The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-10-24
N. Y. TAMMANY Is
G0RMAN'S MODEL
And Rule or Ruin Is His Single Aim,
An End For Which He Tolls.
THAT ELECTION MEASURE
Was Solely Designed to Retrieve Shat
tered Political Fortunes.

The political world like every other
department of life, is constantly I'M
dergoing the process of evolution.
The business of politics, as under
stood by the last generation, was far
less complicated then, when the ques-
tions to be dealt with were more sim
pie, even in affairs of national con
Germ, than they are to-day. 1t is true
that from the beginning, the rising
young republic had dealings to a
greater or less extent, with almost
every other nation, but the PROPOSE
tions were more concrete, and conse-
quently more easily settled.
When the country was in more of
primitive state, when our fathers
were carving sites for their homes out
of the wilderness, they required more
time to attend to matters, pertaining
to actual manual labor, and had less
leisure for the discussion of abstract
theories. Municipal and state poll
tics were reduced to few simple pro-
positions. These were quite often
very bitterly discussed but the con-
ditions were not difficult to compre-
bend. Personal references, self inter
est, and even more than now, preju-
dice and spite, pure and simple, were
factors that entered even more large
ly into their discussions than with the
politicians of today.
Personal encounters and duels were
of remarkably frequent occurrence.
Some of the best men and most emf
nent statesmen of that day lost their
lives in duels, and assassinations were
not infrequent. In this connection
we need not refer to the duel between
Burr and Hamilton, resulting in the
death of the latter, the founder of
our national financial system, and
secretary of the treasury under Wash
ington, not to mention the personal
conflicts of Old Hickory, Henry Clay,
John Randolph ct. al. The articles
of the dueling code were in every
statesman's pocket, and brace of
pistols in his portmaneau. However,
this tendency of resorting to personal
conflicts has been almost entirely
eliminated from the methods of set
Ting political controversies at the
present day. Although it cannot be
denied that the greater complications
in all that can be dominated by polit-
ical managers as policies resolve
themselves more and more into econ
nomical questions for political chica-
merry and corruption that evidence
themselves by steals of various de-
grees from the public treasury of mu-
nicipality, state and nation.
Public improvements in each of
these departments are now conducted
on such a comparatively colossal
scale that opportunities are offered
for INSCRIPTIONS politicians and po-
litical organizations, bound together
for no other purpose than for per-
sonal emolument, who have entirely
lost sight of the peoples interests in
the headlong chase for everything in
sight or prospect that may be cribbed
from long-suffering and indulgent
public.
4 corrupt combination of this char
acter, of which the German ring is a
conspicuous example, is an organiza-
public Office for periods of varying
duration, which have given them op-
portunities for making themselves
acquainted with all the most effect
i've methods for plucking the public
goose.
A state legislature dominated by a
ring of this character throws out it's
tendrils in every direction, permea-
ting even municipal governments, till
they control every public contract of
any Importance to the extent that
none shall be let to any contractor
who will not consent to give up a
large share of the spoils, or agree to
use his influence in every way to keep
the organization in power.
Of such a nature are the Rasin con-
tracts that have been sucking, YAM
pire-like, the life blood of Baltimore.
Such are the methods of Tammany
hall, in New York, to such an extent
that almost every municipal Office is
given out by the henchmen of Rich
ard Croker, knowing that their APP
pointments will receive his sanction.
These are very secret societies, and
no gang of banditti were ever bonnd
by stronger obligations to hang to-
gether and.protect each other till the
last ditch.
Had such organization existed a
century ago in city hall, state house
or capitol, the people would have