The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-10
The Tammany Demecracy-The Biatherskite
and Blackleg Coalition.

The Tammany Demscracy-The Biathersisite
and Blackieg Coalition.
The politics Of New York city and State are
just now in q curious and complicated condi-
ton, presenting as many distinct ingredients
as are used in any Of the most intricate and
wonderful combinations in chemistry, and as
liable to end In general explosion. We pub
lish in this days edition OF the HERALD very
remarkable exposition Of the intrigues, de-
signs, squabbles and troubles Of the Tammany
Hall party alone, having already disposed of
the doings of the outside organizations. twill
be seen from this inside view OF the Tammany
position that Hoffman, the Grand Sachem and
head ring master of the whole organization, is
playing the part Of political Mephistopheles,
and is endeavoring to form, out Of the compo-
nent parts Of the old ring, two separate rival
rings, which he can play against each other
one under the leadership of Connolly and
Mclean, and the other controlled by Sweeny
and Tweed the one with the present patronage
of the Comptroller's Office and the prospective
emoluments of the Street Commissioners De-
partment as its capital, the other with the quar-
ter of million dollars year Of the City Cham
berlain's Office and the DIN" interests Of the
Street Commissioners to trade upon. With
these two apparently rival rings In the field
the Mephistopheles Of the black mustache
hopes to be able to twist and turn from side to
side, and to dispose quietly Of this candidate
for Sheriff, laying the blame on the Connolly
ring, and of that candidate for County Clerk,
shifting the responsibility on to the Sweeny
ring, and 10 ride between the two himself in an
easy, milk and-water manner, bumbugging the
people, as usual, with the oily words of a
Jeremy Diddler.
But there is broader and more beautiful
view to take of the condition of Tammany
politics all over the State as we'll as in the city,
About year ago magnificent coalition was
perfected between the blatherskite and the
blackleg, which it was supposed would sweep
everything before it. The blathersklte was to
60 through the State in genteel suit of black
broadcloth, wearing a Sabbath school appear
ance, drinking nothing but cold water, and
making silly speeches about the constitutional
amendment, which turned out to be the blum
der of the campaign. The blackleg was to
take charge of the hard drinking and the anti
liquor law element and the coalition carried
the city and lost the State. This result was
attributable to the superiority OF the blackleg,
who is one Of the most distinguished characters
! that ever attained to the leadership of the pugi-
listc and faro banking circles of the metropo-
| lis; man Of the highest integrity in oil money
and business transactions, of generous i'm
pulses and noble physique. In short the
blackleg would have been one of the finest
| citizens ever discovered if he-had only been a
member of a church, when he first entered pub.
| lie life, instead Of member of the prize ring
| But as between the two parties to the coalition
! there can be no comparison, the blackleg being
! noble in his instincts and above all petty
transactions, while the blatherskite has done
soma of the meanest things ever attempted by
a third class ring politician.
Now, the real meaning of the Tammany in.
trigues and manGuvrings is that the coalition
between the blatherskite and the blackleg still
holds good, and ii is only as a means of in
creasing its power that the secondary work is
undertaken of manipulating Tammany under
two "rings,r so as to hoodwink the outsiders
and take in all the disconnected insiders,
bundle them all up together and sell them out,
when the elections come off, to the highest bid
der Let us see if the Independent organiza-
tons, and the disaffected members Of Tam
many herself will consent to he made the tools
of coalition which is equal in influence and
superior in morals to the famous radical coali-
ton between the Puritan and the negro.