New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-26
AGAINST GOOD 0OVERNM ERT.
CONVINCING REASONS WHY 1T SHOULD
NOT BE RESTORED TO POWER q
A HlDEous RECORD OF MIsGOvERNMENr- rGNOf.
ANcE iNErFIcIENCY AND cRIME-A COSTLY
FOR IT-TAMMANy's PRESENT IN
IGNITION To DID AS If AL

IGNITION To DID AS If Al
WAYS HAS DONE
home rule and Of good government In general Is
I Tanmany Hall.
While leaders OF all other parties were pas
sively or actively supporting the principle OF
separation Of local from State and National
, politics, as provided in the Constitution and
Charter, Tammany set itself squarey against
it and avowed its intention Of maintaining the
old ~ stem, and making the interests of the city
mere pawns for trading and sacrifice in the
general game Of politics. Tammany's last caIfdi
date for Mayor before the present, Hugh J.
Grant. who had previously been Mayor openly
declared:
81 make no prctence Of non partisansh,p.
shall II elected. do everything in my power IN
make the Democracy Of this city stronger.
Being the Democratic candidate shall, II
elected. be ever mindful OF this fact IN all mat
tcrs relating to appointments. The sue
cess Of The municipal ticket should BE- subord'-
mated to the election Of the Democratic State
ticket . NV ambition, If elected, will b.
to strengthen and broaden the Demo-
cratic party and to make certain the vote OF this
Democratic city and state for a Democratic
President"
This cynical ayowal OF an intention to subor-
dnate the interests Of the city ard it's inhabit-
tants to the interests Of the party. outside az
well az inside New York, is entirely character
istic Of Tlnmany Hall, and accurately de-
scriber ks past conduct and it's present aims.
Certainly that I'm itself furnishes one OF the
strongest Of reasons why every believer in home
rule for Ncw-York should vote against the res
toration Of Tammany to power IN the city gov
| eminent II stamps Tammany az opposed 10 the
principles and even TO the letter Of the Con-
s,ltutiun OF The state and Of the Charter Of the
city.
But apart from this there are numerous other
reasons appealing directly and fcrcibly TO the
personal interests OF the vast majority Of voters,
why Tammany should Ice kept from regaining
control Of the city government TO mention
them al would be to write a history Of the city
OF New-York and its politics and government
from the time OF Aaron Burr to that Of Richard
Croker A brief mention OF a few ~ them must
suffice for the present purpose and It is conf
IDENTITY believed that careful consideration Of tho
indisputable facts here presented will suffice TO
cause the reader to cast his vote against that
organized system Of misgoyernment.
A LEAGUE FOR PLUMBER
Tannnary should not be restored To power be-
cause II is not IN proper sense a political body.
but n purely personal one. existing solely Tor
selfish and dish )nest ends. II Is "A conspiracy
for plumber, nothing more and nothing less. The
committee that controls II IS not r'prese ntatiVe
II Tannmany's constituency, but only OF itself =
IA despotc oiigarchy. The bylaws actually give
the Committee Of Organization absolute power
to set aside any vote that the members al large
may give at any time. That committee has thc
came despotlc power TO make nominations and
II exercises ,ts powers as 10 on All Offices WITH
Its own creatures. Such a system - diametri-
cally opposed to popular gov' rnmcnt and Tor
that reason II for 70 other Tammsny should bc
forever excluded from dominance Ira municipal
affair
RAscALiTY AND CRIME
Tammany should not b. restored 10 power be
because when it was IN power II appointed to
important and responsible offices men who were
known 10 he dishonest and criminal During Tho
last four years Of its sway it appointed as Police
Commissioner a man who had previously beer
indicted for wilful neglect u duty az Excirc
Commissioner. a. Excise Commlsaioner man
who had been Indicted for wilfuy disrcsarding
the law. as police justice man notorious as AN
associate and pal" of professional thieves and
az Fire Commits ioner. Il murderer
BLACKMAIL AND EXTORrlON
Tamrnany should not be restored 10 power b.
cause il has hitherto been an agency ror iovyinr
blackman upon private citizens and eXtorting
money Iishoncstiy from the general public.
Three years ago il was indispuiably show that
under Tammany rule various departments OF
the city government systematically levied black
mall upon vice ana crime as the price OF I'M