Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-03-11

and never was. A little depression
from the purpose of this article, Just at
the outset, will be useful In getting
straight the popular conception OF this
far-famed organization.
The Society of Tammany, or Column
bian Order, was formed in 1888, and
was the result of a popular movement
in New York which sought to counter
act the so-called arlstocratic Society
of the Cincinnati. 1t was anti-federal-
list in its character. Its founder was
William Mooney, an upholsterer, OF IT.
ish descent, out born in America. The
society took it's name from q noted
chief of the Delaware tribe OF Indians,
who had been canonized by the SOL
diers of the revolution as the American
patron saint The first meeting OF the
society was held on May IL, 1889, and
1t was incorporated In 1905. The So
ciety is now, as 1t always has been, a
charitable and social organization. 1t
is governed by grand sachem, who Is
assisted by thirteen sachems, suggest
ed by the thirteen original states OF
the union.
The general committee, which con-
stitutes the political organization OF the
Tammany society, is permitted to oc-
Cupy the latter's rooms In its building
on Fourteenth street, but is really In no
other way associated with it. 1t is In
this general committee that all the
political evils, real and imaginary, of
the recent past, but already historic,
have been Matched and nurtured. 1t
is in this committee that the Purroy-
Sheehan feud has at last reached a
crisis and promises to wreck that once
all-powerful political body.
Henry D. Purroy is county clerk. He
is ambitious to reach the position in
the general committee once occupied
by the great" Croker-all powerful he
was therefor it is only by the aid OF
the authority and influence Of such a
position that he can hope for anything
in the future politically. John @. Shee-
han occupies this coveted position now.
AS the organization has not been at
all successful since Sheehan was placed
at the head, Purroy has conceived the
idea that it would not be difficult to
overthrow him and step into his shoes.
So he has been intriguing and working
for long time to this end. Open war
fare was declared the other day when
Purroy and his followers rejected the
plans of the executive committee for
the primaries in the Thirty-fourth and
Thirty-fifth assembly districts.
The hostility between Purroy and
Sheehan has been growing for year
and half. 1t began to take tangible
form soon after the Chicago conven-
ton. Purroy went to the convention
as Sound money" man, but he
switched over to the silver nIC0 and
was one of the ardent supporters OF
Bryan after the convention. When he
returned from Chicago he did not wait
for Tammany to declare itself, but tried
to take the local compaign out of the
hands of Sheehan by organizing the
Bryan and Sewall Central association.
He sent broadcast marked copies Of pa
pers containing copies Of his speeches,
especially to Bryan. He confidently ex-
pected that Bryan would be elected,
and he wanted to make sure that the
control of patronage in this vicinity
would be placed in his hands.
Failing in this direction, Purroy and
his followers took steps which led up to
the formal withdrawal from Tammany.
They claimed that Sheehan invaded
the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth dis.