PENDERGAST POLITICS SEETHE AND SWIRL ON THE SHIFTING BANKS OF BIG MUDDY
O'Malley, Patrick J.
Pendergast Politics Seethe and Swirl On the Shifting Banks of Big Muddy By PATRICK J. O'MALLEY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR THE MISSOUBI RIVER—the Big Muddy— slows its spring flood-pace to a leisurely...
...The people ol Kansas City, rightly or wrongly, swept his candidates into office in the general election...
...of Jackson County, Missouri...
...In an interesting race, Binaggio supported a newcomer to Kansas City politics, young World War H veteran Richard Boiling, against Pendergastb^acked Emmett Scanion in the Missouri Fifth Congressional District...
...With all candidates Indebted to the heavy vote delivered by the First District Democratic Club, the Binaggio bandwagon began to rolL To what extest the ward leaders and precinct captains have since transferred their lleigjlanrs leers J tot Pendergast is binaggio is difficult to say...
...In 1945 the Pendergast faithful witnessed the elevation of one of their number to the Presidency of the United States and the burial of their sire—old Tom—at the age of seventy-two...
...The people ef Kansas City have IS......sssl TUs write* feels they have sheet sneers wresisS sad ere" watching closely...
...the First District Democratic Club was formed with Charles Binaggio, Henry McKissick...
...But the ebb of its turbulent and riotous spring rampage does not change the character of the Big Muddy...
...Although Binaggio does not, himself, have a police record, the Star constantly points up his association with notorious vice leaders...
...The Star has shifted its attack from Pendergast to Binaggio...
...Frankly admitting that "We was out to get Pendergast," Binaggio told this writer lhat the First District Club picked the governorship, county assessor, and county coroner contests to challenge the Pendergast organization in 1943...
...As a consequence, the "organ1 zed Democrats" were never broken— only disrupted...
...The Binaggio forces, however, were not able to get a majority on the Democratic County Committee...
...and the current cuts its capricious way as always...
...has lens been active in Kansas City politics...
...Binaggio, leader of the Italian precincts, was defeated for Representative by Pendergast lieutenant and west side boss Tom Gavin in the 1944 primary...
...A certain amount of veto power rests) with leaders of small groups, who can threaten to "scratch" the ticket in a general election...
...Underneath its slow and yellow summer flow, the sandbars shift and reform...
...Although claiming to be independet, the Star supported the Republican party in 1948 all the way from the Presidency to the District Magistracy...
...Labor, important in this primary, backed Binaggio...
...Unfortunately, the findings were stolen from a locked safe in the County Courthouse...
...The question ail Kansas Citians are asking concerns a neat, handsome, and rather dapper-appearing 39-year-old Italian named Charles Binaggio...
...This distinguishes him from an Independent Democrat, who may support the nonpartisan "Citizens Ticket...
...THE FEUD BETWEEN Jim Pendergast and Charlie Binaggio seems to have started in the 1944 primary...
...Nobody is saying that Jim Pendergast's strength has declined 1o the point where he has to go begging...
...This may have bitter consequences for Kansas City...
...Pendergast Politics Seethe and Swirl On the Shifting Banks of Big Muddy By PATRICK J. O'MALLEY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR THE MISSOUBI RIVER—the Big Muddy— slows its spring flood-pace to a leisurely roll as it curls around the large rock ledge upon which downtown Kansas City is built...
...President Truman's loyally is widely known and Bill Boyle, Executive Vice Chairman of the Democratic, National Committee, is a Pendergast man of equally long standing...
...the Wee* Central regional vice-chairman ef the American Veterans CosuuttBse...
...Joining with Henry McKissick of the Second Ward, Binaggio consolidated the First Missouri District in 1946...
...Leadership in Jackson County politics still requires a genius for bringing factions in solidly behind Die ticket, and for getting out the party's big mass vote in the general election...
...But"Jim made lota of promises to me and he hasn't coma through with them yet" Already, the word has gone around that Binaggio is very much like Old Tom Pendergast in one respect—his word is as good as his bend...
...Republican Albert Reeves, Jr., won the traditionally Democratic Fifth Congressional District and the "regulars" lost a couple of important County offices...
...At the height of his power, Tom Pendergast controlled the political fortunes of Missouri and his influence reached directly to the White House...
...The Star contended that a vote for a "machine"-supported candidate was a vote for a "gangster"-ruled and "vice-ridden" city...
...Pendegast added a little gall by firing Binaggios workers in the courthouse...
...Battery mate of Captain Harry S. Truman in World War "I, nephew Jim Pendergast took over a discredited but still powerful and functioning organization...
...The east side precincts contain the Italian community...
...Perhaps an old jreejact captain to the Mt Ward expressed the prevailing temper when he told me: "Well, I'm still a Pendergast man...
...but the factions support the party ticket election time...
