Abstract

The Pendergast Machine

The article focuses on a book "The Inside Story of the Pendergast Machine by the Man Who Smashed It," by Maurice Milligan. This book gives an account of the revival of the Pendergast machine under Boss Tom's nephew, Jim, of the Democratic primary fight in Missouri's Fifth District two years ago and the scandals which flowed out of that. It does not take much of a memory to recall the President's interest in the defeat of Representative Slaughter by Enos Axtell, but non-Missourians may not be very familiar with the sequel. Axtell won a bitter fight by a mere 2,700 votes. He carried the Pendergast wards, 12,104 to 2,072. Those figures were altogether out of line, and an unofficial investigation quickly turned up numerous indications of fraud.