The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-02
Tammnny and Governor Seymour.

From the Washington National InteLtgencer.
We have no part nor lot in the local admin
istration of the city of New York. The fr re-
dom Of the elective franchise, both at the polls
and in all primary meetings of the people, we
will ever insist upon. 1t is the fountain,
which, if poisoned or corrupted, can hardly
fail to do great mischief in the administration
of free system of laws. If New York prefers
to have the suffrages of its people transferred
to small ring of spectators and traders, so
be it. great city is not, we apprehend, the
best illustration of the efficiency, integrity,
and good moral bearing of an elective govern
ment. Yet if the people of New York choose
to confer all power upon little circle o. ad-
veptuTers and operators, SO be it, We say. Lst
the jurisdiction be- limited, however. Let Tam
many govern New York, but govern nowhere
else. If the State prefers to wear the Tam
many collar, though it gals, let the State
wear it. We are not of the ring; and we wear
not the collar. We are party to no compact
that puts up Seymour, great and good man.
that Hoffman, neither great nor good-Hof-
man made by the ring-may be elected Gov
erpor of New York.
Let us photograph the ring. 1t is known as
"tbe Tammany Hall General Committee " 1t
is John T. Hoffman, Mayor; Peter B. Sweeny,
City Chamberlain; William NJ. Tweed, Deputy
Street Commissioner; and Richard B. Con-
molly, Comptroller. This is the head and the
power. 1t is not the general committee, but
the power Of the committee. A majority of
the committee proper are clerks in the offices
of the Power, receiving from one to three
thousand dollars each per annum, while the
Power itself makes millions by the control of
nominations and by the government which
these nominations secure. 1t is easy to see
that politics, in such a concern, is not purely
patriotic instinct. More is thought of city
railroads and other jobs than the success of
h. n,x H]H &, % AhA
worst man in the "circle," though we know
of no unfortunate candidate surrounded by SO
much pure selfshness and so many fine
schemes of private plunder.
1t is not for moment to be supposed that
the ring wanted Seymour, or that they in
tended, from the beginning, to do more than
use his conceded popularity in New York, and
his upquestioned character as a gentleman
and patriot, to secure the election of Hoffman,
or the installation of Tammany at the Albany
Capitol. 1t will not, therefore, be strange il it
is discovered, in the pending canvass, that
many persons throughout the State shall Offer
vote for Grant, or two or three, for one for
Hoffman. The papers, We see, are indignant
at the thought OF such treschery, but We look
more to the ends to be achieved, and to the
solid benefits TO accrue in the event of the
election of Hoffman, than to the cheap
expostulatOn of the papers in the in
tsTest of the ring, IL will be great
consolation to the Tanmany patriots,
should Grant be elected, to kno@ that Tam
many is also elected. New York, with its
autocratic government, with its autocratio
| power over the Executive, the legislature, and
the udiciary-New York concentrated in Tam
many-can console great many patriots
! The building of the court house and the bridge
across the Harlem river, two fine swindles, are
nice patriotic jobs. Then in prospect is the
Broadway railroad. True, these things within
few years have raised the annual taxes from
eight millions to over twenty millions. ADD
the management of the new Capitol at Albany
to this array of Hoffman benefits, the control
of the State canals and finances, the police aud
Croton water, and somebody has enough 20 bt
thankful for, certainly.