Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-25

One of The leaders of the Tammany democra-
cy is the Honorable Michael Norton. He is
leader in the sense of having great many fol-
lowers and admirers, but not in the sense of
having any independent influence on the policy
of his party, which is altogether controlled by
Tweed and his small clique of which Mr.. Nor
ton is only faithful lieutenant But it is one
of the peculiarities of the Tammany organiza-
ton, and one of the elements of its strength
that it gathers its adherents into associations
or clubs called by the name of some local celeb
rity and attached to his fortunes. Mr.. Norton
has his society of this kind; he is a senator from
the fifth district, and at the close of his arduous
labors in the Legislature last week his friends
proposed to welcome his return home. To give
suitable dignity TO the occasion, il was decided
to engage a steamboat and invite a large
number of the statesman's friends and political
followers, to meet him at Yonkers and escort
him TO the city. Handsomely engraved
cards of invitation were issued, for Tammany
never lacks any such display of elegance that
money can buy, and the steamboat with two
large barges in tow and about four thousand
democrats on board, started for Yonkers on Sat
urday afternoon. A considerable number of the
party were respectful and well behaved pee pie,
for therej are democrats of that character in
New York, who had been misled by the super
fetal elegance of the preparations to believe
that the company would be such as a respecta-
bic person might associate with without fear and
without disgrace. They learned their mistake
very soon after the boat got under way. By far
the greater part of the members of the excur-.
sion party were very appropriately of the sort
that does the most efficient democratic work at
the polls and at the primary meetings. One of
the papers describes them as "thieves, gam
blers, burglars and cut-throats from the
slums;;" but perhaps this is prejudice. They |
were, however, persons of restless and hilar-
Gus disposition, and beguiled the tedium of the
voyage with such amusements as snatching
watches and pocket-books, tearing out pins and
shirt studs from their fastenings, and, when the
serious members of the party protested against
such liberties, these facetous democrats con-
WINGED them that it was all joke by humor-
ous.y knocking them down or threatening to
throw them into the river.
When the materials for these witticisms gave |
out, these jolly fellows directed their attention
to the supply of liquors on board. Ample pro-
vision of this kind had, of course, been made, |
for democratic crowd is proverbially thirsty, |
and this one appropriated what they could find |
without the fornality of paying for it. Before |
the boat arrived at Yonkers the passengers are
said by reporter, probably prejudiced, to have
been in the condition of an intoxicated bowling
mob" Some of the managers of the occasion,
thinking the joke had been carried too far, con-
trived to entce fifty or more of the most violent
into the hold where they were securely con-
fined. But even with this improvement it was
not Thought safe to land at Yonkers,
lest that quiet village should be |
ravaged by Mr.. Norton's friends. As the boat |
lay OF the wharf, few, whose enthusiasm had |
eVaporated, were taken off in shore boats, de- |
clarlng that nothing would induce them to re-
main on that boat in that company after dark
Inc Honorable Michael Norton went on board
by the aid of similar conveyance, and was car
ned to the city in the congenial society of his
friends, and, on arriving, made neat and ap-
propriate speech, thanking them for the honor
OF their escort, by which he was both gratiied
aud BATTERED. Few statesmen returning from
the toilsome duties of legislation receive just
such welcome from their admirers, and per-
maps few out of New York would take much
pleasure in it,