What was wrong with the urban machine from the progressive point of view? we're we better off with it than without it?

Problems associated with the "urban machine" were that they were undemocratic and were corrupt. They moved the political system to allow candidates to win based upon vote-buying, coercion, and other corrupt methods. They were therefore effective or ineffective depending on the relationship you had with the machine and also whether or not you wanted to see a democratic system or not.