the boss and the machine-第14章

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precinct　captain　who　is　acquainted　with　every　voter　in　his
precinct　and　keeps　track；　as　far　as　possible；　of　his　affairs。　In
every　assembly　district　there　are　headquarters　and　a　club　house；
where　the　voters　can　go　in　the　evening　and　enjoy　a　smoke；　a
bottle；　and　a　more　or　less　quiet　game。

This　organization　is　never　dormant。　And　this　is　the　key　to　its
vitality。　There　is　no　mystery　about　it。　Tammany　is　as　vigilant
between　elections　as　it　is　on　election　day。　It　has　always　been
solicitous　for　the　poor　and　the　humble；　who　most　need　and　best
appreciate　help　and　attention。　Every　poor　immigrant　is　welcomed；
introduced　to　the　district　headquarters；　given　work；　or　food；　or
shelter。　Tammany　is　his　practical　friend；　and　in　return　he　is
merely　to　become　naturalized　as　quickly　as　possible　under　the
wardship　of　a　Tammany　captain　and　by　the　grace　of　a　Tammany
judge；　and　then　to　vote　the　Tammany　ticket。　The　new　citizen's
lessons　in　political　science　are　all　flavored　with　highly
practical　notions。

Tammany's　machinery　enables　a　house…to…house　canvass　to　be　made
in　one　day。　But　this　machinery　must　be　oiled。　There　are　three
sources　of　the　necessary　lubricant：　offices；　jobs；　the　sale　of
favors；　these　are　dependent　on　winning　the　elections。　From　its
very　earliest　days；　fraud　at　the　polls　has　been　a　Tammany
practice。　As　long　as　property　qualifications　were　required；　money
was　furnished　for　buying　houses　which　could　harbor　a　whole
settlement　of　voters。　It　was　not；　however；　until　the　adoption　of
universal　suffrage　that　wholesale　frauds　became　possible　or
useful；　for　with　a　limited　suffrage　it　was　necessary　to　sway　only
a　few　score　votes　to　carry　an　ordinary　election。

Fernando　Wood　set　a　new　pace　in　this　race　for　votes。　It　has　been
estimated　that　in　1854　there　〃were　about　40；000　shiftless；
unprincipled　persons　who　lived　by　their　wits　and　the　labor　of
others。　The　trade　of　a　part　of　these　was　turning　primary
elections；　packing　nominating　conventions；　repeating；　and
breaking　up　meetings。〃　Wood　also　systematized　naturalization。　A
card　bearing　the　following　legend　was　the　open　sesame　to　American
citizenship：

〃Common　Pleas：
　Please　naturalize　the　bearer。
　N。　Seagrist；　Chairman。〃

Seagrist　was　one　of　the　men　charged　by　an　aldermanic　committee
〃with　robbing　the　funeral　pall　of　Henry　Clay　when　his　sacred
person　passed　through　this　city。〃

When　Hoffman　was　first　elected　mayor；　over　15；000　persons　were
registered　who　could　not　be　found　at　the　places　indicated。　The
naturalization　machinery　was　then　running　at　high　speed。　In　1868；
from　25；000　to　30；000　foreigners　were　naturalized　in　New　York　in
six　weeks。　Of　156；288　votes　cast　in　the　city；　25；000　were
afterwards　shown　to　be　fraudulent。　It　was　about　this　time　that　an
official　whose　duty　it　was　to　swear　in　the　election　inspectors；
not　finding　a　Bible　at　hand；　used　a　volume　of　Ollendorf's　〃New
Method　of　Learning　to　Read；　Write；　and　Speak　French。〃　The　courts
sustained　this　substitution　on　the　ground　that　it　could　not
possibly　have　vitiated　the　election！

A　new　federal　naturalization　law　and　rigid　election　laws　have
made　wholesale　frauds　impossible；　and　the　genius　of　Tammany　is
now　attempting　to　adjust　itself　to　the　new　immigration；　the　new
political　spirit；　and　the　new　communal　vigilance。　Its　power　is
believed　by　some　optimistic　observers　to　be　waning。　But　the
evidences　are　not　wanting　that　its　vitality　and　internal
discipline　are　still　persistent。



CHAPTER　VI。　LESSER　OLIGARCHIES

New　York　City　is　not　unique　in　its　experience　with　political
bossdom。　Nearly　every　American　city；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；
for　longer　or　shorter　periods；　has　been　dominated　by　oligarchies。

