The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-12

Federal treasury and patronage We do not
believe they can succeed even in the nomi-
nation; but they naturally take a different
view, and will spend as much money in
securing delegates to the next Democratic
National Convention as they usually spend
on Legislature-say million And whence
shall they obtain this sum save from. our
conquered taxpayers? Can you imagine
them capable of taking it out of their own
pockets
The suggestion that they might iudiciously
surprise the public by suddenly presenting
themselves in the role of reformers and eco.
nomists ignores the very elements of their
power. it is oblivious of the truth SO tersely
summed up by Mr.. Calhoun in the sentence
The cohesive power of public plunder :"
The Tammany Ring is O power, simply
because it governs for itself and it's sup
porters-not for the general good. Thou
sands hasten to do its bidding, because they
know its service pays. 1t selects men of char
acter for the three seats it had to fill afresh
in Congress this year, because their respecta-
bility would improve its reputation, and it
had no job ''set up" at Washington it sends
to the Assembly, for the most part, mere char
acterless, conscienceless tools, because it
needs unquestioning instruments at Albany,
and knows that these will receive Just as
many votes as the best. In short, it adapts
its means to its ends, in full view of the truth
that
"Crowns got by blood must be by blood main
taned."
Suppose the ring should tomorrow for
swear prohigacy, and resolve thenceforth to
govern honestly and virtuously, how could
it ever again poll SO many legal votes as it
has just given to Hoffman? At least half
those votes we're cast by men who do not
desire virtuous, frugal rule, but the contrary
They are blacklegs, keepers of dens of in
1iunnr hn Gup in
defiance of law, with stipendiaries and Job
bers who either have already secured, or hope
soon to secure, personal gain from the sway
they uphold. Do you suppose Mr.. John
Glennon, drawing two salaries from the city
treasury, with the approval of some of our
great capitalists and tinanciers, while render
ing no service whatever in return, wants
frugal and honest rule? If we have it, how
is he to live? And his case is that of at least
ten thousand of Tammany's most active and
efficient electioneerers. They want either pay
for doing nothing or impunity in doing
wrong; and they secure it by upholding Tam
manys power. She will lose her hold on
them from the hour that she makes the public
good her controlling aim. Fernando Wood,
when first chosen Mayor, gave fair trial to
the experiment of governing SO as to secure
the appreciation of the wise and good, and
only abandoned it when he had becone salts
fed that it was alternating all his old friends
and not fully replacing them by new
At present, our city is governed upon a
clear comprehension of the fact that virtue is
slow in perception and inefficient in action,
while vice is alert, apprehensive, and intent
on the main chance. Ten blacklegs afraid
that their craft is in danger will get more
votes into the ballot-boxes-at least, will
count more out of them-than forty deacons
Our rulers know right we'll that the voters
who pay no taxes into the city treasury greatly
outnumber those who have direct, palpable,
recognized interest in frugal, honest rule
and are, as class, keener politicians. Two
millions OF dollars added to our annual tax
levy will not swell it very materially, while
that sum skilfully expended in ward politics
will make good many thousand votes. 1t
will give $1,000 each to two thousand ward
politicians, who must be poor sticks if they
cannot, by an outlay of ten per cent of their
allowance, in addition to their own time,
each bring twenty to fifty voters to the polls
If the master-spirits of the ring were mainly
intent on purifying their regulations or saw
ing their souls, it would doubtless be advisa-
BILE that they give us better and cheaper rule;
but, considering the purposes they really have
at heart, we cannot realize that the counsel
volunteered them, that they reform and live
cleanly, is pertinent or likely to be needed.