Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1892 — THE RECORD OF TAMMANY HALL. [ARTICLE]

THE RECORD OF TAMMANY HALL.

[lndianapolis Sentinel.] The St. Louis Republic of Sunday contained an able and impressive article over threo columns in length on Tammany hail. This artiole i 1 1 strong and unquestionably truthful description of the character, purposes and methods of the Tammany sooioty. It shows that Tammany hall is a democratic organization only in name; that it is maintained, not for the purpose of promoting the interests of the democratic party, but purely as a business enterprise; that there is no sentiment whatever about it; that it will trade off a national candidate auy time to win a local eleotion; that it has repeatodly opposed the national and state tickets of the democratic party, and that its assumption of a right to diotato the national tioket and policies of the democracy is simply monstrous. It is further shown that Tammany hall, so far as action goes, consists of but four men—Messrs. Croker, Grant, Gilroy and Cookran. “A great notional party,” says the writer, “which calls itself demooratio, is calmly asked to hand over Jts fortunes into the keeping of a merely local oiganization consisting praotically of but four men, 1 nd these four men have the impudence to say to the demoorats of the United States; .‘You must nominate for the presidency a man who will bo pleasing to us. What you may think is a matter of small oonoern. You must do as we say.’ Perhaps assurance could go further. It never has gone further." We quote further:

"Tammany hall is not a political organization at nil. It is a businoss organization, and its business is the manufacture and distribution of “pulls” and tfco feeding and olaJhing of its members. Democracy is a good name to trade with, but like other valid trade-marks it is not closely descriptive. It means nothing on the lips of a Tammany heel* r, or a Tammany ohieftaifi either, for that matter. Tho tariff, silver, state’s rights—the wigwam knows no more about them than (to quote the words of the ominent Regent Wang) “a cat dees about dummy whist." So far as Tammany has any views on the tariff they would naturally be In favor of it, for tbe tariff means oustom bouses anil custom houses means provender. Tho result is that while tho demoorats all over the land are fighting the grimmest battle against thoir politidrl adversaries, sparing no effort to win a deseived victory, Tammany is negotiating a deal with tho looal rep blican bosses, and when election day comes it brings a democratic disaster and a Tammany triumph. Have men become so enamored of treason that they are ready to bow down and worship tho traitors? Is it a pleasant thing to bo stabbed in tho back at each national election? Is it not a little wearisome to democrats to find that all their efforts are nullified, and that, no matter how many votes they may oast in other stateß, the election is to be decided for them by n bargain nndsaloiu Now York City between Diok Croker and Matt Quay?" There is .0 doubt, as is set forth in the Repnblio article, that when Tammany supports tho democratic ticket loyally Now York is not a doubtful state. Tammany or ntrols 109,000 votes, and whenever a Tammany man asserts that Now York state is doubtful he impugns the party loyalty of these 100,000 voters. I f Tammnny had always been in line with tho democratic party it is not likely that the republicans would have carried Now York ft r many years past. “The difference between Tammany and the mugwumps is,” savs the Repnblio writer, “that Tammany bolts its pnrty when it makes a good notnination while the mugwumps bolt their p rty when it makes a bad nomination.”

A few historical facte will illuminato Tnmmany’s record. Tammany fought Mr Tildcm until the time came when he was powerless, and prevented his nomination in 1880, when it would havs made democratic success absolutely sure. Mr. Tilden was set aside to please Tammany and Gen. Hancock was nominated only to be Vtraved by Tammany hall for the local spoils of New York City. Mr. Cleveland, in 1881, was nominated over the Jmost determined opposition of Tammany, and was elected hv a narrow margin despite his betrayal bv that organization in Now York Citv In 1888 Mr. Cleveland was sacrificed in ew York and Brooklyn in the interest of Hugh J. Grant and David B. Hill. Going back to 1879 it will be remembered that Lucius B. Bobinson, an able democrat and irreproachable public official, was defeated fer governor because .John Kelly organized a Tammany bolt and ran for governor, receivinglsome eighty thousand vote* this means Mr. A. B. Cornell, the republican candidate, was eleoted gtvarnor of New York, land for several years the state remained in republican bands. This is the record of the or anization which proposes to come to Chioago and dictate to the national democracy whom itl shell nominate—or at least whom it shall not nominate for president of the United States!