The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-23
TAMMANY HALL IS LIKE THIS.
JAMES r. SMITH, ASSEMBLYMAN,
DESCRIBES 1T.
Finance Commute e Keeps All II Wants Men
VINO Get Jobs Ante u: No One Out
side Has Show; Money Made on Tips;
$500, 900 In Northern securities Deal.

Is
PROVIDENCE, r. l., May 22-James E..
Smith, who was born in Phoenix about a
dozen miles from Providence, and has be-
come a member of Tammany Hall and also
of he New York Legislature, told the
Social Science Club of brown University
all about Tammany hall to-day. MIR.
Smith was graduated from Brown in 1892.
The subject of the address was: Tam
many as an organization and the principles
on which its work is managed
After telling about the formation of tn,
society Mr. Smith said
AThere are thirty-saven leaders in Tam
many Hail, and presumably they are elected
by the people but man who isn't sanctioned
by Tammany never remains long in power
1t is a known fact that there w'ra men
from Philadelphia Jers " City. New Haven,
and Hartford who voted for William 3.
Devery in the recent election
you ask how that is possible. Why,
anything is possible whore thu polio, woa't
uphold the law The Republicans Of New
York city wanted Devery to be elected, for
they thought that ne would be too big load
for lanmany to carry.
"The respectable people Of New York
won't tolerate a man like Devcry. Tam
many won't tolerate him, and he will be
dropped.
when Croker went to Europe last sum-
mer he put his own friends on the Fina
Committee so that he would have charge
during his absence, for the Finance Com
mittee handles ali the funds and Keeps
whatever the members want, as they are
al Il Nov Ice H.
saw that If they allowed this to go on Tam
many would fall. 80 Il ey annlilated the
Finance Committee and esta blished the
triumvirate and thus ousted Croker.
We've got no fight against the regular
Republican machine, 1t is the Goo-Goos
that we are compelled to battle with. The
discontinued Republicans and Democrats
get together and say We're out in the
cold. Let's get in, and these are the ones
we IN ust fight.
How do we do our work? If a man is in
trouble, if he is in Jail, If he can't pay his
rent, or is too poor to be buried even, we
never question his politics, but we investi-
gate the case. and if il is worthy We render
help. That man from that day on, and his
friends, is a Democrat and this is why
Tainmany is so strong.
How do we get the money? It's no
secret. We get it from the fellows who
hold the Jobs If man has SIS 900 place
We think it is right that he should give
81 900 to Tammany. The place isn't his,
it's the organizations. We believe in civil
service. but we think that the winner should
have everything.
when the Democrats are in power they
OF the organization has position. The
same is true of the Republicans and the re-
formers When a man isn't wanted, he
has weak eye, or something Of that kind,
People said that Tammany got away
with $40. 900 900 when it was in power, but
it cost sos, 600, coo to run the city. 1t has
cost Mayor Low sos 900 600 to run the city
and the question is how he got away with
see 600, 900.
1--WE got the greatest respect for Mayor
Low. ! think he means well, but he isn't
practical and he don't know New York
1t isn't the business of a private person to
get out in reform raids That's the duty of
The police, or else what have you got police
for?
we have the social evil in New York,
and all other crimes. but you can't exter-
inmate them by exploiting them in the
papers. The only way to accomplish any
thing is by means of the university settle
ment. If more money was spent in uni
versty settlement work instead of IN ex-
pensive raids there would be less immortality
in New York.
"A politician has money and people say
he is dishonest can tell you how man
can make it legitimatey. If you are in
politics you can get tip on the stock mar
ket, and | know a member of the party
who made half million in the Northern
Securities. but he was in on the ground
floor
"In Tammany there is no such thing as
personal like or dislike. 1t makes no diff
ference what a man is, but is he a political
power? There are $4,000 public offices in
New York city and when We are in power
these are distributed throughout the
districts in the form Of patronage.
AN 5000 position in one district is bal
anced against four 81 600 positions. and so
on down through the list into the Street
Cleaning Department.
In conclusion the speaker said that to be
in politics man must keep his
word, must give every one credit of being
honest till he is proved dishonest and must
treat every one fairly.
James z. Smith was an Assemblyman
from the Fifteenth dist riot in the Legis-
lature of 1902. He is not a member Of the
Legislature Of 1908,