Ruling Suburbia: John J. McClure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

John Morrison McLarnon

University of Delaware Press, 2003 - Political Science - 352 pages

"Ruling Suburbia chronicles the history of the Republican machine that has dominated the political life of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, since 1875. The majority of the work is devoted to the career of John J. McClure, who controlled the machine from 1907 until 1965. The story of his career makes four central points. First, political machines were not confined to urban areas. Second, neither the New Deal, immigration restriction, nor the rise of organized labor destroyed all the old Republican machines. Third, contrary to the national trend, the black population in Delaware County continued throughout the century to support machine-sponsored Republicans for state, county, and municipal office. Finally, practical considerations such as jobs, school, parks, public transportation, trash removal, police, and fire protection have always been more important to the citizens of Delaware County than has been democratic government. By delivering those things, the machine has succeeded in maintaining its hegemony for over 100 years.

Contents

• Introduction: 11
• Genesis of a Machine: 15
• The Progressive Era: 42
• From Spoilsman to Statesman: 72
• The RumRing: 101
• What Chester Makes: 132
• The Master Sorcerer: 178
• Black Republicans: 210
• Epilogue: 238
• Defendants and Unindicted Coconspirators: 251
• Population Tables: 255
• Notes: 261
• Selected Bibliography: 323
• Index: 341

Popular passages

Page 16 - ... the cards. If anybody wanted anything— jobs, favors, cash— he could only go to the boss, the local leader. What Roosevelt did was to take the handouts out of the local hands. A few little things like Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and the like— that's what shifted the gears, sport. No need now to depend on the boss for everything; the Federal Government was getting into the act. Otherwise known as a social revolution.

Page 6 - Delaware 1770-1776, of the Constitutional Convention of 1 776, and of the House of Assembly of the Delaware State 1776-1781. Custer, Jay F., ed.

Page 6 - Custer, Jay F. Prehistoric Cultures of the Delmarva Peninsula: An Archaeological Study. Sweeney, John A. Grandeur on the Appoquinimink: The House of William Corbit at Odessa, Delaware.

Page 6 - Cultures of the Delmarva Peninsula: An Archaeological Study. Sweeney, John A. Grandeur on the Appoquinimink: The House of William Corbit at Odessa, Delaware. 1988 Bushman, Claudia L., Harold B. Hancock, and Elizabeth Moyne Homsey, eds. Minutes of the House of Assembly of the Delaware State, 1781-1792. 1986 Bushman, Claudia L., Harold B. Hancock, and Elizabeth Moyne Homsey, eds. Proceedings of the Assembly of the Lower Counties of Delaware 1770-1776, of the Constitutional Convention of 1776, and of...

Bibliographic information

• Title: Ruling Suburbia: John J. McClure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Cultural studies of Delaware and the Eastern Shore
• Author: John Morrison McLarnon
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: University of Delaware Press, 2003
• ISBN: 0874138140, 9780874138146
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / American Government / State; Political Science / Political Process / General; Political Science / Political Process / Political Parties