The Portland daily press., 1871-08-22
The Tammany Apologies in-Chief

While the entire Democratic press of the
state either appear as the apologists of the
Iammany frauds or pass the matter silently
by, the argus is fairly entitled to all the hon
or that can come from the position of apollo
glst and defender-in-chief. Whenever the
owners of Mayor Hall have made the motion
only of taking snuff, the Argus has gone into
conVIlslons from sneezing. When its Tam
many masters have denied their frauds and
denounced their accusers, the contortions of
the argus, in following their lead, have been
at once painful and hideous. When Mayor
Hall has snapped his fingers at and tested the
helplessness of his accusers, the Argus has
been promptest to play the buffoon. Thus
far the Argns only copies; but in creating d.
versions and feints it has no equal among its
masters. Judging from the dust it stirs up,
stranger might think that hundred thousand
troops were on the march. The genius dis
played in this direction might have been of
greater advantage TO its chief in the late ssun
peasahtness" than it really was. Who know
but what the result at Appomattox might not
nave been reversed and the position of Grant
ana Lee changed in that final act had its
great talent been employed in the field: ].
ID. then might have been President and the
Argus would now have basked in the SUM-
shine of unlimited patronage.
10 illustrate the faithfulness of the Argus
10 lts Iammany masters, we have only to re-
mind our readers that when Mayor Hall issu-
ed his infamous order prohibiting the Orange
parade, the Argus applauded it as timely and
wise. When the New York Times opened its
telling fe upon the corruptions and frauds Of
the Tammany Ring in New York cltv. in
stead OF joining with the journal of Com
merce in demanding the fullest expose of the
Wnole transaction, 1t appeard at once and
daily appears as its most valiant defender
First 1t denied, then it abused the paper max
ing the exposure and when its New York
masters find that this fact is undeniabIe If
JOINS them in attempting to shift the response
phty from Mayor Hall, Controller Connolly
ana the hing upon Board of Supervisors
lhere is no shadow of an excuse in tbis ~
best; but when it is remembered that ono -.
more OF that Board and served of IFS attooho.
are continued in responsible places bv tho
Ring, the implication of the Board is u,orso
than useless to it. Would the 4rqus have ne
believe that the Mayor is obliged to annrove
of every bill that has the signature of a Board
OF Supervisors and that Controller Connolly
Is pound to give warrant for its payment
1As lne executive officers of the city, are thew
.nore'y pieces of machinery to issue warrants
m.naeI payment of any sum that may be de-
manaedIare nanaa ,,a they mere automatons Re-.
are then 'ni bears the signatures of anv Roard
in two ney ysarI compelled to pay Andrew J. Garpez
.' smo years for p!astering dozsn ualVey
more morles and city building, or atn az rented ar
$1,000 per square yarde Wera a. ~ 'he rate of
compelled to pay G. S. Miller in snese Officials
for carpenter work upon new bm;,na month
marble and iron and upon a dozen arnas, o'
$360,751.61? Was it because thew were co,a
PEELED to do so, Or because they were ignorant
Of the expense, that they paid s221 100 for
carpeting the new conrt house that the hest
firms aver they would gladly engage to do for
$15,OoO9 Must Mayor Hall write "annrov.
ed" on the bills of Ingersoll & Co.. for over
five millions for furniture, repairs and altera-
tions to the armories and city building in two