The morning call., 1892-07-04
TN o VIEW ).

The New York San welcomes Tammany
home with the following toot of its brass
band:
The New York delegation returns from CHI
cage the galiaDtest band OF representative poll
tic!ans IN this quarter OF the century. Every
Democrat In the stare of New York will thrill
with pride at lhe thought Of their heroic course
at the national convention. Every honest par
tlsan OF any color Will take of his hat 10 them in
admiration and respect for their splendid e1hi.
billion OF that loyalty 10 their mission winch
casts upon the noble profession of politics its
highest honor.
In contrast TO this the Rev. Thomas Dixon.
himself a Democrat, observes:
Tammany Hail. with its greed and cunning
and power Is the one deadly octopus that Is
poisoning the social and political life of this civ
anu through this metropolis the nation. 1t is
the most powerful coterle OF organized criminals
thst ever dominated the life or any civilization.
III makes and unmakes Judges and luTies It
leeds and breeds crime With merciless iron
heel 1t crushes the weak, intimidaes lie half
hearted and dehes the strong 1t is one wither-
ing, blasting curse OF our city's life biighting
with tbs hot breath of corruption ana disbonor
every famihcation OF our body polite Like
Iesteflng cancer. il Is literally eating tie heart
Out OF the honor OF our ambitious young man.
mood. After trying to destroy the State OF New
YORK they come sneaking back from Chicago
saying they will support The ticket, They lle
Ihey came back from Chicago with honey on
their lips. treachery in their hearts and knives
ln their boots. 1hey will do in November what
they nave done before and spend another four
years trying 10 lie out of ii.
The gap between these two Views is
wide enough to leave room for good many
New Workers between them. A Democrat
may decline to follow Mr., Dana in al othe-
oslGg the Iammany men as ideal patriots.
and yet refuse TO concur with DR.. Dixon i'm
pronouncing Tammany "an octopus which
poisons the social and political life of the
city and, through that metropolis, the
nation"
Institutions like Tammany are the ont
growth of universal suffrage in large sea
board cities, in which the more ignorant
class of voters Is predominant. 1t was
| originally n Democratic club. which every
prominent Democrat in the largest city of
the East joined for The purpose Of concen-
trating and organizing the strength of the
party. To some extent 1t is so still but The
purposes which 1t set before itself involved
TWO evils. la order to retain its hold on tie
masses OF the voters OF New York City it
was necessary that it should ally itself with
the liquor interest and with the disorderly
element The Sachems OF Iammauy
stopped to fraterniZe with the lowest scum
OF the great city as a means OF gaining the
vote Of the p0pulace There are in New
York $1,000 votes which can be corraled by
the party which winks at vice and throws
mantle over crime. Those votes Tammany
has always controlled, except when politi-
cal leader like Fernando Wood, who was
even more unprincipled than Tammany, bid
higher for them. Tammany does not now
| propose TO nurse q new Irving Hall into life
Therefore IL does practically as DIR. Dixon
says, feed and breed crime" But when
Richard Croker is called to account he would
plead-if he spoke at all, which he does
not--that ii is only by so doing that it can
offset the majority which the Republicans
bring down to Harlem River
The other draw back under which Tam
many labors is the temptation to which its
| power exposes 1t OF wanting TO dominate
national conventions. Every four years il
goes before the national Democratic con-.
ventiOn claiming TO hold the ;hirty-six cleo
toral votes of New Y ork In its pocket. On
the strength thereof il assumes 10 dictate
platform and ticket. This domineering atti-
tude naturally ineenses the delegations from
other States, and their normal inclination
IS TO oppose every one whom Tammany
eapports and to support every one whom
Tammany opposes. At the three last con-
ventions standard bearer was picked out
partly because he was not the choice of
Tammany. In 1888 the sachems enjoyed
their opportunity OF revenge. In 1892 they
may promise to exhibit the high discipline
to which they have brought the party by
casting their fun vote for candidate whose
nomin ation was slap in their face. But
the question is, will they do so? or will
they, as DR.. Dixon predicts, knife the ticket
| and spend the next four years in trying 70
lie out of it? Il is not easy to say. ltmust
always be remembered that the 70 OO0 votes
which constitute Tammany's full strength,
including honest Democrats and rabble.
are not soldiers in uniform who may be
taken out and shot if they disobey orders.
! They are independent citizens, controlling
| their own sovereignty. They are not bound
| to vote FOR Cleveland, even if Tammany in
| good faith tells them to do so. if their in
| clinations lead them IN the same direction
| as the published counsel OF the sachems
! they will vote as sachems vote; but if they
! hate Cleveland as many OF them hated him
/ in 1888, and if they feel that they owe it to
] BOurke Cochran to confirm his prediction
regarding the vote OF New York, they may
| let the conspicuous leaders OF Tammany
claim the credit Of voting one way while
| they vote the other or stay at home. Per-
| haps this is what Mr.. Richard Croeker ex-
/ poets.