The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-13

in the State prisons to the voters of the State.
and the people sustained the measure by ma
lot1ty of 1884, 900 votes, Notwithstanding
hundreds of thousands of ballots against the
proposition were secretly distributed by party
managers, members of the Democratic State
central committee, in order to defeat this Demo
| cratic measure.
"a bill limiting the hours of labor Of drivers
ana conductors, passed the Legislature. 1t was
met with the executive veto, and killed. thereby
continuing the hardships of an honest, over
| worked body of men,
''rhe laborers and mechanics Of the State
sought to protect themselves from loss at the
hands of dishonest contractors and EMPLOYERS.
and caused to be passed act by the Legis1a-
| ture giving a lien of the mechanic ard laborer
priority over all Others. This also suffered the
| same fate.
TAMMANY's COURSE AT CHICAGO.
1--WE might add and enumerate other instances
but we have shown sufficient to have warranted
even stronger opposition on our part to the
nominee Of the Democratic party than we made
at Chicago, Being an integral portion of the great
Democratic party we have always, in our
capacity as delegates exercised the right to advo
cate the claims of men whom we knew could be
trusted by the people, or to oppose the nominal
1 ton OF those who could not be trusted, and it
was the exercise of this right and in conscien-
/ hous discharge of duty. that we took occasion,
at Chicago, to advise against the nomination
winch was made by the national con-
/
! personal feeling and arose from our
intimidate knowledge of the sentiments of the
| toing masses. AS to the course of Gov Cleye-
| land in reference to these labor bills the most
4 charitable view to take is that he was ignorant
and unenlightened concerning the nature and
/ working of these laws, which would have oc-
casloned so much real benefit to workingmen, and
could not have resulted In loss to the en-
! ployer. We do not impugn the Governors mo-
! tlves or the views which he was expressed on
these subjects; they doubtless were conscien-
tiously considered in the discharge of his official
/ obligations and duties. We simply express our
1 knowledgeof the antagonis m against him which
/ existed In the minds of the workingmen who
compose the bulk of the Democratic voters in
! the State of New York Whether that expires
! sion of our ideas as to the policy of nominating
as a candidate for the presidency man against
/ whom so much opposition existed was correct
and was justified by existing circumstances let
occurrences which have transpired since
! the adjournment of the national convention de-
termlned. 1t was apparent, however
| that majority of the delegates were not of our
! way of thinking The most conscientious of
them were aetuated, no doubt, by the record of
| his election as Governor of the State of New
] York, and without reflection and sufficient in
formation deemed it the part of wisdom to
nominate man who was elected to the highest
Office in the State by the phenomenal majority
| of l92, 854 The prejudced were probably gov
erned by an antipathy that existed, unreason-
ably, against the members of the Tammany Hall
organization. That this unwarrantable preiu-
dice existed must be admitted, and that it still
exists, even among men who in other respects,
are open to conviction, is equally true Whence
comes its To the unreasoning hatred of part-
san opposition we do not seek to offer any argu-
ment or state any undisputed facts which might,
| perchance, have weight with the thoughtful,
candid mind; indeed it would be useless labor.
! But we deem the present most appropriate oc-
casion to reach the latter and to disabuse their
/ minds of any lingering doubt that may exist as
/ to the integrity of this organization.
j 1t is not unfair to claim, in approaching this
subject that the odium properly chargeable to
the Tammany Hall organization as it was in
ring times should not attach to the present
| management The existing organization and
| present leadership OF Tammany date from 1871.
The acts, depredations and corruptions commit
ted by the defunct ring and its Republican allies
preceded that date. When Samuel j. Tiden
| Oswald Ottendorfer, John Winthrop Chandler.
Augustus Schell, John Kelly, its present leader
and Others succeeded in driving the corrupt
leaders out of the organization, they found an
Augean stable which indeed required herculear
strength and executive ability to cleanse and
put in order These self-saerihcing workers for
the Democratic party succeeded in the work of
restoration. Order was revived and system
of fair primaries instituted in every assembly
district; new general committee was elected,
and again Tammany became respectable law
abiding Democratic organization self respecting
and respecting the rights Of others Its strength
as a Democratic organization was increased to
60, 900 votes which number were cast for that
honest old Democrat, Augustus Schel, now
dead, as candidate for mayor. when he was de-
feated by Edward Cooper, under a combination
made by Democrats opposed to Tamfnany Hall
with the Republican party of this city upon a
division of Offices, which polled 10000 votes
against him.
A DEFENSE OF TAMMANY.
But we have had to combat not OILY false
impressions created as to the character of the
members of our organization which have been
manufactured not only to bfacken our reputa-
tion and lessen our influence, but charges have
also been made against our political integrity
and the honesty of our support given to candi-
dates of the Democratic party 1t has been
charged that we conspired to defeat Tilden and
Hendricks in 1876 and Hancock and English in
1880, and the press of the country has so gener-
ally circulated this astrocious SANDER that by
continued repetition. impartial men have
come to believe it The following statement of
facts should suffice TO bury this calumny for
ever In 1876, Tildens total vote in New York
State was 52l 949; Hayes'S 49, 207 Tilden's ma
jority 32,742 Tilden's majority by counties
including New York, was 81, ,395; Hayes's, 56, ,652;
Tildens majority, 3D. 742. Tildens majority in
New York county was 50 969 State outside New
York was q, 22Z A large vote was cast for Til
den in New York-ll2, ,530-which therefore
elected him. and when it is remembered
that the Tammany Hall organization was the
only Democratic party in the city and county Of
New York-the other Democratic organization
Irving Hall, having practically given up its ex-'
istence for that campaign. running no candidate
twill be seen atonce how false and unustfablei is
the charge Tammany, with its magnificent
discipline and honest management brought this
enormous vote to the Democratic ticket and made
success certain. The victory which the Repub-
lican managers snatched from the jaws of defeat
must be sought for elsewhere Perchance it
may be discovered in halting, time-serving SEN
ators and congressional representatives who con-
sented to manufacture device unknown to the
Constitution, which defeated the expressed wish
of the majority of the people of the United
States Against this fraud the Tammany organ
ization protested and it has never ceased to CON
denim the ingenious and unconstitutional electoral
commission, cunningly devised to avert the inn
handing dns srllctinr nf tha Ram hca,, rnartrr