The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-13
TAMMANYS ANNIVERSARY.
THE STORY OF THE ORGANIZATION.

IiOn from "Big Indians" to Political
Bosses-The First Tammany HalI-NOw
The Most Celebrated Political Society in
America.
NEW YORK, May THAI the present
time, while Tammany's anniversary MAY
12th) is at hand, and the fact, together
with the one that this is the year of a
Presidential canvass, bring the big socie-
ty into especial prominence, a glance at
the beginning is timely. 1t is pleasant
to turn back from the turmoil and strife
of the partisan political organization to
to the peaceful, placid youth and the in
nocent May time merry makings of the
first Tammany was Philadelphia in
stitution and reived it's name from IA
nous Pennsylvania Indian. The originals
were almost purely benevolent and So
cial in character and purpose, and the
renowned Delaware or Lenni Lenape
chief whose name the adopted was by a
kind of facetious canonization (said to
have been brought about by Jonathan
Trumbull, author of the Hudibrastie po-
litical satire "McFingarO, made the pa
iron and tutelary Saint of the Republic
about the time it was formed.
THE NEW YORK SOCIETY.
The story of how he degenerated from
that proud and pure position to the pat
ronage of mere wing of the Democratic
party would be a long but interesting
one. The New York Tammany Society
was organized May 18th, 1889, and is
therefore
JUST 103 YEARS OLD.
On that occasion anumber of the blithe
and active spirits of the city assembled
on the banks of the Hudson about where
the foot of Christopher street now is(but
then well out in the country and amid
music and feasting and convivial mirth
brought into existence as benevolent
organization the club which as transmog-
ritied has been so vast power in parts
an politics and so conspicuous figure
in corruption of elections and kindred
composite varieties of Democratic con-
glomerate ''cussedness."
FIRST THE MEETING WAS HELD IN TENTS.
and the merry wags who assembled copy
ing as far as possible, the customs and
the costumes of the Indians whose ven
Grated chief afforded them name,
danced and frolicked, made speeches,
sang songs and pledged themselves in
bumpers of wine, to the perpetuation of
peace and good fellowship, and the emu
lation of the character of Tammany.
They wore leggins and moccasins, painted
their faces, adorned their heads with
feathers and "buck tails" carried pom
derous war clubs, and tomahawks, and
their sachems or chiefs were decorated
with additional totems and savage en-
blems of power. 1t is said, in fact, that
so well did they ''dress the characters
they had assumed that a delegation of
Creek Indians, who had come up to New
York to visit their first ''great white
father" President Washington, were
thoroughly deceived on first seeing them
and gave loud expressions to their Joy
finding so many of their own race in the
town of their pale faced brothers.
The earliest contemporary mention of
the organization which happen to know
of occurs in the diary of the Pennsylva-
mia Senator, William Maclay, under date
of May 18th, 1889, where he wrote:
This day exhibited a
GRoTEsQUE SCENE
in the streets of New York. Being the
old LIST of May, the Sons of Tammany
had grand parade through the town in
Indian dresses. Delivered talk at one
OF their meeting houses and went away
to dinner. There seems to be some kind
of scheme laid of erecting some kind of
order or society under this denomina-
ton, but it does not seem well digested
as yet The expense of the dresses must
have been considerable, and the money
laid out,on clothing might have dressed
number of their ragged beggars. But
the weather is now warm"
1t is evident that Maclay, astute poli-
tician as he was, OWNED something of
the political purpose of the society at
that early day, but not much-nor was
there much purpose of that kind then
existent.
1t was on the twenty-frst anniversary
of that organization that the cornerstone
of the
ORIGINAL TAMMANY HALL,
(the present Sun building) was laid with
impressive ceremonies, and it was about
that time that political ideas began an
insidiOus growth toward dominance of
the institution. How great was its do
minion ultimately everybody knows. 1t
took its first great fall in 1871, when the
leaders were detected in corruption and
stealing SO vast that good men of both
parties united against them, wrought
vengeance and for time overthrow the
power of the society.
THE OLD PHILADELPHIA TANfMANY.
About the same time that the New
York society was organized Though
some authorities say earlier), there came
into existence in Philadelphia a similar
body with the same aims, which -four
lshpd for uanv ,yoors n. ~, ;.zA:I..