Evening journal., 1893-04-07
cLLvELANn oR rAMMANY

OGEN E6fNNR Ol ' ANlmANIs
Tammany Hall is a great and powerful
organization. It is the greatest and
m ost powerful local political club which
ever existed 10 would be foolish not to
recognize either its strength, or the good
that is in it and the good 1t has done.
No impartial observer can deny that II
gives New York a good government
There are abuses; there Is extravaganza,
there Is inefIiciency; sometimes, indeed,
there is stealing Those things have
occurred in all other cities in worse
m amer, or to worse degree They are
not peculiar to Tammany Hall; they be-
long TO, and they are inevitably com
ponent parts Of the human frailty that
comes to us In a direct line Of succession
from Cain, through Judas, Catiline,
Catherine de Medici, on to "Boss" Tweed,
Quay, Raum and Bardsley. There has
never been any dirth Of selfshness Gnd
scoundrelism anywhere on the earl h
since the world began But for all that
Tammany Hall gives New York as fair
an average Of municipal virtue as can be
expected from the human race. The
police and fire departments are excep.
tionally fine and the taxes are compare
lively light and equitable.
In the present age aud in this country.
selfish industries enirench themselves
behind party or gain ascendency in
city government and ply their schemes
at ease and with all the freedom the con
ditions permit. SO far as Tammany Hall
is concerned il is the best as IL is the
largest and strongest organization, Of
its kind, which ever existed. If this were
not true it could not exist. 1t has
enough good in it 20 keep it alive-to
make It strong, influential, permanent.
The only mistake il makes is in ven
turing outside Of New York city. Tam.
many Hall is local. II has no policy, IL
does not adhere strictly to the policy of
the Democratic party, nor does It
adhere to the Democratic party always
rammany Hall is incapable of formulat
ing a principle, it never advocated a
principle-it is practical body of prac
tical men seeking office for themselves
and for their friends.
Hence, in great sense, Tammany
Hall has no business in politics, except
that Of giving numerical strength to a
particular parly;it has nothing to do with
national politics. Its motives for coming
into national politics are not such as to
advance the cause OF the party to which
It adheres. 1t is always ready TO set
aside national issue to procure $2, OO0
oiiice for one Of its members. Hence, in
deciding whether to support Cleveland
or rammauy Hall, Harpers Weekly
says:
There is therefore as little reason for
abandoning the support Of good Demo
cratic candidates aud policies on account
Of Tammany as there is for a Republican
20 abandon the support of respectable
Republican candidates and policies ON
account of Quay aud the Republican
machines ia Philadelphia aud Cincinnati
probably even less For Quay has
occupied, and is likely TO occupy.
a much more influential position
In the national Republican organi
zation than Tammsny occupies or il
likely to occupy in Che national Democ
racy. In fact, the localization Of tn,
rammany nuisance has, ia consequence
OF the late Presidential election, becom,
so obvious fact that the Tamman,
leaders themselves have instinctivel'
begun to appreciate the necessity O
refraining from ambitious attempts {,
make their organization conspicuous II
national affairs Good citizens VIII
! have the general welfare sincerely a.
heart may. therefore, undisturbed b,
local troubles and drawbacks, oontinu
20 inquire with due earnestness an
candor by the policies ana general ten
dencies Of which party that general wei
fare is most likely to be furthered. An
this inquiry has led us to certain con
+ illusions which find expression in tn
columns of this journal, without
however. in the least impairin
It's Independent position.
These are the reasons for the real @
apparent antagonism between Clevelan
! and Tammany Hall. Cleveland
engaged in promoting national issues
. Tanmany knows only local issue
Cleveland is an epitome Of the prime
Piles OF the Democratic party; Tamman
, is seeking Democratic patronage.
President Cleveland does not cal
,, about the Offices; be stands FOR priac
pies. He is unwilling, however, to pl
, weapons in the hands Of his ener,ies
be used against him and the policies al
the principles that he holds dear.