The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-12-15
TAMMANY QUITS
HISTORIC HOME
Democratic Organization in
New York to Move to Quar-
ters Farther Uptown

New York, Dec. 15.--(P-Tam- |
many Hall, symbol of democracy on
the island Of Manhattan since 1889,
is quitting its 60-year-old home on
the fringe of the Bowery.
From it's historic ''wigwam' on
the lower cast side, Tammany will
move within year to new quar-
tiers farther uptown, closer to the
shittlng center Of the metropolis
and not far from Central Park and
the spires of upper Fifth avenue.
With 1t will 20 the paintings OF
past leaders which hang about the
smoky walls, and the statue of
Chief Tammany which rises from
4 mental cornicc atop the dingy red
brick building. But with the rag
ing of the structure by interests
which have acquired the site, a ven
cradle landmark will be missed by
CITY which has no dearth Of land
marks.
Power in Politics
10 the nation at large Tammany
Hall represents the democratic or
ganization which has been Il power
IN New York politics for genera
tons and which sprang from So
ciety founded 1876 years ago by
William Mooney, Irish upholstercl,
to fight the aristocratc fcderalists
under Alexander Hamilton. But
there is also fraternal side of
Tammany, N. Columbian Order"
closely allied, the charter Of which
defines 1t as a benevolent and
charitable society for affcrding re-
lief to INDECENT and distressed mem
bers, their widows and orphans and
other proper objects Of charity"
Tammany's political star has not
always been ascendant, but the So
ciety has emerged from frequent
political defeats with new vigor. 1t
was hardest hit when Dos"
Tweed was exposed for graft and
imprisoned to die in Ludlow Street
jail. Other scandals have touched
it, but they have been survived and.
and to a great extent lived down.
In modern years a ''new Tam
many" has been hcralded, led by
such men as former Judge George
w. Olvany, present Tammany chief
tain; Governor Alfred X. Smith of
New York, 4 sachem in the order;
Mayor James j. Walker, u. S. Scna-
tor Robert +. Wagner and James
W. Gerard, former ambassador to
Germany.
Women Have Share
Since women came into politics
they have had share in Tam
many's activities, and teas in the
society clubrooms have altered the
social program Of which F'itz Green
Hallcck, the poet, sang u century
ago:
'"Theres barrel Of porter in Tam
many Hall.
And the Bucktals are swigging ii
all the day long.
In the time of my youth twas a
pleasure to call
For a seat and cigar mid the jovial
throng."
But Tammany today still knows
it's followers, cares fer its friends
in need and walks arm in arm with
the common folk from which il
sprang. And it knows where its
political strength lies, almost if moi
quite as well as in the days Of Rich-N
ard Croker and Bic Tim Sullivan
Sullivan, the story goes, met
Croker in Tammany Hall the night
before election and told him: Our
vote in the Sixth will be 5.367." 1t
turned out to be only $500. and Big
Tim went to Croker apologizing
I'm puzzled and ashamed" he
said. "Thcrc was Peter Mahoney.
the republicans gave him a $1,000
job and he took it. There was Jim
O'Brien, he was too sick to get to
the polls. But where the other vote
disappeared to | can't tell for the
life Of me-"
Croker forgave him and ted him
not to let it happen again.
Not New to VOorhs
There is one man in Iammany
to whom the movement Of head
quarters is not new experience.
He is John K. Veorhis, 07-vear-old
grand sachem of the Tammany So
ciety. He remembers when the
hall on East fourteenth street was
new and shining, and when the
democrats met there in 1868, for
the first national convention held
by the party in New York to nomi-
nate Horatio Seymour for the
presidency.
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