The New York herald., 1866-08-29

For many years past II has been subject OF
complaint and reproach that the politics of this
country, and especially Of this city, have been
under the control Of the keepers and frequent,
ers of low grogshops The landlord of every
corner grocery or groggery had his little clique
Of bummers and bruisers, who could always
be relied upon to pack a primary meeting and
insure or defeat certain nominations. To these
grogshops the ward politicians rosorted, and
there the political meetings were held during
the canvass. The landlords supplied, cheap for
cash, the voters who marched in partisan pro-
cessions, carrying banners whose Inscriptions
they could not read. For 80 much head
either political party could be furnished with
any number of intelligent and loud-voiced citi-
zens to make great show at mass meetings
and cheer heartily whenever the gentleman
who hired them waved his hat or his handker-
chief From these groggeries, too, came the
swarms of Illegal voters, and the swindling bal
lot box suffers, and the shoulder hitters to
keep decent people away from the polls, and
the rowdies to smash the boxes when all other
means Of managing an election failed All Of
these classes of persons could be as regularly
employed as any other sort Of workmen, and
through them the grogshops controlled the
elections, from the first caucus for candidates
down to the closing of the polls.
During this reign Of rum it was not necessary
for person to be popular, or even to be
known to the people, in order to be chosen to
Office. He had only to pay a certain sum Of
money to the political leaders, or promise to
vote in their interest upon certain lucrative
jobs and the business was done. Primary
meetings would be held at the grogshops and
a list of delegates would be selected, Of whom
the majority Of the citizens never heard. At
the convention these delegates, for value re-
ceived, would unanimously nominate candi-
date, of whose person, character, position and
antecedents they were as completely ignorant
as Ben Butler is of the art Of war, or Thad
Stevens Of the decencies Of language. Having
been regularly nominated, this unknown candi-
date was, OF course, supported by all who
belonged to the party and voted tho regular
ticket. But ifthere were any attempts to scratch
him, then the grogshops again sent forth their
were overturned; the repeaters who vote
early and often, were brought into play; few
heads were broken and eyes blacked to induce
men to vote correctly and if the regular can
didate were still behind, after all these cleo
tioneering devices, then some shrewd poll clerk
advance, coolly ascertained how many more
votes were needed and put them into the
ballot-box. There are hundreds of politicians
in this city who can vouch for the accuracy Of
these statements. We have in our minds eye an
individual who has filed several of the highest
Offices in this city. but was never legitimately
chosen to one of them. The whole system of
grogshop politics was rs carefully arranged
and regulated as any other business; and snch
was the accuracy of its operations that it
became known as the political machine.
OF late, however, the grogshops have begun
to lose their power. The changes in the
police Of this city, the adoption Of registry
law, the closing Of all liquor stores on election
days, aad the increasing intelligence of our
people, have administered very severe blows to
our party machinery. In the good old times
the landlords Of the groggeries filed most of
our minor Offices, either in person or by dcpu-
ties, taking their pay in that way for their
services in clecting other politicians to the
higher positions. Now they have lost their
usefulness and are being crowded into the
background. With the new order of things q
new class Of politica! managers has sprung up.
The gambling hells have succeeded the grog-
shops o. the headquarters of political cam
paigns. Voters can no longer he procured for
q glass Of whiskey or few three cent cigars.
The strikers and repesters have struck for
higher wages, and il requires heavier purse
to deal with them; consequently the gamblers,
who are notcriously the richest men in
the community, now have the upper
hand and pull the political wires. They
live elegantly: they dress well: they give
better suppcrs grasis than can he obtained else.
where FOR money; they drive las. horses; they
can supply ;ntroductions 10 handsome women;
they are by no means stingy with the funds
they acquire so easily and al pinch they will
help apoor polticiaH or editor oat OF his dili-
cultics most generously. Thus they have se-
cured the same sort of influence over the poll
teal leaders that the grogshop keepers used to
exercise, and the time has come when they can
demand some public recognition Of their
power. Liquor sellers have been elected to
Office, and why should gamblers be too modest
to ask for the same reward: They have The
political leaders more thoroughly under their
thumbs than the Vrov dealers eycr h.d gou,o
owe them money, and some are bound by even
more stringent ties. IT the political machine
be In good order il can insure their nomina-
tons and elections as easily as anybody's else.
and If II be not In good order they alone have
sufficient funds 20 put i in repair. These are
the arguments which they employ to justify
themselves in their aspirations Tor ofice, and