The Portland daily press., 1874-10-13
Our New York Letter.
Reformed Tammnny-The Old Captivity
A Disciple of Tweed-The New Mayor


.. .,.-, NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 1874, u
The Tammany Democracy have just given
significant manifestation of their indffer-
ence to appearances, by the nomination of
their candidate for Register. For year or
two the new managers of the concern have
been affecting rare virtue. They have avowed
their purpose to remove the reproach, brought
upon Democracy, local, state and national by
the Ring" through course of rigid self puri-
fcation. But that was when they were under
the discipline of adversely. Now they feel
perfectly safe to follow their natural bent and
the consequence is that their county conven-
ton forces.upon the people one of the same
old gang of plunderers which revelled in dis
honest spoil in the days of Tweed, as the NOM
inee for the most lucrative office to be filled by
popular suffrage this year. Hisname is James
Hayes, though according to the idiom most in
vogue in the set to which he belongs, he is Gus.
tomarily styled Jimmy" Tweed lifted him
ont OF poverty and obscurity and gave him
place in that privileged banditti the Board of
Supervisors, where he had an opportunity to .
enrich himself without incurring the custom
ary risks incident to the appropriation of money
belonging to other people. The amount that
he accumulated in this way is estimated by
men in his own party at not less than $500, 900
and probably $500,O0O. Every dollar of it
mind, has been dishonesty wrung from the
tax payers of this unfortunate city, and yet,
Democratic convention, when but three years
have elapsed since the robberies from which
this fortune was derived, coolly places one of
this crew of land pirates in the very sight of
the people and asks them to vote to put him in
office where he can double his booty. 1t is an
instance of effrontery, which painfully illus.
trates the utter want of spirit and manhood
among a majority of our voting population.
These local politicians know what they arc
about. They are very quick to comprehend
and humor popular caprice. When the electors
are under the influence of a spssm of moral
sentiment, these gentlemen invariably accom-
modate themselves to the circumstances, and
WOO the inconstant multitude with lavish VOWS
of penitence and reformation. They have been
playing that role for two years. Evidently
they are firmly persuaded that there is no me-
cessity for further disguise, and that they may
with perfect security present anybody no mat
his past offences, with the certainty that the
magic word 'Regular" will carry him through
in triumph. -f - ,tlI l-to1 D
If had not witnessed "a great many cases
already of the impunity with which political
conclaves can shock public propriety l should
feel inclined to the opinion that this nomina-
ton of "Jimmy" Hayes was a little too strong
dose to be prudently administered even to an
organization Of such miraculous digestion as
Tammany is undeniaby possessed of. Not
that 1 think the disciples of that Indian chief
tain as mass have any such implacable hos
tility to official peculaton as would prevent
them from supporting a candidate of the
Hayes stripe. They have accepted that sort of
nominee too often to justify any such opinion
But Hayes is one of those facile camp follow
ers who cannot be depended upon to sustain
cause one moment after it ceases to be pros
porous. He transferred his allegiance from
Tweed to Kelley with serene composure, and
this lucrs tive berth appears to be allotted to
him as reward for his ready treason to his
original benefactor, accomplice and friend.
Just what measure of influence the fallen dy-
nasty still welds il is difficult to determine
but it would seem the new chiefs of Tam
many regard it as too Insignificant to be
courted, or else they would hardly venture to
make target of conspicuous deserter from
the scattered army of the deposed sachem, who
lives in the glitter of wealth while his patron
pines in lock-up-there being all the while no
earthly difference between them in point of
morals.
Ruti II rno11v 1cO1ro vary
ocrats, under the leadership of John Kelley
would have every thing their own way in re-
speet of municipal matters. Havemeyer has
brought such ridicule upon the cause of reform
that the very word itself is rapidly becoming Of
fensive. The Republicans were so demoralized
by the irreparable blunder Of accepting Have.
meyer and giving him their whole So, 900 votes
two years ago, that they are in no mood or condi-
tion for an aggressive campaign. The O'Bren
bolt has ceased to be of any serious account.
many of its leaders having sought and found
asylum in Tammany Hall, and they will be
very 10th to engage in contest not less from
disinclination to bear the expense than from an
aversion to showing their numerical weakness
Unorganized, unconcentrated disaffection is a
poor reliance at all times, and particularly so
when the prestige Of invincibilty is sure TO
gather under the Tammany banner so much of
that floating scum of dense population, that
is anxious to be on the winning side, right or
wong.
But what an unple asant prospect it opens to
US. There are three inordinately lucrative Of
fees in the county; sheriff, clerk and register.
The emoluments of each of them average in
much. There ought not TO be any such places.
Repeated efforts have been made to reduce the
fees by appeals to many legislatures, but utter
ly without avail Republican legislatures have
been entreated to substitute gigantic salaries
for this fee SYSTEM and make them applicable
to Democratic incumbents. All in vain. The
parties interested would go to Albany in per
son, and by attorney, and stay there till they
had "fxed things" To avoid this kind of in.
reference it has been more than once proposed
to make the change, but not to subject officers
already chosen, to its provisions. That also
has proved a hopeless failure. Congress amend
ed a law last winter that had existed seventy
five years, the amendments reducing the com.
pensation of certain federal officers of the port
of New York, by substitution of salary for
fees, from $4,000 or $50, 900 per annum to $4,000
and $4,000. There was not the slightest inti-
nation from any of the parties affected by the
change, of remonstrance or dissent That's the
difference between the past and the present
and between state and federal government
But to return. Of these greatly ovsr-paid trusts
one was filled last year by Billy Walsh and
another goes this year to Jimmy Hayes. Nei-
ther of them will probably give days atten-
tion to official business during the three years
Of their respective terms. Each Office is a SIM
pie perquisite Of partisanship taken out of the
overburdened tax payers, many of whom have
had a hard time raising the money which they
~-e eLisea TO turn into the city treasury every
year. A portion of it goes towards defray;pe
the expenses of running the machinery of the.
organization, and in so far does duty in perpet-
uatpo the system which helms to drain the