Around　Philadelphia；　American　sentiment　has　woven　the　memories　of
great　events。　It　still　remains；　of　all　our　large　cities；　the　most
〃American。〃　It　has　fewer　aliens　than　any　other；　a　larger
percentage　of　home　owners；　a　larger　number　of　small　tradespeople
and　skilled　artisansthe　sort　of　population　which　democracy
exalts；　and　who　in　turn　are　presumed　to　be　the　bulwark　of
democracy。　These　good　citizens；　busied　with　the　anxieties　and
excitements　of　their　private　concerns；　discovered；　in　the　decade
following　the　Civil　War；　that　their　city　had　slipped　unawares
into　the　control　of　a　compact　oligarchy；　the　notorious　Gas　Ring。
The　city　government　at　this　time　was　composed　of　thirty…two
independent　boards　and　departments；　responsible　to　the　council；
but　responsible　to　the　council　in　name　only　and　through　the
medium　of　a　council　committee。　The　coordinating　force；　the
political　gravitation　which　impelled　all　these　diverse　boards　and
council　committees　to　act　in　unison；　was　the　Gas　Department。　This
department　was　controlled　by　a　few　designing　and　capable
individuals　under　the　captaincy　of　James　McManes。　They　had
reduced　to　political　servitude　all　the　employees　of　the
department；　numbering　about　two　thousand。　Then　they　had　extended
their　sway　over　other　city　departments；　especially　the　police
department。　Through　the　connivance　of　the　police　and　control　over
the　registration　of　voters；　they　soon　dominated　the　primaries　and
the　nominating　conventions。　They　carried　the　banner　of　the
Republican　party；　the　dominant　party　in　Philadelphia　and　in　the
State；　under　which　they　more　easily　controlled　elections；　for　the
people　voted　〃regular。〃　Then　every　one　of　the　city's　servants　was
made　to　pay　to　the　Gas　Ring　money　as　well　as　obeisance。
Tradespeople　who　sold　supplies　to　the　city；　contractors　who　did
its　work；　saloon…keepers　and　dive…owners　who　wanted
protectionall　paid。　The　city's　debt　increased　at　the　rate　of
3；000；000　a　year；　without　visible　evidence　of　the　application　of
money　to　the　city's　growing　needs。

In　1883　the　citizens　finally　aroused　themselves　and　petitioned
the　legislature　for　a　new　charter。　They　confessed：　〃Philadelphia
is　now　recognized　as　the　worst　paved　and　worst　cleaned　city　in
the　civilized　world。　The　water　supply　is　so　bad　that　during　many
weeks　of　the　last　winter　it　was　not　only　distasteful　and
unwholesome　for　drinking；　but　offensive　for　bathing　purposes。　The
effort　to　clean　the　streets　was　abandoned　for　months　and　no
attempt　was　made　to　that　end　until　some　public…spirited　citizens；
at　their　own　expense；　cleaned　a　number　of　the　principal
thoroughfares　。　。　。　。　The　physical　condition　of　the　sewers〃　is
〃dangerous　to　the　health　and　most　offensive　to　the　comfort　of　our
people。　Public　work　has　been　done　so　badly　that　structures　have
to　be　renewed　almost　as　soon　as　finished。　Others　have　been　in
part　constructed　at　enormous　expense　and　then　permitted　to　fall
to　decay　without　completion。〃　This　is　a　graphic　and　faithful
description　of　the　result　which　follows　government　of　the　Ring；
for　the　Ring；　with　the　people's　money。　The　legislature　in　1885
granted　Philadelphia　a　new　charter；　called　the　Bullitt　Law；　which
went　into　effect　in　1887；　and　which　greatly　simplified　the
structure　of　the　government　and　centered　responsibility　in　the
mayor。　It　was　then　necessary　for　the　Ring　to　control　primaries
and　win　elections　in　order　to　keep　the　city　within　its　clutches。
So　began　in　Philadelphia　the　practice　of　fraudulent　registering
and　voting　on　a　scale　that　has　probably　never　been　equaled
elsewhere　in　America。　Names　taken　from　tombstones　in　the
cemeteries　and　from　the　register　of　births　found　their　way　to　the
polling　registers。　Dogs；　cats；　horses；　anything　living　or　dead；
with　a　name；　served　the　purpose。

The　exposure　of　these　frauds　was　undertaken　in　1900　by　the
Municipal　League。　In　two　wards；　where　the　population　had
decreased　one　per　cent　in　ten　years　（1890…1900）；　it　was　found
that　the　registered　voters　had　increased　one　hundred　per　cent。
》From　one　house　sixty…two　voters　were　registered；　of　sundry
occupations　as　follows：　〃Professors；　bricklayers；　gentlemen；
moulders；　cashiers；　barbers；　ministers；　bakers；　doctors；　drivers；
bartenders；　plumbers；　clerks；　cooks；　merchants；　stevedores；
bookkeepers；　waiters；　florists；　boilermakers；　salesmen；　soldiers；
electricians；　printers；　book　agents；　and　restaurant　keepers。〃　One
hundred　and　twenty…two　voters；　according　to　the　register；　lived
at　another　house；　including　nine　agents；　nine　machinists；　ni