Word: grand
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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Distinguishing between the Tammany Society and the political machine controlled by its members is something like distinguishing between the social and the business implications of a Lions' Club luncheon. What Grand Sachem Voorhis meant was that there is such a thing as the Society of St. Tammany, founded in Revolutionary times by a New York upholsterer named William Mooney to give the bourgeoisie a club comparable to the aristocratic Society of the Cincinnati, to which only New York's fine families belonged. An Indian patron-saint and Indian rigmarole were adopted as a protest against Toryism. The objects...
...black eye" referred to by Grand Sachem Voorhis was, of course, William Marcy ("Boss") Tweed, the coarse, corpulent crook who grafted incredibly on New York City while he was Grand Sachem. He died in jail 50 years ago. Beside the doings of Tweed, the political peccadilloes of other 'Tammany 'members are dwarfed. Tweed and his "ring," controlling the city's Board of Supervisors, cleared tens of millions in letting contracts, selling permits and offices, contributing for the city to "charities." A plasterer named Garvey once got $133,187.20 for two days' work from the City...
...Grand Sachem Voorhis guessed that delegates to the Democratic convention of 1924 in Manhattan had learned "that the Tammany Tiger was not nearly the vicious animal some of them had supposed. The animal, as a matter of fact, has had one black eye during all its life and only...
...Tweed's heyday, which Grand Sachem Voorhis well remembers, leading citizens of New York were not above working with Tammany. John Jacob Astor vouched for Tweed in a crisis, and escaped three years' taxes. Elihu Root was one of Tweed's lawyers. Many another good name is connected with many another bad moment in New York City's government. No matter how well the present Tammany-ites behave themselves at Houston-and last week they said they were not even going to take a brass band-many a bad moment will doubtless soon be rehearsed...
...Grand Sachem Voorhis' point still stands. The social activities of old gentlemen far beyond the age of active politicians, are not to be confused with the Democratic party of New York City...