The sun., 1893-05-21
TAMMANY'S CYCLES OF RULE.
ITs OCCASIONAL DEFEATS oNLT
PREsAGE NEW LEASE OF POWER


| Securing tho Mayornity for Ono Tern
In an Interesting paper read before the New
| York Historical Society q few weeks ago Mr.
| Thomas Z. V. Smith has collected thirty print
ed pages OF information about tho politics
| partisan fnctions in New York city. The frs
| popular election on Manhattan Island wa
held in Fort Am msterdam In August. 104l. wher
twelve men were elected by representative
from Manhattan. Brooklyn. and Paronia Il
take action In regard to the depredations
the Indiana The municipal Government be
gan in 1853 when Director. neral Stuyyesan
appointed u Schout. two Burgomasters. ane
nve Schepens. It was at this time. over TWO
hundred years ago. that the word boss oegat
to be used In q political sense. Our word boss
is derived from the Dutch word baas. which
the original Dutchmen applied In that time to
the way in which they were governed
This paper OF Mr.. Smiths is especially In
teresting. although he does not call attention
To me fact. as showing that political slang and
practical politics date from the first municipal
elections. and that tho history OF New York
local politics Is series OF cycles. with Tam
many and the opposition under various names
being In power by turns. Labor parties. re-
formers. and others appear from time to time.
Combinations Of tho opposition are made.
which win one election only to break up with
in n short time and permit the municipal Gov
ernment again to come under tho control OF
Tammany Hall
Since New York began to elect Mayors the
alterations OF political power have been ms
follows: Tammany first had three successive
terms. then the opposition two: then Tam
many i've. the opposition ono: Tammany two.
the opposition one: Tammany one the orpo-
sition two: Tammnny three. the opposition
fam IN
Tammany two. tho opposition one: two can
didates endorsed by Tammany. the opposition
one; another compromise candidate. and
Tammany three. There Is almost n regular
periodcty about this. the only large anti
Tammany gap being during the war.
and to make that gap Fernando Woods
election in 1850 must be counted. as
1t Is above. as an anti Tammany
victory. although Mr.. Wood was elected
Mayor by Tnmmany only two years before.
and he became a Tammany man again soon
atterward. His enemies captured the Tam
many General Committee. and Mr. Wood
promptly organized the Mozart Hall Democ-
racy. taking into it n great part OF the old
Tammany organization. II he is to be re-
garded as always Tammany man. the
periodicity OF Tammany victories and defeats
is almost regular.
to city officials began with the government by
appointed by tho English Government. Under
the Dongan charter. in 1885, the Aldermen
were first elected and political divisions began.
So long Rs all the city officials were appoint
ed there was not what could be called local
politics In New York. 1t is significant. in con-
nection with the claims OF municipal re .sf u.
ers that politics and tho government. OF cities
have nothing to do with each other. that two
distinct political parties first appeared in New
York when the people had the right to elect
their Aldermen. aud that the full vote and
closely organized parties were not in exist
enc until 1884. whom the Mayor OF New York
was for tho first time elected by popular vote.
the power to select him having previously
been in the Governor and State Council Of Ap-
pointment and then In the Common Council.
On such important questions as the appoint
mont OF delegates to the general Revolution
sry Congress- only n small fraction Of the total
vote was polled. and there was loss popular
interest than has been shown at any OF the
local elections since tho people Of the city
acquired the right to elect their own officials.
The first party questions in New York were
whether the Dutch or tho English should con-
-ol tho Board ef Aldermen. The Dutch cap
.ured the Board Of Aldermen. and elected a
temporary Governor. who was atterward
Hanged by, the English. Although the city
he Dutch went ahead and elected the Mayor
anyhow. The dividing lines were race and re-
igion. the English having different religion
Since the Dutch controlled the Board OF AL
lermen and outvoted the English. they were
board Of Aldermen and less power to the Eng
ish Governor; Thus the Dutch were the orig
nnl Home Rule party. They continued their
.nF n m M % fnr
3utsH Rinr se and @ Nose ssas Of wax. n"k wilma"
bs Gh the s"s So,ees wosd
ot. viva voce. About the time Of the iievo-
nton the secret ballot was adopted. BY this
hey carried the election for Assemblymen be-
ore .n the aeyoluticp loS although the votes were
tsonGer 't up through H. the @t State es'n '0'' was
The conflict and difference OF political fopin-
on OF the voters up tho State and tho voters |
Ths ffs 70, It's
ontrolled the Board Of Aldermen aud were in.
WIN she 'Rs Gpxsh s1a
encies Of the Revolution. The rest OF the
tate was Republican. as the present Demo-
,as ami i-Dem ocratIc. and tended to favor tho |
.nglish and arstocLatic sentiments. 1t was
sna na H WAS ssF
tSs oea sea poea f
The next year after the distinctive political
rCaniZation By Tammany the Federalist. lost
ew YORK for Governor. and in three years
and its allies got control OF the
oard Of Aldermen, although they lost the
oard again In 1903. The Federalists after
ley lost the Board Of Aldermen. started an
called Washington Hall in oppo-
lion to THmmany Hall. 1t was this organ
alton and its allies which defeated Tam
ANY aud It's allies and captured the 1900
Oard Of Aldermen by an overwhelming ma
riiy There were only four Of tho twenty
friendly to Tammanv. Washington
all and the Feueralists controlled tho board
A ldermon Tor u lew years. when they went
Diecea-
The opposition to foreign born voters is no
sw thing. for the Federalists took up that
sue In 1907. and nominated what was known
the American ticket for Assemblymen.
hey had been defeated for several years. and
icy resorted to this sxpedient to carry New
nrk. but they were defeated. Tho Federal
is at that time also made an appeal to "eiec-
RS OF color" which has its counterpart in
10 appeal of the Republicans. tho descend
ats OF the Federaltsts to the colored voters
.day.
Tsmmany Hall Mt that time was as concilia-
Try and had its doors as wide open as
)w. There was Il split in Washington Hall,
AZ forty OF the Federalists were promptly nd
lifted to membership In Tammany,
me nrst workingmen's party appeared in
~; organized by the master stair builders