The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-02

the House Of representatives. ri was on
thls election ina; Tammany was first charged
with ways tha!-Eere dark" There was a
property qnalifis alton for voters In this State,
put all owners " real estate" could vote. 1t
| Is charged that Tammany men some say the
society as body furnished money to buy
two houses, one 10 the fourth and one In the
NTH. ward. The first one had Int the polls
no less than seventy-one Owners OF real
estate, and consequently voters, while the
other had thirty-r1ne Among the young
men who we're made voters in this peculiar
manner and who afterwards become famous
were Daniel b. TompBins. Governor Of the
State. and Vice President Richard Riker. the
famous recorder William ?. Van Ness. Thos.
Henthel, Edward Ferris, Robert Swartwout.
John d. Broome and Tnnis Woman, clerk Of
common Council.
It IL further recorded that Alexander Ham
ilton saw the rapidly growing power Of this
secret society, and was 10 favor N meeting 10
with q counter organization, for which ne
drew plan, but nothing came OF it. unless IL
be true, as alleged, that Hamilton inspired
the paragraph In Washington's farewell adj
dress, In which there is warming against
secret organizations.
On the thirteenth Of May, 1911, the society
Was out In full Indian costume, and Grand
SacheTn Clarkson Croius laid the corner
stone OF the first Tammanv Hall NOV the
Sen Office. An GRAFTON was spoken by Al
pheus Sherman. The first hall was q plain
brick building, Of three stories. with q steep
roof. Subsequently another story was added
and the roof made Hat. The ballroom was
lonR famous as the best dancing floor 10 the
city
On the twenty sixth OF September. 1927. the
Tamrnany Society, through the general COM
nittee, came out for Gen. jackson, and ever
thereafter claimed the honor Of first norni-
mating hirnA At any rate, "Old Hickory
never had more ardent supporters than the
big and little Indians Of the Nassau street.
wiRwann. lie was and is yet their hero, and
their highest enthusiasm was got up on the
eighth Of January to celebrate the ami
yersary Of battle that was really not Of the
slightest consequence, as il was fought after
the war was over.
The hall of the Tammany society has been
by com mon usage the headquarters of the
Democratic y trty, but IL was not until Fer
nando Wood undertook TO get control of the
party machinery that the saehems promul-
gated the law that TO regular" the conven-
tons 81 the party must be held In famnany
Hall, aud with the consent Of the Tanmany
SOclt tV. Fernando tried to capture the Old
society by getting In new meTn6ers; but he
failed, wss put out In the cold, started his
party elsewhere, got up the secret society Of
FOrre5terS (which was o short lived falure)
and played the mischief with the old crowd
generally. They had not known such shake
up since the days Of Clinton. In 1861 Wood
made gallant fight for the mayors chair
but Gunther carried off most Of the Tamrnany
votes and George Opdyke, Republican, got H.
after went to Congress and Is there now
The sorriest experience Of the old Tammany
society WAS with Tweed. He, mainly through
the Indifference Of the quiet members, cap
tured the party machinery, and how he ran it
we all know Through the efforts of Gov
Tilden, Comptroller Kelly, Charles UConor
and others I Tweed's gang were ousted. and
Augustus Seheil, the present grand sacheTn,
put on the t0ga 1t Is hardly necessary to go
into detail Of recent events. We may add that
In, az. kxt ~ - 80
the Tammany society who have kept warm
the mayors chair.
Soon after the war with Great Britain the
TammaDy Society had over 1000 members.
There are not more than SEQ now, and large
proportion OF these never come 10 the meet
ings. In the most exciting contests the vote
has never risen to 400. Usually from rs to
100 may be seen at the regular meetings. In
1851 Or 1852 the old society had only 50 active
members, and the greatest care was taken In
admitting candidates. as the intention was to
keep the society about as it then stood But
there soon came divisions in the Democratic
party-Hards, Softs, etc.-and the members
OF the society were, perhaps not unwilinRly,
made more active in party work. To be
grand sacbenn was q laudable ambition; so
one and another got in friends TO vote for
them, and the society rapidly increased it's
membership.
The psrades that once interested the town
were long ago abandoned. The very last
turnout was at the occupation Of the present
hall, when about one hundred and fifty In
dams mot In costume we're In procession
The fullest turnout Of ute years was at the
funeral Of Grand Saehtm Lorenzo T.. Shep-
ard. about twenty years ago.
At first the society could hold property
only to suet amount as would produce an IN
come Of 5000 year. J q make all smooth
for the new hall IN FoHrte nth street the sum
was extended to 500 year. The present
hall has been occupied Ii, tie over ten years.
The rise and fall Of the nti- VI asOns, equal
rights party Of the know nothings, Of the
Old hankers and barn-burners, and the bards
and softs, all more or lef disturbed and d.
vided the Tammany society. AS to anti
a. to know-nothtngs. The equal rights or
aggressive party was noisy but short-lived
The others were Democratic family quarrels
that are almost forgotten.