The herald., 1894-03-06
JUSTICE TO TAMMANY.

10 party known as Tammany Hall, il
still believes in the principle OF fair
play, and there has been, Of late, en-
tirely too much Mugwump and Miss
Nancy SpiveIing and detraction concern
ing that ancient order. which, during
all stages Of Its history, has embraced in
its membership much Of the worth, in
tellect and resourceful purpose Of this
country.
AZ, when the HERALD starts out to
put itself on record, it always desires to
be fair, honest and above board, We (re-
Stunning that plural as to the assertion OF
which Richslieu rebuked his inteYlocu-
tori do not like the carefully graduated
discipline which inevitably and by force
OF circumstances converts that great or
ganizAtion into machine. While we
do not accept the right Of Mr.. Richard
Croker to be any more Of an sutocrat
than Mr. Teddy Harrity, of our own
Eighth" ward, nevertheless We cannot
help conceding the fact that New York
is comparatively the best governed city
in the United States, and to whatsoever
and to whomsoever credit is due for this
state of things, it is ostensibly due to
Tammany Hall. because that orgsniza-
ton, ever since it was purified by the
energetic efforts of Samuel ]. Tilden and
John A. Green, has, with few inmate
rial exceptions, controlled the govern
ynant of Manhattan ialand
New York City owes a large debt.
The round figures look rather intimi-
dating. 1t is debt that represents the
history of three-quarters of a century.
Our own Angelic city, under the rule
of the party of all the morality and all
the decency, also has a large debt. 1t
represents the outlays and extrava-
gances Of very few years.
Recurring to New York and to Tam
many Hall and its so-called maladmin-
istrstion, the metropolis of this nation
of nearly seventy millions of people,
could call an auction tomorrow, and
sell off the property owned by the
municipality for three times its public
debt, large as that is, undoubtedly.
Gould Los Angeles do this7 Have we
any assets that would foot up, at pub
lie suction, one-third of our public
debt? II we have, we shall be pleased
to open our columns to any body that
can make even an attempt to demon
strate the existence Of such an agree
able state of things. We are inclined
to think that the hardy gentleman is
not in existence who will essay this
task.
This being the case, whatsoever theo-
retical defects may be discovered in the
organization of Tammany Hall count
for very little in the scale of good and
honest governmental administration
versus censorious Republican comment.
The party of great moral ideas" has
always assumed an 81 am holier than
thou" attitude, and yet this is the party
of the Belknaps, of the Quays, of the
Csmerons, of the Kembles and OF the
Titan ]. Coffeys. 1t was a Republican
statesman who wrote the celebrated
addition, division and silence" letter.
1t was Republican statesman, and q
very much loved one, who, when speak
er of the house of represen tatives, wrote
that he would be mo deadhesd" in any
venture which he entered. The exam
pies of which we speak might be multi
piled indefinitely. But we have said
enough for our purpose.
No man who starts out to make q
studied arraignment of Tammany Hall
can fail to be disconnected to cert ain
extent by the unmistsksble evidence Of
good civic service which has character
lied it during its long ascendency, with
the single exception of the Tweed re-
gime. Judged by the standard of
Christ, "by their fruits ye shall know
them" the autocrstic rule of that or
ganizstion in our imperial city is enti-
tied to stand high.
The Mugwumps might give New York
something better, but we doubt it. As
against one man rule the HERALD is in
accord with a sentiment that demands
and should exact greater fiexibility.
The machine shodld altogether disap-
pear in American politics. But the
difference between good and bad
machine ib simply unuttersble. And
the gods them selves would protest. if
such a thing we're possible, against q
Mugwump machine. Possessing all the
intelligence and all the virtue, 90 we'll
as all the conCeit, arrogance and incom-
petence which would be inherent in such
a machine, its temporary triumph would
be equivalent, on reduced scale, to the
wreck of matter and the crush OF worlds
IN fhinUa TnuniCina1