...An Independent Democrat may also be a voter who doesn't like the "bosses' and thinks the "Citizens Ticket" a Republican party front...
...Heavily populated and long a cornerstone of T. J.'s power, the First can be roughly divided politically into two sections...
...EARLY IN 1948...
...Indications are that Binaggio feels fairly secure in Jackson County and is moving to extend his influence to Jefferson City (the state capital...
...If he merely calls himself a Democrat, he is likely to be' a "liberal"—with a long explanation—or takes little interest in politics...
...It is interesting to note some terminology used in .Kansas City politics...
...Low point for the "regulars" was reached in the 1942 city election, when the "Citizens Ticket" secured eight out of nine City Council seats...
...The 1948 primaries placed it in the possession, however tentatively, of the young leader of the First District Democratic Club, Charlie Binaggio...
...BINAOOIO'S RISE has been rapid, but Jim Pendergast is not out of Missouri Democratic politics...
...POLITICAL POWER in Kansas City is attained by control of Jackson County, the city, or both...
...George Clark, then county assessor, had a sizable following in the First...
...A cautious bid for power had turned into a striking success, but the fight was still in the family and the combine delivered enormous majorities for the ticket in the general election...
...Just so is Kansas City politics today: On the surface it appears quiet, but underneath, the eddies and cross-currents of work-a-day politics are constantly changing and shifting the scene for the nejtt race...
...If a citizen refers to himself as a "regular" or "organizational" Democrat, he generally votes with one of the factions...
...All indictments for vote fraud fell through...
...Sermon,' Mayor of independence, Mo., was a known anti-Pendergast faction leader...
...Meanwhile, the young, unknown North End ward leader, Charles Binaggib, threw his support to Roger Sermon for the gubernatorial nomination...
...Binaggio seems to have enough power to name at least the two Congressional candidates...
...The situation is not simple...
...Kansas Citians, knowing that the crown did not come that easily, waited...
...At the height of his power Tom Pendergast controlled both...
...and George Clark as officers...
...Since the Star is tagged as Republican, and is the only paper in the city, no other voice remains to report the present drift back to 'boas rule" is convincing terms...
...Its origin lay in the struggle to control the powerful First Ward...
...The Kansas City Star represents the core of the opposition to organized Democrats as a whole...
...Guiding genius of this local news monopoly is Roy Roberts...
...Binnagio's support of Boiling, a liberallabor favorite, indicates the influence of organized labor in that primary...
...Some observers think Pendergast can successfully challenge Binaggio...
...The Kansas City Star directed its fire at alleged vote fraud and a grand jury was said to have found evidence of illegal voting in the north end (Binaggio-McKissick) precincts...
...In a highly complicated primary, Binaggio beat Jim Pendergast, delivered 29,259 votes for the present Governor, Forrest Smith, against Pendergast's 23,105 for runner-up Dan Noe in the closest of the three test offices...
...But, while the reform "Citizens Ticket" won a majority of the City Council in 1940 and has retained it up to the present, it never made serious inroads into the County offices...
...Boiling, incidentally, recovered the 5th C. D. for the Democrats from Republican Congressman Reeves...
...But the people chose just thai in preference to Starsupported Republicans...
...Old-timers say It must have been an outside job—since Kansas City burglars never blow a safe with dynamite...
...This title was carried by old T. J. Pendergast for many a year...
...But still in doubt is the question of who will actually succeed old Tom as undisputed lord over Kansas City Democracy...
...The Democrats swept virtually their entire slate into office in November...
...By 1044 the decline had been arrested and some gains made in the County courthouse...
...The 1946 elections showed a slight decline in power of the organized Democrats and a brief resurgence of the old reform spirit...
...Beginning in 1932, a surging nonpartisan reform movement finally defeated the Pendergast machine in 1940...
...the west side is made up of working people who are largely Irish...
...With no patronage, Binaggio nevertheless invaded the west side and is reported to have made serious inroads on Gavin...
...A Committee for Honest Elections was formed and a number of veterans traded their momentary popularity to the advantage of the Republicans...
...Known only to the professionals until 1944, the primary election of 1948 established Binaggio as the outstanding Democratic leaden (or "boss," depending upon your preference...
...Bui, undeniably, • new nMnaane has tesen est ef she aulas ef si* Test FenseessSsts peiltical dtetaisBslBgv ft to ma by sen* Patrick J. O'Malley...
...Heir-apparent, and hand-raised by Uncle Tom, nephew Jim Pendergast was handed the former's crown when Federal Judge Merrill E. Otis forcibly removed T. J. from politics with an income tax conviction in 1939...
...KANSAS CITY POLITICS are important for the nation to watch...
...Of immediate importance nationally are two seats is the House and the senatorial race in 1850...
...Factional rivalry is a family affair in the primaries...
Vol. 32 • August 1949 • No. 32
