Machine- A combination of devices working together to achieve a specific goal/output.
Webster’s Dictionary from 1913 says, “The term machine is most commonly applied to such pieces of mechanism as are used in the industrial arts, for mechanically shaping, dressing, and combining materials for various purposes, as in the manufacture of cloth, etc.”
The third definition offered by Webster’s is, “A person who acts mechanically or at the will of another.” This explains the usage in the following example from 1776.
“Let mercy be the character of the lawgiver, but let the judge be a mere machine.” -Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson held distrust toward the judiciary. He believed judges were a threat to democracy. Late in his life, Jefferson wrote, “The judiciary of the United States is the subtle corps of sappers and miners constantly working underground to undermine the foundations of our confederated fabric.”