Elections, and the reported "boss" of the Republican machine in the City of New York. The gentlemen composing the committee of inspection were: Messrs. Aaron J. Vanderpoel, Albert Stickney, General Francis C. Barlow, Francis L. Stetson and Charles P. Miller. who were all well-known and respected citizens. They were instructed to see I that all was fair."

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On proceeding to the Bureau they found in the office, not the chief, but a clerk named Walmsley, who undertook to answer for him, and who refused to allow the returns to be examined. General Barlow, who was prepared for this impediment, then read to Mr. Walmsley from the Laws of New York State of 1882 (Section 1,878), which provides that the election returns "shall at all times, during office hours, be open to the inspection, examination, comparison and copying of any citizens, or elector, free of any charge whatsoever." Still, Mr. Walmsley declared that he could not and would not allow the papers to be touched, in the absence of his chief. Thereupon General Barlow read another section of the Laws (Section 1,909), which makes it a felony for any person to wilfully neglect or impede the rights of any person secured by the preceding section which had been read. The penalty attached was from one to five years in State's prison. Still, the courageous clerk did not yield. He appeared shocked at the very idea of citizens "wanting to know." and declared that within his experience no one ever had asked such a thing.

The committee now left the Bureau, and went to the Police Commissioner's office, over which Fitz John Porter then presided. He declared he could do nothing without the presence of his colleagues. General Barlow then threatened to apply to the Supreme Court for a mandamus, to compel Supervisor O'Brien to permit the examination. The situation was becoming dramatic, and to complete it-enter John J. O'Brien.

The case being stated to him, he refused to yield to the request until he had consulted counsel. The Commissioners, finally, after a long consultation, consented to permit the papers to be seen, on condition that the examination should take place in the presence of the Chief of the Bureau. But all this effort at obstruction was plainly a misdemeanor on the part of these officials, and General Barlow was not the man to put up with this sort of treatment. He obtained from Judge Barrett an order to show cause why a mandamus should not issue against John J. O'Brien. But. finally, without allowing this to come to trial, the papers were given over for examination: and the report made was that "they had not yet been tampered with." And so the matter rested.

CHAPTER XLIII,

CLEVELAND IN 1888.

HE renomination of Mr. Cleveland, in 1888, was a foregone conclusion. Though he had not succeeded in placating many of the influential local politicians in his own State, there was still no other available man at that time, within the pale of the Democracy, who, on the whole, so well represented the party principles. In the previous Cleveland campaign the honest, but always unreliable Mugwumps, had thrown their influence in favor of the Democratic candidate, as a rebuke to their own party for nominating the finessing Blaine. On this occasion many of them, especially the high protectionists among them, became frightened by Mr. Cleveland's very pronounced views on the tariff question, and held aloof at the polls. Yet these sentiments of the nominee had no terrors for the great body of business men in the great commercial City of New York, the very élite of whom marched, in a day parade, with Cleveland banners at their head, forming at the foot of Wall street, and filling up their ranks with bankers, importers, shipping-merchants, members of the Stock Exchange, and, in fact, embodying representatives of all the great material interests of the country. No such political procession was ever seen before in the streets of New York. Every man carried "respectability" on his face, and hundreds of them "wealth," as well.

On the first day of November the New York Herald reported, “Tammany Hall ablaze for Cleveland," adding, "in the presence of a National duty, Tammany Hall has no local divided obligation." On the evening of the same day an immense assemblage filled and overflowed the Wigwam in Fourteenth street, where Thomas F. Gilroy, then Secretary, read the resolutions of the Tammany General Committee approving of the Cleveland administration, and ratifying his renomination to the Presidency.

Tammany has never lacked an abundance of fine orators. On this occasion ex-Governor Hoadley, of Ohio, was one of the principal speakers. He was just closing his speech, with the following remarks, when the Mayor-elect Hugh J. Grant entered, thus making his closing words quite apropos. He said: "We have not regretted putting a good Democrat in the White House, and the Democrats here present will not regret putting an honest man like Hugh J. Grant in the Mayor's chair of the City of New York." Mr. Grant was wildly cheered by the immense audience. Being called on for a speech, the chief civic nominee briefly responded: "For this your cordial and hearty greeting I am most profoundly grateful. I take it not as altogether personal, but as an evidence of your loyalty to the great party whose candidate I am. Success in New York ensures it for the whole country. Work for the whole ticket, National and State, as well as local. Friendship for me can best be shown by earnest and energetic work for Grover Cleveland for President, and David B. Hill for Governor." These sentiments were received with tremendous applause.

