The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17
''CHA|RS" ONCE
TWEED'S FRIEND
Furniture Dealer Brought Into
Notoriety by Nast's Cartoons
Discusses Present Political
Methods.
HE LOANED "B0Ss" MONEY.
when the Politician Came Into
Power, James II. lngersoll De
manded Big Contracts
and Got Them.

New York. July l6.-These are observa-
tions ex cathedra, being remarks on pol
itics and present political methods by
"Chairs"
Chairs was made famous by the late
Thomas Mast as n friend OF Tweed and IS
known in private life as James H. lnGer-
soil. once a furniture dealer and the
possessor by thrifty trade Of a large sur
plus, Mr.. Ingersoll loaned money TO Tweed
and his associates at a time when ready
cash was highly desirable. When the
ring was in control of the city he went
to the City Hall and said:
Now. how about few city contracts
Chairs undertook the furnishing of
the famous County Courthouse, receiving
something like $4,000 for carpets. alone.
He says In these later days that he was
never as wealthy as he was reputed to
be, for he was regarded in the old days
as a millionaire. He had a country place
near Greenwich, Conn, near the sylvan
home of his old friend Tweed.
He Is happy now. happier than he ever
was, although he is locker on in Vienna
from q butcher stall in Washington Mar
ket. He is not In the business of prepar-
ing roasts and steaks, but he has good
friend who is
Sometimes 1 help this man out little
when there is n rush. says Chairs.
Ingersolrs home is a little hotel at No.
104 Vesey street, where marketmen stop,
and he takes his meals at an unpreten-
tious but excellent restaurant not far
from there.
Astoria" says he, although there is not
as much style"
STILL A TWEED TRACE.
In the appearance of the Ingersoll of the
present day there Is still a suggestion of
the alert, rather stout man, with black
mustache. pictured by Mast in the noted
cartoon representing the Tweed ring
which was published over the caption OF
''Who Stole the Peoples Money HIS race
Is still ruddy but the jet-black mustache
of yore has changed to gray. Below II Is
a beard. a compromise between an impe-
rial and Van Dyke Chairs Is Wen on
his way to three score years and ten.
HAS politics changed much since you
knew it, Mr.. fngersoll?' he was asked
"Of the present race of politicians 1
/ don't know any of them personally.
Don't wish to. / haven't been in the CITY
Hall for years. But, speaking OF politics,
it seems to me that It's about the same
game that II used TO be. 1t is played just
as hard, perhaps a little harder, only II Is
done with more system and the machibe
is stronger than ever"
.'You mean the political machine Of the
present day is stronger than the Iweeo
ring ever was?
time machine was for the few. The pres
ent machines, both Tammany and Repub-
lican alike. arc organized for the many;
It is a surprising development ,,h When I
don't think that l could ever have been
said to be a politician. the members OF
the party met at certain rooms 10 taik
the City Hall, for all were 4tfiGe-holders'
But now what do we see? Every dis
splendid style, in charge OF a capable
leader. Besides being political these clubs
are social organizations, and they are
ployment bureaus, II a man is in trouble,
II he is out of work, If his family has been
i'll and he does not know where to turn
says, Thus and so. Now. how about it?'
II he is out of a job there is work for
him. If he needs aid he gets it
do you know that has built up in Tam
many Hall a powerful machine stronger
than the Tweed ring?
Republicans do practically the same
thing There are Republicans these days.
of the voters were OF that persuasion
then. but how the Republicans have de-
veloped in this city! Why. they even @ have
districts. There were occasionally dis
tricts which went Republican. the old
Ninth Ward, for instance. where there
was often a hotly contested fight, and
more than once, owing to factional quar-
rels among the Democrats, Republican
would get into office. ~ Yet In these y; days
have their clubs. too, and it's surprising
how strong they are
SWELL CLUBS THE SAME.
"As to the political clubs Of the swell
kind they are about the same as they al
ways were. The Manhattan was supposed
in my day to represent high-toned Democ-
racy. and 1 presume # still does. but it
has many shades of political belief, il a
man may Judge by the speeches its vari-
GUS members make.
"About the Democratic Club I don't
know much. was never inside it, and l
never expect TO be"
what do you think Of the present mode
of municipal government, Mr.. 1nsersoll,
as compared with that of the Tweed re-
gimeT'
NOW. that's a matter" said Chairs"
rising and walking over to q chopping
block against which he leaned in an easy
attitude, ION which do not consider my
self qualified to speak. As 1 say, haven't
given the Subject much thought, and l
don't know Murphy or Mcclellan or any |
Of those men. In fact, I'm living very |
quietly and I'm not interested in politics |
''What impresses me about practical |
politics, though" resumed Chairs" sis |
the gigantic scale on which the politicians |
entertain the people. OF course there were |
in my days chowder parties and outings |
and that kind Of thing, and I guess there |
were small and meant only for voters. |
Now the whole family is taken along. |
For that, the German influence is largely |
responsible When l was a young fellow |
the German dances were very interesting |
to attend. The parents took babies in |
arms to them. I've seen anterooms with |
fifteen to twenty babies laid alongside one |