The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-27


Of the Society's belongings. It's re-
cords, its mementoes Of days Of
power, did not 60 to the new mall
ing address but to storage.
BOSS WON'T QUIT y
Some In Tammany laugh: "As
well try to abolish Santa Clausl
Didn't people try to drop the name
after the Tweed Ring excitement2"
George Gordon Battle, president Of
the Society, insists 1t will continue,
but admits sentiment is strong
against 1t.
Every decent Democratic ell
ernent Is sick and tired Of that rot.
ten name, Tamnany," says Jere-
miah T. Mahoney, leader Of the big
silk Stocking" District and 1897
candidate for Mayor Of New York.
He says U. s. Democratic Senator
Robert r. Wagner feels the same
way, and that the Political Head
Man Of Tammany, Michael ]. Ken
nedy, states. This is q, divorce
not for the duration but forever"
It's a pretty pass for the Dyn-
asty Of Tammany - which charg-
ed $3.50 for cigars for Henry Clay's
funeral, and took $45, 100000 out OF
the public purse in direct spoliation
in the days Of Tweed.
The decline Of the Tammany
Dynasty has happened in the past
10 years.
CENTURY OF POWER
Nineteenth century Tammany
Bosses made an American tradi-
ton Of government Of the people,
by the rascals. for the few. They
kept power, with but a few brief
breaks following exposures, for
over a century. They lived by
and for graft and patronage,
throwing their weight around in
national politics, and showing at
home the most picturesque and
fragrant, character ever displayed
by political freebooters - up into
the Roaring Twenties.
Then they were exposed again,
for graft In keeping with the col
ossal spirit Of the Teapot Dome
Decade. Yet they bucked Prank
lin D. Roosevelt for the Presidency
and rejected q reform candidate for
Mayor Of New York.
This got them the bounce two
ways. Roosevelt put the squeeze
on the federal patronage: and
New York City voters in 1888 elect
ed an independent mayor on Re-
pubIlcan- Fusion ticket, thus shut
ting off Manhattan patronage TO
Tammany.
Then an independent political Or
ganization, the American Labor
Part, rose. It supported Roosevelt
in 1886 but fought any Tammany
Democratic candidate 1t considered
anti-Iabor, and soon held q balance
os-power position between the DEM
ocratic and Republican parties. It
again In 1887, and in he went: 1t
supported Democratic Candidate
Herbert II. Lehman for Govern
or OF New York state In 1888 and
he won. II swung New York State
to Roosevelt in 1910: and when the
Democrats put up nor-Roosevelt
candidate for governor In 1912, the
ALP ran its own man and thus
handed the state to Republican
Thomas z. Dewey. This established
ALP strength unquestionably = and
turned off the last big spigot Of
Tammany patronage, the New York
state Jobs.
LABOR BUYS HALL
Now @ union Of garment work.
ers who were among the CHIEF
founders Of the labor party Is NOV
ing into Tammany Hall, the build
ing. The union is composed OF $4,000
dressmakers, mostly young girls.
They paid $4,000 cash, covered the
name Society Of Tammany on the
face OF the landmark, and raised
their own emblem: Children's Dress,
Housedress and Bathrobe Makers
Union.
Harry Greenh erg, secretary
manager, was chairman OF the
County ALP in 1897, the opposite
number Of Tammany's head man;
and Greenberg says: when we won
a city-wide victory, went straight
to the ALP leadership and said:
brothers, Tammany is done for;
let's buy the Hail. They laughed.
So / said to them: 'Okay, so you
wouldn't? So some day I will. T"
TRUE PROPHET
He is now taking over the sump-
tuous second-floor office that was
Democratic Leader Kennedy's. On
the third floor, once committee
rooms, will be classrooms where IN
ion members will learn the tech