The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-09-14
YR[OlBDBHK K|BI,IY
Methods of i Man Who Was !. a
Political Power III New
\ York ! City
Carried His Own Schemes to Suc-
tis. cess in Spite Of Organ
lied Opposition.

ized Opposition.
The Power Of the Boss as Far-
Reaching as the Police
l5 System Of Russia.
4 John Kelly was fitted by natural abili-
ties and long experience for the work
which fell to him after the disruption of
the Tweed ring, but he did moi. live to see
Tammany hall attain the power in politics
to which it was his ambition to bring that
organization writes e. J. Edwards in Nc
Clure's Magazine. Personally an hon
est man, Kelly regarded politics as a form
of warfare wherein strategy might, with
out dishonor, be carried to any length.
In 1854 he became an alderman. He was
then 80 years old. The same year he was
elected to congress, his antagonist being
the most powerful foe that Iammany at
that time had in its own party J, Michael
Walsh. He was reelected in 1856, and,
while still serving was elected sheriff of
the county of New York. He had now re-
.vealed very high qualities Of leadership
and had gained himself following which
remained faithful to him until his death.
No other. New York politician has secured
such perfect devotion as MIR. Kelly enjoy.
ed. It is told that after his death a COM
pany Of men of great prominence in polit-
ical and business affairs-str0ng men,
trained to keep their emotions under per-
feet control l-stood looking upon the body
as it lay in the coffin, when suddenly, one
and, all, they lost the mastery of them
selves, and broke into such utterances of
grief as alarmed members of the family
who were present. One Of them, a man
especially prominent, threw himself upon
a lounge in perfect paroxysm, groaning
and wailing; others were no less demon
stratiye, and it was nearly an hour be-
fore they. could recover sufficient cOmpo-
sure to present themselves on the street.
# After the Tweed disruption, Mr., Kelly
was indicated not by any political man
ipulation but by common impulse III
what was left OF Tammany, as the one
man capable OF bringing order out of its
ruins. He abandoned every other busi-
ness, and devoted himself night and day
to the reorganization of Tam1nany as a
political force acting with the Democratic
party. The amount of work he did was
{ Enormous. m He labored all Ssday at Tam
many Hall, and half Of the night at his
home. He had stenographers at his side
at almost every moment. Finally, SO in
tense had been his concentration, so alb
sorbing his }abors, that a slight attack Of
vertigo warned him that there must be
some cessation or his life W0ulG be i'm
perilled. NJ 3 81 a3,
And he laborea effectively. Desiring
that some one should be named as the
Tan1nany candidate for mayor in whom
the business community had full conf
dence and whose personal character was
irreproachable, he-fxed upon Smith Ely.
Jr., leather merchant, who had gained a
reputation in congress for independence,
high ideas and great common sense. The
selection was fortunate one. Mr.. Ely
was elected; and it seemed as if, after it's
brief retirement, Tammany had returned
permanently to power. Kelly, however,
knew better than that. He was aware
that the election of Ely as mayor was, aft
ser all, only the first step in development
of that perfect political organization
which he had in mind. He wanted to
make. Tamnany strictly political in Its
strength and activity; he did not want 1t
an organization maintained for the pur-
pose of looting. Moving cautiously and
with great skill, he selected as the,next
candidate for mayor, after Mr..
Ely, William II. Wickham, who had been
a, Republican in close association with.
such men as Marshall 0. Roberts and
Chester A. Arthur, the latter Of whom
was then collector Of the port. Kelly es-
tablished some political understanding
with Arthur, and there was a personal
friendship between the two Of many
years standing Si, 4
Wicklaa1n was elected and it was Kel-
ly's belief that before the end of Wick
hams term so much would have been ac-
complished in the way OF reorganization
as to make Tammany .inYtncible. But
there were new, influences rapidly devel-
oping. William c. Whitney and Edward
Cooper and O. Thompson-th latter a
young man who had come from the draw
ing rooms Of Murray Hill, where he had
been a favorite leader Of the governor.
into association with men who were play,
ing high game of politics-and Maurice
j. Power and many other Democrats,
some Of them mem bers Of the Tammany
society, were preparing, under the advice
and guidance of ex-GoV. Tilden, and with
the countenance of Gov. Lucius Robinson,
to form a new political organization in
New. York which would supplant Tam
many. They created tn. County Democ-
racy. an organization which in its brief
life was very powerful, and attimes play
ed a successful part, even in national poli-
tics. TheY met Gen. Arthur In consulta-
ton. It was Arthur's idea that as the Re-
publican party was in q minority In New
York city, its best polio was TO diyide the.
Democracy and make such favorable
terms h one of th two factions. thus
er ereated Us would give the Republican.
orgaI1iza ation III New York city some vital
ity in addition to THAT which It drew
from federal patronage Thus there came.
about an understandin q under Whic chS Ed
ward Cooper was placed il tion for
mayo John Kelly naming al his opp pos
nent very promin nent Democrat, Angus
f,ls schell. Mr. sSchell was a man OF at
fairs of spotIess integrity and had been
an III mai 8 friend of Gov. Tilden's and a.
friendly associate o1 the poll ftical circle
csntering in him The Repn leans were
ia receive inrettlrn fcs SUPP porting Cooper
Tie. County Dsmoe oeraGy' sup port for their
I III ate Tor sd district &t0rney mas
thur law par the ate ReIlja
iak RhH4 sssss