The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-23

that he was just as rightfully entitled to
get what he went after. Here is a para
graph from the preface:
"Conceiving that, in the theory Of politics
whatever the practice may discover, there
is such commodity morals and such a
ware as truth, and, remembering how
much. as the chief of Tammany Hall,
have been condemned by purists and folk
volube for reform as a fashion or City
Satan, striving for all that was ebon in local
conditions and control, would remind the
reader-hoping his mind to be unbiased and
that he will hold fairly the scales for me
that both morals and truth as questions
will ever depend for their answer on en-
yironment and point of view. The moral
ity or one man is the sin of another, and
the truth in this mouth is the serpent lie
in that"
Proceeding with his autobiography, for
such the story really is, the Boss tells that
he came TO the United States from Clon-
mel. Ireland, with his parents when he was
mere boy. His waywardness and dislike
of school throws him into contact with the
roughs and toughs of the street and
wharves In course of time he is arrest
Cheek. who later becomes his wife
from the evil designs of crimp
named Sheeny Joe, whose nose is
Joe has a pull, being one of Tammany's
protected" citizens, and he is released by
Big Kennedy, ward boss, while the boy
and girl are taken to the station house. AT
their trial next day Mr.. Morton, a banker,
attempts TO testify in behalf OF the boy and
girl. but Big Kennedy informs him ward
boss Is superior TO taxpayer and the lat
ter Is SQuelched, although for political rea-
sons he Is later elected mayor. The ward
boss. however, takes a liking to the boy
and Sheeny Joe does not secure the revenge
he desires The charge of assaulting the
crtmp is dismissed and the boy and girl
leave the court with Big Kennedy as their
friend and Sheeny Joe as their enemy. The
boy Is given work by the ward boss and De-
gins to learn the ways of Tammany. He
also takes boxing lessons and is made the
leader of the Tin Whistles, a band of
bruisers whose duty is 10 pummel oppon-
ents of Tammany and raid polling booths
when occasion demands. In course or time
Big Kennedy is chosen boss of Tammany
Hall and the Irish boy-then man-is
made the boss's chief lieutenant. The latter
learns how millions are stolen by voting
franchises to those who are willing to pay
for them; how tributes are levied on mer-
chants who violate the law by using the
streets for business purposes; how captains
of police secure their positions by payment
of thousands of dollars and are then per-
mitted TO assess saloons, gamblers, women
and in fact, everybody who can be cowed
or browbeaten. He also learns how to set
one good citizen on another when they
come to complain against Tammany's meth
ods, SO that in the end no one favors re-
form. When Big Kennedy dies his pupil
wears the mantle of the Boss. He is soon
little but does much. New York, under
his reign, Is ''milked'' in every possible
way. The Boss fills secret hiding places
devious ways, some of it blood-stained and
all tainted with corruption.
The Boss, however. though prospecting
financially, Is pursued by misfortune in his
family affairs. While he Is leader of the
Tin Whistles he is charged with murder,
but is acquitted by purchased jury. The
strain of the trial seriously affects his wife
and when a girl baby is born there is a
birthmafk resembling a hangmans moose
about the little ores neck The wife dies
later and the girl grows into a weak-nerved
woman, saddened by the mark about her
neck. When her father becomes The
Boss he purchases brown stone 'front.'
and attempts to break into society in order
that his daughter may marry WELL She
weds a scapegrace. who robs her father of a
million or two, breaks her heart and finally
causes her death. The Boss surrenders con-
troll OF Tammany Hall and goes abroad to
spend his ill-gotten wealth, with a Sicilian
murderer as his companion. So the story
goes. as Mr.. Lewis makes the Boss tell it,
1t is probably one of the most interesting
political novels ever written. IL is a tale
of graft. cunning. trickery and crime, told
with an .effrontery in keeping with the
record OF Tammany Hall. A. S. Barnes q
Co., New York.