The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-06-29
TAMMANY.
How the Famous Society Was
Organized and is Conducted
at the Present Day.

men who stood sponsor for it were Aaron
Burr and the other ardent republicans OF
whom jefferson was the head, and who
opposed the plots Of the federals to per
vert the new republic into limited mon
archy. These latter had already founded
the aristocratic society of the "Cincin-
natl" and the new Tammany society was
an offset.
1t was named Tammany after the we'll
known and talented chief who had fede
rated the thirteen Indian tribes OF the
state of New York under one govern
ment; and on this basisTammany' organ
izatiOn was made to consist of a council
Of thirteen sachems, the number of Origi-
nal states as well as of the New York
tribes.
John Kelly is not, as is generally sup
posed the nominal chief of Tammany; he
is merely the actual chief, and is num-
bered among the thirteen subordinate
saChems.
The present Grand Sachem is Charles
HasweIl, now in his eighty-third year-a
famous civil engineer, who, fifty years
ago, was chief engineer of the United
States navy under jackson. He is still
very vigorous, presides with dignity and
looks marvously like an old Indian stray
ed from his native wigwam.
Tammany is and always has been a Sc
cret society as much as the Masons, hav-
ing it's grips, sings, passwords and other
mysterious tokens. 1t is a benevolent
society for mutual assistance, and was
organized under the Charitable Society
act of the state of New York.
The organization of the Tammany So
ciety is made up of over 100 members,
representing .twenty-four assembly dis
tricts. and has one member for each 100
democratic votes cast in the several dis
tricts. The society thus stands fairly
for the democratic vote Of the city. It's
executive business is transacted by COM
mittee of organization, which consists of
sixteen members from each district
Each district, moreover, has leader, self
constituted or recognized by tacit con-
sent, and these leaders are the real man
HEeIb Vi CIAlIl ICoE''iioi'iS w -"
for affairs in their respective districts.
The most difficult office in Tammany is
that of Wishinskie sometimes irrever-
emily called Whiskyskin) j. d. New
man holds the office, and has held it for
quarter of a century, to the terror of
financial delinquents and deadheats. His
duties include the collection of political
assessments, as well as dues and other
regular tribute, and when he shoulders
his tomahawll and strikes the trail of q
member who is in arrears there Is sure tC
be fun, except for the fugative. As he
gets for his own trouble 10 per cent. OF
all he collects, he has rather fat thing
and swears with an awful Mohawk Oatl
that he wiz never give it up till he is ta
ken to the happy hunting grounds. Wis
l1inskie Newman, cousin of Rev. JOIN
p. is familiarly called "Old Ten Pc
Cent" He lives i'll a handsome brown
stone castle up the avenue, and is wortl
$2OO,OOO
John Kelly is looked upon by hisfollow
ers with a respect and admiration akin t.
reverence, and | doubt if such feeling
could be inspired in so many men by any
thing short of sterling qualities.
In appearance John Kelly is not unlik
Gen. Grant. Like Grant he has a squar
face, square chin, square, broad head
square shoulders, and he crops close hi
hair and beard like Grant and turns gra
like Grant, and he speaks in a slow voic
like Grant. hear that Grant and Kell
have been mistaken for one another upo
the street.
What most surprises the average calle
who has taken his misconceptions frol
Puck or Mast, is the discovery that he
in the presence of a man of retinemeI
and culture Kelly is not roaring Irisl
man by any means. In fact, he dOesn
happen to be an Irishman at all, but WI
born in this city when Andrew JacksC
was president. He has the prominel
Jaw that belongs to obstinate and owe
mastering men, and an aggressive, COZ
bative head. Sammy Tilden has BET
his red rag, 10! these many years; no
that the hero of Cipher Alley is out of T.
way l am afraid Kelley will lack for e
element.
Keliey's parents were poor. He drift
about the city and learned to put up /
hands" in the matter of boxing; he we
to the public schools; he learned the ira
of CRATE setter, and made a good de
of money in legitimate business. VIII
Tweed was at the elimination of
criminal career, Kelly was travelling
Europe, where he spent year or two a
learned French and German, with
wife as teacher; and he came home
time to find an honest leader wantt
He completed the route of the ring a
wheeled Tammany Hall into line W
the reform element. In 1876 he bscal