CHAPTER XLIV.

FIRE IN TAMMANY HALL.

HIS year (1888) was in more than one way disastrous to the Society of Tammany. It was while the Democratic National Convention was in session at St. Louis that a fire occurred which at one time threatened the destruction of their fine building in Fourteenth street. This fire did not originate in the hall itself, but in a theatre below, which was occupied, at the time, by the Tony Pastor Company. The fire had started among the scenery, and when discovered, about half past six on the morning of the 6th of June, was located in the northeast corner of the building, with the flames making rapid strides towards the roof. Very soon after the first alarm was sounded fifteen engines were on the spot, and, as Chief Shay was promptly on the ground, he immediately sent out calls for extra help, calling upon every fire company within the radius of a mile from the corner of Fourteenth street and Irving Place. The flames burned through the floor of the large hall and shot up towards the roof of the main building. Some Tammany men, who had, fortunately, not gone to St. Louis, were quickly on the ground, and braved the perils of fire and smoke in rescuing some valuable property belonging to the Society. When the fire was extinguished it was found that neither the walls or roof was seriously injured. The damage to the Society was estimated at $35,000, fully covered by insurance; but this did not compensate for the loss of valuable documents, impossible to replace.

CHAPTER XLV.

UNVEILING OF THE TAMMANY MONUMENT AT GETTYSBURG, SEPTEMBER, 1891.

N the 24th of September, 1891, occurred a most interesting event in the history of the Tammany Society; as, on that day was unveiled, with elaborate ceremonies, the fine granite and bronze monument erected to the memory of the fallen heroes of the Forty-second New York Volunteer Regiment, better known under its popular name of "The Tammany Regiment," or "Jackson Guards," which honorably served throughout the war. The site selected is about two miles southwest of the village of Gettysburg, near the Bloody Angle," one of the most fatally consecrated portions of the whole ground, hallowed by the blood of brave men, dying that their country might be "free, indeed." The position is a commanding one, on the south slope of Cemetery Ridge, and in full view of many other tall shafts erected on the battle-field by other associations.

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Of those who attended this celebration and "Unveiling" there were ninety surviving veterans, who had taken part in that long drawn-out fight on the soil of Pennsylvania. There were also present about three hundred members of the Tammany Society, with several hundred visitors from Gettysburg and vicinity, and other parts of the country. The day was oppressively hot, and nothing less interesting could have kept so many people together for the length of time needed to complete the ceremonies and listen to the speeches. The proceedings were announced to commence at 10 A. M. The veterans of the Forty-second, led by Lieut.-Col. J. J. Mooney, carrying the old and tattered regimental flags, were the first to arrive in town, and they spent nearly an hour looking over the historical ground on which the great struggle, in which they had been personally engaged, had been fought out. Some of them had not visited the spot since they were carried wounded from the field, twenty-eight years before, on the 3d of July, 1863. These ninety veterans were formed in line at the base of the monument, and were photographed in that position. The band on this occasion (belonging to Harrisburg, Pa.), was the same which had formed the line of battle for General Hancock on the last day of the struggle.

At the hour appointed, Captain Eugene Sullivan, President of the Veteran Association of the Forty-second Regiment, called the assemblage to order. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. W. H. McKnight, President of the Pennsylvania College, of Gettysburg. The unveiling of the monument followed. This act was performed by James E. Mallon, of Brooklyn, N. Y., a son of one of the colonels of the regiment (the fate of war had necessitated several) who had led the Forty-second on the field at Gettysburg, and elsewhere, and who was killed in October of the same year, at the Battle of Bristol Station, 1863. Assisting Mr. Mallon was A. J. Zabriskie, the engineer in charge of the erection of the monument. When the large American flag, which had concealed the memorial, was withdrawn, the crowd was struck with admiration, and cheered most enthusiastically.