New-York tribune., 1901-10-27
political Nnfires.
EDWARD N. sHEPARD's
SPEECH TO THE DEMOCRACY,
DELIVERED AT
TAMMANY HALL,
October 18th, 1901.

with which the Democratic Party in this city
has honored me than / stated my special wish
TO speak, and the earliest time practicable. in
Tammany Hail. [Applausel For it is well
known TO you, and IL seems TO be chier part
OF the argument Of my distinguished competitor,
that / have from time to time, and more espe-
cially four years ago. been hostile 10 TamInany
Hall, and criticised 1t without stint
so have, nor am here TO excuse or recede
from anything that have said. lApplause
IL IL were possible for me- as ii is not, to make
any such excuse, ] should, whatever might De
the increase of your liking for me, lose the re-
spect OF the voters Of Tammany Hall-a genuine
respect which viii be of far more consequence
TO me and the success of my administration,
IL I be chosen Mayor, than any liking may
gain in this campaign
Whatever my political fortunes may be this
Fall you shall have occasion to Withdraw
from me the confidence you have shown IN my
integrity and steadfastness OF purpose py lea-
son OF any abandonment-eVen the sIIsnteSt,
OF the standard OF public conduct ana poIltlcaI
behavior which have set up in the past II
may not have your votes except by concealihs
or reversing my sincere convictions and Ideals
OF political life then 1 must go without those
votes.
full no doubt of Vcissitudes moral and tenn
poral. In the earliest years OF the American
democratic Republic there was ORGANIZED mere
a political association, or club for the puFPose
OF preaching the cardinal principles or deInoc<
racy they were taught by Je1erson' ana OF
securing their practical application II is WITH
in the memory Of men now living that aller
various struggles, the Tammany Society IN
the days Of President Jackson formally adopted
the doctrines of the Equal Rights Party. as a
local portion of the Democracy was theh
called. whose leader and guiding spirit was
that very able man and noble character, VIII
lam Ieggett Ionce an Editor of the Evening
Postl and who was. sixty or more years ago
loved and admired by Tammany HAN as Nie
purest Of politicians
THE Equal Rights Party, when it became
identified with Tammany Hall bore a heaHy
burden Of dispara cement and rldlcule from lhe
great and / may truly say, shortsighted ma
iority of the wealthy classes. To h member
Of the party In those days was 10 be called, in
Republicans of the time were called ana the
men, OF whom there were some then as nov,
who called themselves Democrats, put VINO
proved their superiority TO party ties by almost
always voting with its adversary, thoushl ~
all-suffcient condemnation Of citizen 10 eau can
him 'Loco-Foco,' and thus TO ascribe TO MIN ths
most dangerous and unworthy OF motives anu
purposes
TAMMANY's HERITAGE.
.'Now the plain people rejected the advice OF
men who deemed themselves TO be their betters
The doctrines OF the party of Equal Rights spread
more and more, until indeed they mao pecohle
the fundamental, and We're seen 10 De the iS rutS
conservative, doctrines OF our American hepup-
lie and We're held by Lincoln hardly less than
hy Tilden or Seymour. The doctrines spread IN
deed until the word Loco-Foco' rom xIeo peIne a
term OF contumely had. like the WORD 1ahAee,
once used in derision by the British come 10 pe
q word of honor and repute. However iar your
practice has sometimes deVlated from your
preaching that lofty and wholesome political
creed has since been the special heritage OF your
organization, and has secured for il, through
masses of the people Of this borough.
In Loco-Foco days, and many, many times
since, the most distinguished ana hohotea OF M tle
citizens of New-York have aValleo lhefhsTiNes
OF the organization. at least OF the support OF
Tamrnany Hall. that they might lead the masses
OF the voters OF your borough for purposes OF
the highest public virtue and necessity. Indeed,
fellow citizens, If you will make list or the
citizens of this borough. whether dead or IiVihg,
who during the past sixty years, have rendered
the most practically benefcent, enduring. ana
high minded service to the community; the Gnu
zens who, whatever anger or hatred they IN
CURED in their days or actlNe pohucai
tn the quiet retrospect OF to-day regarded win
the greatest OF public gratitude ana Venerauoh'
you will find that a very large part II no. ' III
deed the majority of them, have AT one uIhe OF
another and many of them for years at a tire'
acted with Tammany Han, or accepteo' LOT u.s. u.s.
fu and patriotic service, the pohtlcal leverage
and strength which the support OF Iammahy
Hall has given them. xs
Some men, like my dear and venerated frleha
Mr. Hewitt (who, TO my mind, must justly RANK
as the first citizen Of greater New forkD Wheh
they felt able and were willing 10 bear the heat
and burden OF the political day. ala not eslsa,
and against a public outcry quite as louo az
anv now directed against me, TO accept from
Tammany Hall its support iapplausel, that thSy 1
might perform great pubic service OF heiP
,nal-e better the political standards or the pub
lie life Of our city and our country
..Mr. Hewitt is indeed, able to draw a shaa, eon
ow-v distinction between his acceptance, IN 1880,
- 1oT1ination from Tammany Hall. under its
rresent leader. whom be had known wen anu
for many years, and, on the other @ manu-, an I a"
escenca Of the same Democratic organization IN
"a nomination sought for me Uhough wlthout the
slightest knowledge of mine) by the DefnocraSy
of my own Borough Of Brooklyn. AIIhoush ne
was chosen TO a mayoralty with powers wnlch,
tn respect Of freedom from undue pohucal OF
nartisan influence, were vastly INFERIOR 10 llose
1,1,lich viii come TO me. IL ] be chosen Mayor
nevertheless and against incorporate aDCse
1uite like that sounded in my ears saw IL 10 pe
80 nstriotic duty TO accept. and did not shrink
from doing so.
MIR HEWITT HIS EXAMPLE.
"And what he did has been done time and
again, and with lasting and recoghlzeo peheIi' 's
,nerous 10 mention tonight. hope TO pe par par
doned il I follow the Abram > Hewltt OF looo'
90 whose abors for many years IN or WIN VIII, 1alIl
MANY Hall the Abram S. Hewitt OF Isol may
well look back. as do his fellow citizens with
honorab BILE satlSfacUon
II am as j told your Committee or Notlnca-
zion a Democrat through and through; and
Rave accepted a Democratic nomination mo
rnvself chided and with bitterness by news
napers whose good opinion i wish, Tor making
This declaration, as IT, indeed. there We're any
thing either in my Democracy or in the Demo-
cratic character OF my nomination, OF "hlch
should be ashamed. i repeat that am
nemocrat through and through, and that ask
,your suffrages for Mayor because, among other
things / am nominated by Democratic con-
vention. 49,, ,o a.,
Greatly respected leader in works OF wide and
sS-ise mercy in this borough, but whose view OF
this Mayoralty campaign i 90 not Know 70
"a state what I mean when / speak OF Dem
ocratic doctrines in a municipal campaign:
shall do so forthwith. / do not understand that
n means any dedication or pubIc money OF OF
the of1icial time or power OF public servants or
any other asset OF the whole people, 10 party
or partisan purposes, whether olrectiy OF lhGl-
and so shall remain to any such use Of public
money, time or power -, A..