candidates　was　demanded。　On　September　26；　1881；　113
delegates　of　the　Anti…Masonic　party；　representing　thirteen
States；　met　in　a　national　convention　in　Baltimore。　This　was　the
first　national　nominating　convention　held　in　America。

In　February；　1831；　the　Whig　members　of　the　Maryland　legislature
issued　a　call　for　a　national　Whig　convention。　This　was　held　in
Baltimore　the　following　December。　Eighteen　States　were
represented　by　delegates；　each　according　to　the　number　Of
presidential　electoral　votes　it　cast。　Clay　was　named　for
President。　The　first　national　Democratic　convention　met　in
Baltimore　on　May　21；　1882；　and　nominated　Jackson。

Since　that　time；　presidential　candidates　have　been　named　in
national　conventions。　There　have　been　surprisingly　few　changes　in
procedure　since　the　first　convention。　It　opened　with　a　temporary
organization；　examined　the　credentials　of　delegates；　and
appointed　a　committee　on　permanent　organization；　which　reported　a
roster　of　permanent　officers。　It　appointed　a　committee　on
platformthen　called　an　address　to　the　people；　it　listened　to
eulogistic　nominating　speeches；　balloted　for　candidates；　and
selected　a　committee　to　notify　the　nominees　of　their　designation。
This　is　practically　the　order　of　procedure　today。　The　national
convention　is　at　once　the　supreme　court　and　the　supreme
legislature　of　the　national　party。　It　makes　its　own　rules；
designates　its　committees；　formulates　their　procedure　and　defines
their　power；　writes　the　platform；　and　appoints　the　national
executive　committee。

Two　rules　that　have　played　a　significant　part　in　these
conventions　deserve　special　mention。　The　first　Democratic
convention；　in　order　to　insure　the　nomination　of　Van　Buren　for
Vice…Presidentthe　nomination　of　Jackson　f