New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-28

/ Tue Anti hasonc party was never very strong ia
the city and the politicians of the Mug did not Lotber
tue se'Ee' much about the mat er. Nearly all tie
leoiug Dem Gratis were has'ns, and the headquarters
Oh Tue secret fraternity was at st. Johns Hail. just CD
fosue the Mug and 1ammany. Besides, the main
strength of the against Masonry was b.car.e %
It's secrecy, and the Tammauy Sachems lived in g,ss.
house in that respect.
About 1880, the Mug was mixed up in workine
Mems Party as it was called; sort of gathering in d
odds aud en- that did not affiliate with any organized
panty. 1t was short-ived, however; but il lsfi tho
smolderng embers which Fanny Wright Darusrnont
subsequently blew into fame
AtJackson's second election the city gave bin about
5000 majority, and of course the Mug and Tammany
were in high feather. Marcy was elected Governor,
and the Albany Regency, managed by Silas Wright,
Azariah c. FIagg, John A. Dix and Edwin Croswell,
bad got the Democratic party into perfection of or
ganizaon and strength never before afterward
achieved Tie maxim, "To the v;ctors belong the
spos," was practically carried out aud the pleasant
smoke Of the Hesbpots gladdened the nostrs of the
frequenters of the Mug. But this did not last long
The financial smash in 1885, and the triumph Of Aaron
Clark for Mayor in 1887, and the great Wing sweep in
November of that year when the Democrats got only
p of the lsS members of Assembly, and 2 of the 8
ard for Governor in 1888 gave the Jacksou.ysn Buren,
party its quietus in NewYork. With defeat inter-
nal troubles among the Democracy and 10 loss Of Office
succeeded lOts Of temper. Many and noisy were ths
wranglngs in Tammany, and even ply steal violence
the smashing Of windows aud doors and the occasional
smashing Of a head-was by Ito 1t was
stormy season, and the reputation of the Mug was by
benefited by the behavior Of its Big neighbour
Just at this period, there another party--ths
offspring Of Fanny Wright-which was wet-nursed
at the Pewter Mug. This was the Agraran,
LocO.FOco, Fanny Wright, Inidel party, but
calling itself the Equal Rights party" Its lead
ing mempers were the adventurous French woman
Fanny Wright, Levi ID. Slamm, Ely Moore, job
Haskell, Clinton Roosevelt, Alex. Ming IT,, Mosez
jacques +. W. Byrdsall, John Windt, John CONNER
ford, George w. Matsell, Stephen Hasbrouck, end
Others less noted. This party originated party by
a split in Tammany in November, 1885, when the peo-
pie were called TO ratfy the party nominations. The
regulars wanted Isaac l.. Varian for Chairman Of the
meeting the discontents wanted Joel Curtis. A ruth
took place the opening of the doorsi both parties
claimed their 10 be chosen, and row ensued,
during which the gas was put off The Equal Rights
men had anticipated this, and, having candles and
matches in their pockets, they Immediately rehghted
the room. The matches were those known as Loco
Foeo," and the was applied first TO tic Sldmm,
Bang & Ming men, and afterwarj TO the entire Demo
cratic Iarty. The LOco-Foco kept the field for few
years only. They ran Ming for Mayor in 1886, giving
him 2,70O votes In the FALL they tried State ticket,
nominating Isaac s. Smith of Buffalo for Governor,
who got 3, 400 votes In 1887, they ran DIR. Moses
jacques for Mayor polling over 1900 votes-enough to
elect the Wing candidate. It, career was brief-not
more than three years elapsed before it swallowed
up by the great parties but lis leaven exists in
small degree to the present day.
The defeats from 1887 to 1910 did not sweeten the
Democratic temper. The patriarchs of the old regime
were retired from service aud such violent substitutes
as Robert II. Morris, Fernando Wood, Capt. Rynders
johnny Austin and fellows Of that SORT began to con-
troll ana rain the old party. The scenes OF violence
which marked the Polk and Clay contest are well
remembered. Sober and honorable citizens who had
eored ia the Democratic party fer nearly half con
tury efg it in disgust The system of stuffed ballot
boxes and packed conventions in full vogue the
registry law was imperative at TIE polls, and fraud
and violence ruled supreme. The Pewter Mug deteri
GRATED with tie rest Its fequente were changed IN
character it, sly corners famous for draw
poker and seyet-up than for political caucues there
was more drinking aud fighting but less talking than
formerly and occasions not rare in winch Mat
sells leaiherheads were required to restore order.
The Eruption into the Democratic party of the rowdy
system made Tammsny Hall a perfect pandemonium
about election time. Fights frequent meet
| iues and such meetings with the Empire Clubs pa
rades were dreaded and avoided by all quiet people.
| The party became demorazed, much SO that
| reorganization became necessary and Convention
was held, presided over by Fernando Wood, for that
purpose Ii did not however, arrest the downward
progress of tue payt only galvanized it for the ben
ef Of a few oily managers.
For the last fifteen years, the Pewter Mug has been
waning in political importance. In its palJny days, the
great men Of the city lived below near the Park.
State street, lower Broadway and Greenwich street,
were arisocratic quarters The yellow fever of iS2,
tie cholera of 1892 the great fire of 1885, and the rapid
increase of the mercantile business Of the city drove
these people northwad and they too far away,
IL thew were not too old, TO reach their old haunts
| New temples far away where the wild timber grew
when the Mug was built, gather the degenerate soma
of the Pewter Muggers. The modern innovation Of
teetotasm is or was killing the fayorite old
tom OF spending leisure evening at the alshouse, and
"Tne good old w,ys fathers trOf'
are oblterated by the tramp Of modern customs and
modern Improvements Lower New-York is left 10
Dutch boardng.house and Wholesale stores and year,
ago the glory departed from the Mug The party
caucus now goes to the Astor House and the New York
Hotel, or to the more sumptuous parors of some
schemng leader and the porer-house is left to vaga'
bond wayfarers.
As q drinking place, the Pewter Mug was always
popular. Tammsny might hold the masses Of the peo-
pie, but they lodged around to the Mug 10 drink Ths