The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-18
Politics Eighty Years Ago.
{ Harper's Weekly

1t was in James Madison's time, 1873
IA, that batch of papers having to do
with minor political business In New
York city were written, and these docu-
ments having been miraculously pre-
served, we have the opportunity of looS-
ing over them, and of finding out how
"things were workedo in New York
some eighty odd years ago. We took as
an inheritance the English methods of
political, jobbery, as far as the manipula-
ton of the voter went and these methods
were not of the BEST We may not know
today what were the extenuating oircum-
stances, even II any existed, but an exam
nation Of some of the papers Is oonvinc-
ing that the game of politics, as the
practical politician understands 1t today,
comes down to him from very far back.
Now what does this mean? Here Is a
letter with the address of a military post,
written in 1878 1--WE we're at war with
England then), and signed by q cap
| tain OF certain regiment-we omit the
| name of the post and that of the officer
which letter reads as follows: "Pre-
vious to arrival here Major - had de-
| parted for New York with about twenty
men, have, however, made up the fol-
| lowing mon for the good of the cause.
This will be handed you by Sergeant -
of my company. There will be some ex-
penses, which presume the general COM
mittee will liquidate." Then follow the
| names OF the soldiers, who left an i'm
| portant military post SO as to vote, and
the recipient OF the letter, with a lead
pencil, assigns the men to various wards
| in the city.
| There were then, as there are today,
heavy bills for printing, and the Republi-
can General Committee of the city and
Here is one, of 1918, amounting. to.$319. As
| The items show: Posters, circulars,
addresses, large bills with Liberty and
Equality" printed on them, and q bill
for advertising. The general committee
were not in funds at the time the bill
was presented, which was May 81, 1913,
and the creditor was put off with a few
payments. and it was only in January,
1877, that the balance due was receipted
for by the printer. The general commit
tee necessarily had to have headqusrt-
eIs, and the proprietor of house of en-
tertainment sends in bill for S244. 68s4,
| wherein are to be found the charges for
hire of rooms. The cost of a room for
the day is from SO to So, and for a day
"The Tammany Room, S." Generally
what the mem ers drank finds Its charge
under the head of "Sundries" Ocoa-
sionally "Sundries'' is left oat-as "nine
quarts Beer, $1,121S," and Zone large
pitcher of beer, 90 CENTS" and "2 large
pitchers of beer, ST." The meetings were
constant, the night sessions oontin uous.
The entire bill even to the three quarters
of cent, it may be said, to the credit
Of the committee. was paid. May "a, 1914,
and duly recaipted for by Martling &
Cozzens The committee must have had
in charge the voters on Long Island, for
| here is Sag Harbor bill of 1914: "To
the hire Of 2 wagons for the purpose OF
carrying ND electors to East Hampton,
IL pounds, los" The old method of using
ase papers ana s oharee mad o1
taking care of the Republican Citizens
of Colour, We find, 'for nourishments,
16s.", which was not too much when
the tt,tal was AZ pounds 1885,