The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-17
THE MACHINE THAT ELECTED
CLEVELAND.

The Democratic plurality in New York
city has risen from 1904 in 1884, sc, 321 in
1883, and SO, SOP last year, when the entire
force and power Of Tammany was exerted
to elect Gov. Flower, to over 76. 900 on the
Sth inst. The Democratic plurality in
Kings county. or Brooklyn. has advanced
in the same proportion from Is, 729 in
1884. 1904 in 1885, and 16, OSO last year, to
over 5000 plurality in 1892.
Democratic uluralities like these have
not been seen in New York and Kings
county in twenty years. or since legisla-
ton in protection of the ballot box, passed
on the morrow of Tweed's downfall, gave
watchers at every poll in these two coun.
ties.
The moment Democratic state legisla.
ture changes the election laws of the state
in favor of a corrupt vote, the Democratic
majorities in these two great cities return
to the figures OF 1868. when New York city
threw over 10000 majority for Seymour for
president and elected Hoffman governor by
over $4,000 majority by the issue of thous-
ands of fraudulent naturalization papers.
New York city. which has thrown this
enormously increased majority for the
candidates of the Tammany machine, has
a population of 1,75O.OOO, a number little
short Of the total population of California,
Oregon and Washington. 1t is the wealth.
lest city on this Continent and its COM
mercial metropolis. Its various profess
sions are represented by the best brains
and culture of the nation, and yet this
greatest city Of our country is under the
control of its ignorance, its vice and venal-
ity and not Of its intelligence. industry
and public spirit. 1t is ruled by Tam
many Hall, which an able and upright
Democrat. ex-Mayor Hewitt, correctly de-
scribed as "a conspiracy of robbers exist
ing for spoils."
Out of 4,564 members the records of 3. sci
have been investigated by the New York
Egening Post.
OF these men. 654 are rumsellers, Of
whom 565 are criminal rumsellers, that is.
habitual violators of the excise laws; I, 266
who are not recorded in the city directory !;
H7 of no occupation. and l, 494 in other &C.
equations than rumselling.
The men who do not give their addresses
to the directory are gamblers. Those who
have no occupation are 'ruffians of leis-
ure," who owe something of their oppor.
tunity for successful municipal piracy to
the moral Indifference to the obligations
of citizenship on the part of the Sybaritic
ioafers who spend their days looking out
of club windows and sucking illusory
nutriment from the wooden head of their
walking sticks.
Why is New York thus governed by her
very worst classes? 1t is not because bad,
corrupt men are vastly in the majority. 1t
is because men of decent lives and repu.
table principles are persuaded by partisan.
ship to sanction this vast corrupt munich
pal machine of Tammany Hall. The Tam
many ring is Democratic because the Dem
ocratic party is in the majority and the
cunning use of this corrupt machine in
national politics persuades Democrats who
have no sympathy with civic robbery and
corruption TO tolerate Tammany. The
honest, clean citizens of New York are
numerous enough to overturn Tammany
Hall If they cared TO combine in earnest in
behalf of good government. but they are
all victims of the malaria of moral indiffer-
ence which grows out of the universe! in.
dolent interest felt In everything save
money making.
The same temper which makes a man
indifferent TO all knowledge save that
which lie thinks will directly or indirectly
swell his accumui atoms and his income
makes him Indifferent to his duty in poll
ties. He grants that the ring will steal
but would rather pay heavy taxes 70 the
thieves than sacrifice the time and pains
necessary TO capture their camp and dis
perse them.
These two reasons. the blending OF par
tisan nationa! issues with municipal poll
ties and the neglect of his duty by the
honest citizen. explain the rise, growth
and present gross, swollen sovereignty of
Tammany Hall, which on the Sth inst.
rolled up a vote which proved its capacity
at vii! to swamp not only New York city
but the Empire state. Nobody doubts the
upright personal and political aims OF the
conductors of the New York Evsming
Post and the New York Tunes. able
journals that have in the past done manful
battle against Tammany Hall, but when
Cleveland struck his flag TO Tammany
Hall these two Cleveland organs suddenly
ceased 1eriding and denouncing Tammany
Hall. When craftsmanship can silence the
only anti-rammany journals in New York
city into submission 10 the ratification of
treaty Of offensive and defensive alliance
between Cleveland and Tammany Hall,
no wonder New York city despairs OF
decent municipal government.
Ii it we're not for national partisan
politics obtrudei into municipal affairs
the Democrats who love honesty and
purity IN civic government would wash
their hands of Tammany Hail as promptly
as they did in the great revolt against
Tweed In ISL
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