New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-06
THE TYRANNY IN TAMMANY.
AN ORGANIZATION ADMINISTERED AS AN
ABSOLUTE DESPOTIsM.
CROKER'S FLIGHT AND RrrlrRN-uIs CHANGE
IN CHARACTER AND HIS ATTEMPT ro
PRODUCE SOCIAL. REFORMATION
IN TAM MANY.

The organization. administration and policy OF
Tammany Hall is as an absolute despotsm
AZ was the Government of Nero or Ivan the
terrible Under the Constitution of this coun-
try. where freedom Of thought. action and
lgion is believed to have attained its highest
type. is banded together a number Of men whose
one aim is loot. and the name Of this organiza-
ton is Tammany Hall. and the leader is Rich
ard Croker. People who do not live in this city.
and many who do. have wondered at the way
this organization has hung together when its
purpose was clear and marvelled at the alb
solute sway Of A study Of Tammany
Hall does much to solve the question The or
ganization of this political association of bandits
Is moro akin 10 the brotherhood of the wild
kurdS that sweep the Balkan plains than any
thin, else. Like this brotherhood, it is COM
posed Of small bands each under an acknowl-
edged leadership. and these petty leaders are
under the control Of another chief leader. In
instinct there is more morality or sense or
honor in the Tammany organization than there
is in the other brotherhood. Owing 10 the
prejudices Of the present age the Tainmany
chiefs cannot murder. page and loot openly
but secretly they carry on their raids, and in the
past have been known even to resort TO cold
blooded murder to accomplish an end
wel-known business man said 70 Richard
name. l will not ask for candidate. plat
FORM a principle, idea. and ] will carry
the city for a candidate whose face has never
been seen in New-York. whose name has never
been heard and who is not known to single
man in the state until he goes on the ticket l
will not have him say word in the campaign,
and we will fight the matter out on the issue
that he is Tammany's candidate. without plat
form. and l will win" This may be an exag-
geration. but it has an element Of truth It's
the name that the yellow dog vote goes for,
and that vote cast in the balance wins for Tam
many Hall.
Tammanys organization Is as complete as
It is pitiless Let leader fail to carry his dis
trict and out he goes. and the man who defeats
him Is welcomed in his place Let leader re-
fuse to obey orders and off goes his head. politi
cauy II it was the time of Nero his head
would go off actually. Absolute fidelity TO or
ders is the watchword of Tammany Hall. and
no matter what these orders may be the one
who protests or recants is doomed The track
of Tammany is strewn with the bones OF men
who revolted at the idea OF the crimes that
Tammany proposed and when they spoke they
were cut down.
THE DISTRICT ORGANIZATION.
The substructure Of the Tammany organiza-
ton is the district organization. The Dig man
In the district is the man who has following
of a dozen a score or a hundred, and who can
go into the primary and pack it and elect whom
ever he pleases This man in turn follows bind
" the leader of the Assembly district. That
leader through instructions to his petty retain-
ers Is able to carry all conventions and meet
ings in his district and send men to the city.
county or State conventions who vote like 50
many autOmatOns as the leader Dictates and
this leader in turn delivers his delegation as the
Tammany chieftain orders. Thus from his head
quarters in the Savoy Hotel. the Hoffman House
or the Democratic Club. the absolute master OF
Tammany Hall can reach by its accredited chan-
mel any district in the city. He simply plays on
the keyboard and the keys touched respond
Whenever there is Earring note the discordant
tone is cut out and plant tool substituted
How these district leaders through their petty
heelers keep the voters in line by threats. pat
ronape PROMISES and actual force is well known
Suffice Il to say that every leader is held per-
sonalIv accountable for getting out every Demo-
cratic voter in his district to register and vote
IN 90 as far as he dares in colonlzlng ana secur-
inc a false registration and vote. and TO keep
.wav from the polls by threats. intimidation and
ectuaI violence as many Republican voters as
no can Thus all the dirty work is done IN the
districts but the orders for it come from hedu-
quarters. .,, "a.
Whom the Iexow Committee had finished us
work and the clouds gathered darkly around
Tammany Hail. and the prisons seemed u oe
opening for many prominent men within that or
q, 10