Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-08-02
] Origin Of the "society Of Tammany. !"
n.--..-- =. - -----.--. -

I"N IsESi""YtS 4'N'AeF.t MANNII&
In 1889 was organized the "lncIety
9f Fammany or Columbian Order.b
and the men WHO stOod sponsor for
Ut werA Aaron Barr and the other
lHrdent Republicans Of whom JEFF
erssln WIS the heud, and who op-
posed tho pitSis Of tho Federals 10
perYert tles new republic into a
limited nl0hafchy. 1hese later
had already founded theari ltocrntic
tzsOciety OF tho "Cincinnati,U and 10
this the new TaInmany Society WAS
an. Offset.
1t was named Tammapyafter the
Well-known anu thfented chief who
had federated the thirteen Indinn
tribts of the State of New York un-
der one government aud on this
basis Iilmmany's OrgaDizati0u was
made To consist of al council OF
thirteen sachems, the number of
original States as, well Us OF the
New York tribes. F'
Tammany Is and always has been
a secret society as much as the Ma
sons, having IT'S grips, signs, pass
words, and other mysterious tokens.
At is benevolent society ftT mutu-
al assistance, und was organized un-
der the charity society act OF the
State of New York. ". .... ..,,
. The organization OF tho Tamma-
NY Society is made up OF over 100
members, representing twenty. four
assembly districts, and has one
member for every 100 Democratic
votes cast in the several districts.
The Society thus stands fairly for
the Democratic vote of the city.
Its executing business is transacted
by a committee OF organization
which consists of sixieon members
from each district. Bach district,
moreover, has a leader, selC-consti-
tuted, or recognized by tacit con-
sent, and these leaders arc tho real
manager of Tammany, and respOn-
sible to il for affaIrs in their rcspec-
tive districts. s. 81 .'M - ..l-5.I. I..-l a.a.
John Kelly is not, as Is generally
the nominal chiefof Tam
many he is merely the actual chief,
and is numbered among the thirteen
subordinate sachems. lie is looked
upon by his followers with "A respect
aud admirarIOn akin 10 reverence
and doubt IL such feeling could
BIO inspired In so inatiy men BY any
thing short ofsterling qualities.t .n
In appearance John Kelly ia not
unlike Gen. Grant. Like Grant he
has a square face, a square chin, q
square broad head, square shoulders,
and he crops close his hair ana
heard like Grant, and turns gray
like Grant. and ho speaks in a slow
voice like Grant, j hear that Grant
and Kelly have been mistaken for
one another upon the srteet.
The present grand sachem Is
III. IIaswell, now in his 6ad
year-ra famous civil engineer, who,
fifty years ago, was cIlief engineer
Of the United States navy under
Jackson. He is still very vigorous.
presides with ,digniiy, and looks
marvelOusly like an old Indian
from his native wigwam.
The most difficult Office in 'raml
many Is that OF Wisl<insio (some-a
Times irroverently, called Whisky
skinny John ID. Newman holds the
office and has held IL for a quarter
Of a century, 10 the terror of finan-
clal delinquents and ead.beats.
His duties include the collection OF
political assessments, as well rs The
receipt Of. dues and other regular
tribute and when ho shoulders his
ard sttikes tho trail Ofa
member who is in arrears ihere Is
snre TO 9e fun except for lbe iugl-
live. -.
!. or the 'sf}ig Fdur' who c6nstitu-
IcsI tho oldpamnna ringAT Tweed, s
5wceny, Connolly, aud John Wat-ls
son,-only one Is now living.
was killed by being thrown
nut ofa sleigh In Harlem Iano IN
1871 Tweed died I'm Ludlow Street
all, an the luxurious coll where
Ward now pines Connolly died
iwo years ago In Switzerland, n
fugitive from Justice Peter B.
sweeney alone survives. When
Tweed died q Judgment for 10000
l00 was hanging over his lt nd.
Sweeney has now ouilivcd tho time
in the statute OF limita-
ions, and Is, 1t is said coming homo
o New York to spend tho remain- y
Ter Of his DAYS. -H..
81 s