The Indianapolis times., 1924-05-16
BY LOWELL MELLETT

T Tammany Hall on Four
| a teenth St. an inquiring per
son is given a small pamph-
let entitled, plain Facts About
Tammany for All Americans" The
opening paragraph recites:
Name derived from Tammany,
Seventeenth Century Indian chief
of the Delaware tribe renowned
for his wisdom, courage, eloquence,
justice, friendship for the immigrant
whites and love of freedom, who was
the patron of the soldiers of the
American revolution"
The phrase, friendship for the
immigrant whites" is significant,
for Tammany Hall has largely been
built on the votes Of immigrants.
In it's earlier years the Society Of
Tammany was guilty of enmity
toward the immigrants. Not until
1925, after the Irish had shown
their voting strength, did it occur
to the organization that it was bet
ter politics to cultivate them. The
lesson never has been forgotten.
Society Old One
Founded May 12. 1889, as a pa
triotic and benevolent organization,
the name originally was Society of
st. Tammany or Columbian Order.
The name remains the same, save
that the Saint" has been dropped.
Great emphasis was placed upon
the Democratic nature of the order
and while at the outset It included
men Of all political tendencies, be-
fore the end Of the century. it had
become so strongly -Federalist
that few Federalists remained mem
bers.
Aaron Burr was the first great
leader Of Tammany He made it
a real political instrument. working
through one Matthew l.. Davis. sew
eral times Grand Sachem of the So
ciety. Davis appears to have or
iginated a political trick still in com
mon use. In a given political con
test there would appear strong res
olutions and public addresses adopt
ed by mass meetings in various
wards of the city Later it would
be discovered that at each OF these
mass meetings the mass consisted
of Davis and a couple of friends
Supported jefferson
Burr's political genius had made
Tammany such a power by 1900 that
the society was freely granted great
credit for it's part in the election OF
Thomas jefferson and Tammany
men were rewarded with many of
fees.
BY 1905 the political effectiveness
Of Tamlnany Society was causing
general concern. In 1905 a charter
had been obtained from the Legis-
lature, incorporating Tammany as
a charitable and benevolent body.
Tammany Han. the political organ
izauon. was declared to be entirely
independent Of Tammany Society.
This pretense has been maintained
solemnly ever since.
Tammany Tricks
Unless one includes Aaron Burr $
action in slipping through the Legis-
lature a bill to incorporate a State
hank. under the guise Of a bill to
protect the people against yellow
Pfever. the first Tammany manifesto
ton of the kind for which it became
famous. occurred in 1906
BENJAMIN Romaine. Grand Sachem.
was ousted as City Controller for
having appropriated city lands 10 his
own use. In 1907 Philip l. Arcu-
larius. superintendent OF the aims
house. and Cornelius Warner. super
intendent OF public repairs. were
ousted for frauds. Jonas Humbert.
inspector OF bread, was found to be
extorting a third Of the fees taken
in by Flour Inspector Jones. under
threats OF getting Jones job In
1903 Abraham Stagg, collector of
assessments, failed to account for
81 900, while Collectors Page and
Ackerman were discovered to be EN-.
bezzling part Of their collections.
John Bingham. alderman, persuaded
the council to sell city land to a
hrother-in-law and then to buy it
back at exorbitant prices. And sad
dest Of all. William Mooney, Vener-
able founder Of Tammany, now su-
perintendent of the almshouse. was
proved to be bilking the city out of
some $4,000 annually. In all a deficit
in the city's accounts of $3.50 900 was
revealed by investigation