Year: 1875

mistake in undertaking to reorganize and
reform Tammany after the disgrace which
fell upon it in the astounding exposures of
1871. Such an organization is inherently
vicious and anti-democratic it is a thing to
be abolished, but not reformed The fact
that it was capable of being used for such
corrupt purposes as were accomplished under
the Tweed regime is a sufficient reason why
its existence ought not to be tolerated in
democratic community. The argument
against it is Of the same nature as the argu-
ment against absolute monarchy 1t has
sometimes happened that despots have been
just rulers but that is no defence of absolut-
ism. Power always tends TO abuse 1t is
never safe for power to be lodged where it
cannot easily be controlled. The mild
despot of to-day may be succeeded by the
| tyrant of tomorrow the despot who has
been put in fear by recent rebellion against
his predecessor may not go to all lengths
while memory Of past abuses is fresh /; but
the evil tendencies Of the system remain and
will produce their fruits Such an organiza-
ton as Tammany cannot be reformed
although it may temporarily be restrained.
Mr.. Kelly is not another Tweed, but It is the
tendency Of SO anti-democratic an organiza-
| ton as Tammany to create one. The
healthy public sentiment Of the democratic
masses and Of the best class of democratic
leaders has always been opposed to such
political cabals.


There has never been in American politics
an organized cabal SO Objectionable and dan
gerous as Tammany, although the famous
Essex Junta and the hardly less noted
Albany Regency bore some resemblance to
it, The point Of similarity is the success Of
aspiring cliques in usurping functions which
belong to the people at large The Essex
Junta and the Albany Regency, by the
inevitable tendency Of organized political
cabals to abuse their influence, became obi
Gus to the people, and they stand as blots in
our political history But neither of them
sunk to such infamy as stains the record Of
Tammany. The Essex Junta, clique in
the old federal party which aspired to rule
it. was quite free from pecuniary corrup-
ton. 1t aimed only at political infu-
ence, and its history demonstrates
that this motive is strong enough to
sustain an organization which aspires to
take the control Of the government out Of
the hands Of the people Even if Mr.. Kelly
is actuated by motives not more objectiona-
BILE than those Of the Essex Junta, Tam
many deserves the fate Of that celebrated
cabal The Albany Regency is a case more
in point, because, like Tammany, it main
tained itself by official patronage. 1t went
on from bad to worse, until it was repudi-
ated and extinguished by the people. The
following extract from an editorial in the
HERALD in the autumn Of 1841 truthfully
depicts the moral descent Of the Albany Re
gency :-''The shameless profigacy Of
the Albany Regency, and their coadjutors
in fraud and corruption, the pipe
layers of Wall street, cannot much longer be
concealed from the public eye. Let one
tithe of their rascality be exposed and not
one man among them can withstand the in
dignation of an outraged community. The
old Albany Regency was justly censured for
its want Of integrity and disregard Of the in
terests Of the State but there was talent and
manliness and good faith toward their associ-
ates in that famous body, while the present
cabal is utterly worthless and contemplate
in every respect. The slight hold which
they now have upon their followers in the
interior Of the State will soon be destroyed,
and then they will 60 into obscurity with
the scorn and detestation of all parties.


This prophecy Of the HERALD in 1S41 was
r-l fn,rv ~
best feature Of the fulflment is the fact that
the Albany Regency, a democratic oligarchy,
was overthrown by the democratic party
itself The Convention Of 1916 for revising
the State constitution was under democratic
control and it made future Albany Regency
impossible by destroying the official patron
age on which the Regency had subsisted 1t
struck ct the roots Of that kind Of cabal at
the State capital by making all the officers
elective BY the people, including the judges,
and it required the members of the Legisla-
ture to be elected in single districts. A
political cabal ordinarily maintains itself by
patronage with which it can reward its sup
porters. The Albany Regency was abol-
ished by democratic action, and the more
scandalous usurpation of Tammany will yet
be suppressed BY the party whose interest it
pre:ends TO serve. We predict this as conf
IDENTIFY in 1876 as the HERALD predicted the
extinction Of the Albany Regency in 1841.
Tammany is more anti-democratic and cor
rupt than the Albany Regency was in its
worst period, and the democracy will see that
it is load which the party cannot carry.


The enormous pecuniary corruption Of
Tammany under Tweed has tended to blind
the people to the political grounds Of objec-
ton to such organized cabals. The impress
sion which the supporters Of Mr.. Kelly aim
to produce is that Tammany is unobjection-
able if it ceases to rob US Of our money ;
as if robbery Of our political RIGHTS