St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-05
THE TAMMANY HALL.
A Description of This Great
est Of Political Organi-
cations.
City Chamberlain Joseph j.
O'0onohue on the Great
WigWam.
How 1t Represents go Per
Cent Of the Voters Of
New York.
1t Is Said to Be a Machine
for Honest City Govern
ment Only.
Joseph j. o'Donohue in DOnahoe's Maya

Joseph j. o'Donohue in Donahoe's Maya
zine.
Some half-a-dozen years ago the peo
pie OF New York city. weary of the in
competence and petty 'malfeasance
which for some time previous had been
characteristics of their municipal gov
ernment, turned over the administra-
ton of nearly every one of their public
Offices to Tammany Hall. This action
was taken by majority vote that was,
in some respects, surprising; but it was
a fair, open vote, and the reasons for it
became apparent on little considera-
ton.
Years before Tammany Hall had for
feited its power and prestige by reason
of the personal corruption of Its princi-
pal leaders and the prostitution of their
own official positions. Shrewd, capable
politician that they were, they had still
blundered into the belief that they
could retain leadership and power
while robbing the city boldly. As a
matter Of course, when their corruption
was proved, their downfall was imme-
diate, and as they had achieved power
in the first place by means of Tammany
Hall, and had retained it so long as
they did retain it by Tammany votes,
the organization shared for time in
their disgrace. Justly or unjustly, the
word TamNany came to be, in common
parlance. a synonym for dishonesty.
1t would he idle, and it is altogether
aside from the present purpose, to in
quire into the justice of the impression
that was very prevalent at the time of
Tweed'S conviction. 1t was then sup
posed by many good people that be-
cause he was corrupt the organization
which put him in power was composed
of corrupt men only. What IS of pres
ent moment is to consider whether
Tammany's enemies are justified in
imputing corruption to its methods to-
day.
Manifestiy, the first question is: What
is Tammany Hall? 1t is a simple ques-
ton. but is one that would be variously
answered by different persons. Prob
ably. however, all would agree to the
answer that it is, at least in a political
sense, composed of the people who vote
the Tammany Hall ticket. And who are
they? The figures of the last election
are instructive. There were registered
in 1892 the names of 309,647 voters. At
the election there were cast 2S6. 149 bal
lots. OF these 173. 80 were cast for the
Tammany ticket. Tammany Hall,
therefore, consists of little more than
90 per cent of the voters of New York
city. In others words. those vitupera-
tive members of the 80 per cent of the
population, who. eXaSperated by their
own inability to control the large ma
jority, solace themselves by slaudering
Tammany Hall in vile and Incorporate
language, are simply saying that more
than three-fifthS of ithe community are
wilfully anddeliberately dishonest, are
occupying themselves in the systematic
plumber of the other tWO-iftnS.
This monstrOuS assertion is so bare
facedIy and manifestly false that no
person of repute will make it openly.
Those who try to make the community
believe it disguise it thinly by saying
that it is the organization which they
attack, and not the individual members
of it. In other words, they assall the
| leaders, and declare their followers are
either corrupt at heart or poor, misera-
| bic dupeS and fools. Less than this
they cannot say without emasculating
their own arguments; yet to say as
much as this is to lay themselves
open TO the ridicule of sane persons.
| The best test, after all, is the common
sense of the community, and for every
| forty persons who allow themselves tC
| be Influenced by cheap talk of this
| kind there are sixty who perceive the
| truth and indOISe Tainmany Hall at the
polls for good and sufficient reasons.
| These reasons can best be set forth il
| brief summary of what the organiZa
| ton has accomplished since it suffered
an eclipse of its glory from the miSdeeds
| of the Tweed ring. 1t was inevitable
that, having suffered itself at that time
| to be corrupted, the party should al
once lose the support of the people-iu
other words, lose its own member.
| ship. The very fact that it failed tc
retain its power when it was shown tc
be corrupt is sufficient answer TO the
| charge that it is now successful by cor.
! rupt methods. Corrupt methods bring
no permanent success in American
politics.
Inundated then, and cast down by
| reason of its own otfenSeS, it might well
have been supposed that the organiza-
| ton would have become extinct after
the overwhelming defeat it experienced
on the collapse of the ring. 1t would
doubtless have persisted then and SO
but for the vitality of the principles
| NIlLCl IL Huo always DlOleSScuI DuJ lIOiIl
which it turned aside during a brief
| season Of madness.
The principles of Jeffersoniam Dem
ocracy are those to which the Americ n
people have always returned after
every temporary alteration, and to
which they must always give support,
SO long as they desire to maintain a
genuine republican government. The
best element of the party perceived at
once that, modelled as it was on correct
principles, it could not die, and that all
that remained to do was to purge it of
eXtraneous evil to bring back the conf
dence of the public. This has been
done. Tammany Hall cleansed itself,
and because of the true superiority of
its principles. and because of what ii
has accomplished, the people, by a
great majority, now indorse and trust
the organization.
All this is i'll no sense a defense of
Tammany. No true man would at
tempt to defend its errors in the past.
No sensible man would think of de-
Tending its record since. People do not
defend great achievements; they glorify
them.
Returning to the question-What is
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