The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-29
The Grand Sachem's Reply to the
Double-Barrelled Resignation.
John Kelly on Tammany's
Side of the Case.
CONVICTED AND RESIGNED.
Gardner on the Hardness Of
the Transgressor's Way.
WILL HAvEMEYER REAPPOINT?

sioncrs Gardner and CharlicL's
Letter.
The following letter from Mr.. John Kelly Tam
many's Grand Sachem, explains ITSELF
NEW YORK. June %. 1874
Hon. WILLIAM F. HAvEMEYER, Mayor OF the City
DEAR sIR-ln the journals of this morning md
the resignation from Office OF the convicted Police
Commissioners, and in that ingenious tissue OF
special pleading, suggestive msstatement and
that OF the Tammany Hall organization in a
manner which, In nv opinion. cannot be allowed
to go unanswered and ia view OF the fact that IL
Is to you that this statement Is addressed, crave
leave to lay before you and before this community,
the facts in this case, which are now submitted to
The Election law OF 1872 most carefully
framed by republican lawyers to protect the purity
ment was that OF the six inspectors and poll clerks
who are appointed to act at each polling place in
the other of the contest waging each election TO
accomplish this result 1t was enacted that the
Board OF Police should in the months OF August and
September OF each year appoint the inspectors and
clerks: that two OF the four inspectors and one OF
the two clerks in each election district should
be OF opposite political faith TO the remain
Ing officers, and that the members OF the
Board OF Police who were OF the party In the
select the names of the inspectors and clerks who
should represent that party. AT the time OF the
passage OF that act the democratic party was IN
city, and It's object was that the Boardthatis the
democratic maJority-should appoint half the in
mlnOrty-that is, The republicans-should appoint
the remaining half Fairly carried out, tins law
would render frauds upon the ballot box almost
impossible. for this only one of a number Of
provisions ali directed to the same end
centinm 81 n Henrv Smth renhc,p was sng ees
lated out OF office, and Your Honor deemed it
proper to fill The vacancies with two republicans,
Hugh Gardner and JOnn II. Russell, and two demo-
Gratis, Oliver Charlick and Abram Duryee. Thus
the majority Of the Board was republican and was
OF the party in minority in the city OF New York on
state issue. and by q forced and technical con-
structon OF the law 1t might have been held that
the whole Board could appoint the democratic
inspectors and the republican majority the
republican inspectors. deem it probable that II
Your Honor's attention had been called to this
result you would have constituted the Board SO as
to make 1t in political sympathy with the over
whelming majority OF the people of this city. But
violated at the outset, during the progress and to
the end OF the campaign Of 1873, by majority OF
Tor me to narrate the history OF that conspiracy
and to expose the ialsehoods OF the convicted Com
missiOners letter to Your Honor.
Henry Smith and Hugh Gardner were republican
politicians, and with them soon after the Or
ganlzatlon OF the Board, Oliver CharllcK heartily
associated himself after finding that the demo
cratic party was not disposed to crafty his pOliti
cal aspirations. These three men formed them
selves into ring and assumed exclusive control
OF the affairs OF the Board, entirely excluding from
power their fellow members, John Il. Russell, an
upright and CONSCIENTIOUS republican, and Abram
Duryea, an equally upright and conscientious
democrat. The characters OF these latter gentle
men stand in need OF no eulogy at my hands
among their fellow citizens OF New York,
and respected throughout their lives; and
they have both testified under oath tnat they
were entirely excluded from any voice in the de-
alterations and actions OF the Police Board.
controlling ring in the republican party last year
to unite with The remaining fragments OF James
judicial ana legislative officers; and, with view
to the OF these ends The first step was
BY ns Of raes held the on 18th
day Hugh Gardner moved Tor the appoint
ment OF committee of two to whom all
Russell moved that the committee should consist
OF four, thus including all the members except
motion carried by the votes OF Smith, Charlick
and Gardner against these OF Duryee and Russell.
aaa te
Duryee's exclusion from that committee needs no
explanation and as for Mr.. Russell, although
republican, he was known to be incapable OF lend
ing himself to any scheme OF fraud, even
though It was in the interest OF his party.
appointment of the inspectors and clerks Messrs.
Russell and Duryee were kept In entire ignorance
in the inner circle OF the Board. by the sIul
device OF committee the whole proceedings
were removed from the Board where the law re-
quired them to occur, and q veil OF darkness
thrown completely over them.
Long before that date In August, Tammany
names OF two inspectors ana one clerk for each
election district OF New York. II any complaint
could be made That any OF the men suggested
mediately fill their places with unexceptlonable
t put we G,d most assnredy clam
puDlicans and the O'Brien democrats were united
on one ticket throughout the entire city, and
Tammany Hall was alone IN opposition to them.
Was it unfair unreasonable in to ask, know
ing, too, that we represented the great majority
OF the voters OF the city, that the intent OF the
law should be carried out, and that half OF the
inspectors and clerks should he supporters OF our
Ms @
opponents. We clamored not Tor the control OF a
single polling place, even where we cast thousands
OF votes TO the hundreds OF our adversaries. We
simply desired pure, Tree, unchecked expression
OF the public Will, and to that end we asked Tor an
equal distribution OF these Offices In very
large number OF the districts OF this city that fair
request was denied, and the Boards OF Inspectors
republicans selected by Hugh Gardner and Of one
so-called O'Brien democrat and one TammanY
democrat selected by John Charck, or three OF the
inspectors being thus OF one common political
sentiment on all local questions For the sake OF APP
pearances, the O'Brien party may have kept up to
support the democratic State ticket, but the real
contest was on the local elections, and IN that
the division was as have stated 1t. In some dis
trcts the outrage was much greater. In the
Twenty-6rst Assembly district out of the seventy
five cs appointed mSa mn
time indicted for and subsequently convicted OF a
crime, the punishment OF which would have con-
fined him to the state Prison, and who is now q
ected from Tammany Hail. Perhaps this
t the congenia intimacy existing Getween
Genet and Charlick, by the fact that Charlck was
one OF Genets bOndsmen; that Genet was inces-
sanity in Charlicks office before election, even be-
ing shaved in o sort OF private barber shop which
seems TO have been established there and by the
statement made by Charlick to Hugh Hillom as
sworn to by Mr.. Moore, that he meant to do
everything in his power to bring about Genets
| election.
The objects which the coalition set before them.
| selves were the election OF their Joint city and
county tcket-oI Jones, Booth, Everard and Pnck-
ney as senators In the Fourth, Filth. Seventh and
Eighth Senatorial districts and OF Riley, Nacht-
| man, Bglin and Genet as Assemblymen In the
+, Fourth, Eighth, Eighteenth and Twenty-first AS
sembly districts, and II was to those Assembly dis
tricts that they devoted most OF their attention.
| In some OF the other parts OF the city few or no
! traces OF their work were discovered, although,
1 doubtless, whenever they found an opportunity
| they did not neglect II.
by this committee Of two. then, without
any action of the Board or any knowl-
edge OF their motions on the part OF the
two honest Commissioners, all the ap-
pointments were made In the manner indicated.
MANY OF the inspectors had no other warrant for