The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-25

of the election Of some members Of the commit |
tee, there evidence of the election Of
enough members to organize the body itself
Upon what principle, then. can Alderman Barr and
his associates organize or pass resolutions? Upon
their own assertion, and one plain and indsputable
rule, they are no committee and never were.
Nevertheless, though stil-born they resolve in the
following words
That the committee adjourn to meet on Tuesday the
18th inst at hapast O'Clock for the purpose Of
deciding upon the contested seats OF those claiming
have been elected members Of this committee,
With twenty-five members. they assume the right |
to decide contested seats. This is directly maintain
ing that a minority Of the General Committee can
manufacture majority. This the undersigned deny.
No such doctrine was ever before put forth in Tam
many Hall, or in any democratic organization
Consider the consequences OF such a doctrine.
Every man by himself is a minority Of the body.
Fifty-nne minorities. upon the principle asserted
may gather to themselves ffty-nne committees each
ofwhich wouldhave equal right to sit in Tammany
Hall and act for the whole democratic party. II
il quite apparent that the argeness or smalness Of
the minority makes no difference in the principle.
But, while there are ffty-nne mnorities in the COM
mittee there Is and can be but one majority. and
this majority can never be represented by any smaller
number until formal rule or resolution is adopted
by that majority, allowing q smaller number 10
represent it. No such rule was adopted before the
members of the Barr Committee seeded and they
are Of course pOwerless to adopt any such rule.
II these views be correct the seeeders without
power to settle contested seats do any other
q committee. Moreover, they have seeded in vio
lation OF the doctrine that the majority shall govern
in violation of the usages of the party, and Of the
proprieties and reasonable sense of the case.
OF ffty.nine originally elected members who serve,
thrty-one support Mr.. Delavan, twenty-five support
Alderman Barr and three delegates from the 14th
ward have not come into the former organization
under whose rule they are entitled to seats. and
cannot get into the latter under whose rule they
not entitled to seats
The majority of the General Committee did not dis
pute or question the right OF the seeding minority
to sit with Them on the contrary they assertedt But
%haA knv1 tIov Tod NIa v.ssvt nr
| the majority to sit with them at all. They held
separate meetings and advertised that they were
| about to decide who should compose the General
| Committee Every democrat must concede that this
state of affairs was lamentable. and BODIED good
to democratic principles 1t necessary that the
question should be settled and it was settled.
| How it was settled, requires brief statement of
| facts. Tammany Hall is the property of Tammany
Society, benevolent institution, of ancient estab
lishment though not incorporated till 1905. 1t has
been the happy destiny of that Hall to be the home
of resolute democracy, and the temple of those
who were devoted to republican principles. 1t is
place Of historic associations All its trophies have
been gained in battle for popular rights In various
political commissions, since the time of Jefferson, men,
in anger and disappointment, have quit its protec-
ton and sought to build new Tammany; but it has
been their fate either to fall into the wing party, or
after fruitless wanderings, amidst unc0ngenial peo
pie, to return to their own kith and kim in the home
| Of their early days.
The affairs of fammany Society are usually man.
| aged by the Grand Council of Sachems, who have
the general control Of the Hall itself and the power
| to decide who shall occupy it.
| In 1912 lease was executed by Tammany Society
| to Mr.. Howard, who, together with Mr.. Brown, are
the present occupants. In that lease Mr.. Howard
| covenanted
That the present Democratic Republican General Com
mtee Of the city of New York and their successors,
shall have the privilege Of holding all their political
meetings in said Iammany Hall, during the continuance
| of this lease and the renewal thereof
He also covenanted that he would not
Let or lease directly or indirectly any part Of the said
tn what
themselves committees otherwise for the purpose of
holding any political meeting therein whose general poll
accordance with the general political principles of the
Democratic Republican General Committee Of the city Of
New York Of which Eli ah Purdy is at present chair
| man.
And he further covenanted that
In there should be at any time doubt arising
in his mind that of his assigns in the mind of the
Grand Sachem of Tanmany Society for the time being
any difficulty whatever between them in ascertain
ming The political character of any political party who
sha be DESTROYS Of obtaining admission to said building
for the purpose OF holding political meeting either
might give notice in writing to the Father Of the Council
the Father of the Council to assemble the Grand Council
to whom the question to the political character Of
such person persons seeking to be admitted into such
building for the purpose aforesaid shall be submitted
when the shall be passed upon and decided BY
the said Grand q said sGr &c Mno o h sneh
sion, . which decision, notified, shan be final con
elusive and binding.
Under these provisions, the undersigned have been
informed that Mr. Brown and the Grand Sachem both
gave notice to the Father of the Council Such notices
made it imperatively the duty Of the Council to de-
eide. In order to decide it requisite that they
should take evidence. The Council therefore gave
notice that they would sit
For the purpose of receiving credentials from those per-
sons who claim to have been elected to the Democratic
Republican General Committee for the year 1883
The majority submitted their credentials. What
transpired in the council room is not known to the
public; but from published protest. signed by Al
dean Barr, it is evident that the minority refused
r1,r,,tt t,nrar nIn,x@ 81, a.
evidence Of their right The Sachenls, therefore, de-
cided by resolution
That the following persons having been certified by ALL
or amaorty Of the appointed by the Dcmocra
tic Republican General Committee for 1852 to hold the
primary meetings called by that committee for the cleo
ton of the committees for 1853, elected, at such
primary meetings, members Of the Democratic Republ
General Committee for 1858 severaly entitled to
seats in that committee until it shall otherwise deter
mine. viz.
[Thcn follow the names of thirtyseven personsl
BY second resolution they called such persons to-
gether on the 2lst inst at q o'clock, p. NJ. BY a
third resolution they
Resolved That the committee to be organized under
and in pursuance Of the preceding resolutions is hereby
declared to be the Democratic Republican General Com
nAtee for 1858, and such, entitled to the Of Tam
many Hato the exclusion of all other political bodies,
except those duly called by the Grand Council Of the Tam
many Society, by under the authority of the said
Democratic Republican General Committee organized
under these resolutions
Upon this decision, the lessee of TammanyIIall as
the undersigned are informed, notified Alderman
Barrs committee that they could not have room ia
that building All this the Sachems were obliged to
do under their lease as representatives of Tammany
Society, the owners Of Tammany Hall. The COM
mttee of Alderman Barr denied certain of the gene
raj political principles of the committee Of which
Elijah +. Purdy was chairman. They insisted that
the minority OF general committee could act as q
general committee without any delegation of autho.
rity to do from the majority. They asserted that
the certificate Of majority of the inspectors of cleo
ton furnished evidence of election to those who
held it: Here they attacked two principles which
lie at the basis Of all party organization, and are
everywhere recognized as democratic principles.
And more than that, they claim a right to hire a
room, separate from the majority. in building in
which they have no property whatsoever But by
the lease only the Successors Of Mr. Purdys commit
tee are at liberty to meet general committee in
Tammany Hail. Does the minority constitute q