Word: pendergastlies
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Politician Truman made no bones about how deeply he had intervened in his home territory's primary fight. Yes, he had talked it over with Kansas City's Democratic Boss Jim Pendergast (nephew and heir of Harry Truman's political mentor and sometime convict, the late Tom Pendergast). Yes, he had encouraged Jim Pendergast to throw his organization's support to one of Slaughter's two opponents: a politically unknown, young (37) lawyer named Axtell...
...Kansas City the President's declaration of war brought no cheering from Pendergast "Goats." They well knew that Roger Slaughter (a "Rabbit" of the Shannon faction) was the strongest candidate. Now they were saddled with Axtell. and they gave him only an outside chance...
What hurt Democratic stalwarts most was that there seemed to be nothing to do about him. In Democratic Jackson County there is an unwritten law: a "Goat" (the old Tom Pendergast faction to which Harry Truman belongs) is always the Fourth District candidate, a "Rabbit" (the heirs of the late Congressman Joe Shannon) always runs in the Fifth-and never would the two machines collide. Thus "Rabbit" Slaughter has the committed support of Jim Pendergast, who, like his late uncle, Tom, has a passion for keeping his political word...
Once, in the midst of his crowded week, the President took time to fulfill a routine political obligation. He wrote to James M. Pendergast, of Kansas City: "Dear Jim, I am enclosing a check for $6 in payment of my Jackson Democratic Club dues. I hope the outfit is still going good. Sincerely yours-Harry...
...outfit" to which the President paid his dues was once the notorious and corrupt machine of old Boss Tom Pendergast; James M. Pendergast is Tom's nephew and political heir...