THERE's no crime so mean as ingratitude in politics, but every great
statesman from the beginnin' of the world has been up against it. Caesar
had his Brutus; that king of Shakespeare's--Leary, I think you call
him--had his own daughters go back on him; Platt had his Odell, and
I've got my "The" McManus. It's a real proof that a man is great when
he meets with political ingratitude. Great men have a tender, trustin'
nature. So have I, outside of the contractin' and real estate business.
In politics I have trusted men who have told me they were my friends,
and if traitors have turned up in my camp well, I only had the same
experience as Caesar, Leary, and the others. About my Brutus. McManus,
you know, has seven brothers and they call him "The" because he is the
boss of the lot, and to distinguish him from all other McManuses.
For several years he was a political bushwhacker. In campaigns he
was sometimes on the fence, sometimes on both sides of the fence,
and sometimes under the fence. Nobody knew where to find him at any
particular time, and nobody trusted him--that is, nobody but me. I
thought there was some good in him after all and that, if I took him in
hand, I could make a man of him yet.
I did take him in hand, a few years ago. My friends told me it would be
the Brutus Leary business all over again, but I didn't believe them.
I put my trust in "The." I nominated him for the Assembly, and he
was elected. A year afterwards, when I was runnin' for re-election as
Senator, I nominated him for the Assembly again on the ticket with
me. What do you think happened? We both carried the Fifteenth Assembly
District, but he ran away ahead of me. Just think! Ahead of me in my
own district! I was just dazed. When I began to recover, my election
district captains came to me and said that McManus had sold me out
with the idea of knockin' me out of the Senatorship, and then tryin'
to capture the leadership of the district. I couldn't believe it. My
trustin' nature couldn't imagine such treachery.
I sent for McManus and said, with my voice tremblin' with emotions:
"They say you have done me dirt, 'The.' It can't be true. Tell me it
ain't true."
"The" almost wept as he said he was innocent.
"Never have I done you dirt, George," he declared. "Wicked traitors have
tried to do you. I don't know just who they are yet, but I'm on their
trail, and I'll find them or abjure the name of 'The' McManus. I'm goin'
out right now to find them."
Well, "The" kept his word as far as goin' out and findin' the traitors
was concerned. He found them all right--and put himself at their
head. Oh, no! He didn't have to go far to look for them. He's got them
gathered in his clubrooms now, and he's doin' his best to take the
leadership from the man that made him. So you see that Caesar and Leary
and me's in the same boat, only I'll come out on top while Caesar and
Leary went under.
Now let me tell you that the ingrate in politics never flourishes long.
I can give you lots of examples. Look at the men who done up Roscoe
Conkling when he resigned from the United States Senate and went to
Albany to ask for re-election! What's become of them? Passed from view
like a movin' picture. Who took Conkling's place in the Senate? Twenty
dollars even that you can't remember his name without looking in the
almanac. And poor old Plattt He's down and out now and Odell is in the
saddle, but that don't mean that he'll always be in the saddle. His
enemies are workin' hard all the time to do him, and I wouldn't be a bit
surprised if he went out before the next State campaign.
The politicians who make a lastin' success in politics are the men who
are always loyal to their friends, even up to the gate of State prison,
if necessary; men who keep their promises and never lie. Richard Croker
used to say that tellin' the truth and stickin' to his friends was the
political leader's stock in trade. Nobody ever said anything truer, and
nobody lived up to it better than Croker. That is why he remained leader
of Tammany Hall as long as he wanted to. Every man in the organization
trusted him. Sometimes he made mistakes that hurt in campaigns, but they
were always on the side of servin' his friends.
It's the same with Charles F. Murphy. He has always stood by his friends
even when it looked like he would be downed for doin' so. Remember how
he stuck to McClellan in 1903 when all the Brooklyn leaders were against
him, and it seemed as if Tammany was in for a grand smash-up! It's men
like Croker and Murphy that stay leaders as long as they live; not men
like Brutus and McManus.
Now I want to tell you why political traitors, in New York City
especially, are punished quick. It's because the Irish are in a
majority. The Irish, above all people in the world, hates a traitor.
You can't hold them back when a traitor of any kind is in sight and,
rememberin' old Ireland, they take particular delight in doin' up a
political traitor. Most of the voters in my district are Irish or of
Irish descent; they've spotted "The" McManus, and when they get a chance
at him at the polls next time, they won't do a thing to him.
The question has been asked: Is a politician ever justified in going'
back on his district leader? I answer: "No; as long as the leader
hustles around and gets all the jobs possible for his constituents."
When the voters elect a man leader, they make a sort of a contract with
him. They say, although it ain't written out: "We've put you here to
look out for our Interests. You want to see that this district gets all
the jobs that's comm' to it. Be faithful to us, and we'll be faithful to
you."
The district leader promises and that makes a solemn contract. If he
lives up to it, spends most of his time chasm' after places in the
departments, picks up jobs from railroads and contractors for his
followers, and shows himself in all ways a true statesman, then his
followers are bound in honor to uphold him, just as they're bound to
uphold the Constitution of the United States. But if he only looks after
his own interests or shows no talent for scenting out jobs or ain't
got the nerve to demand and get his share of the good things that are
going', his followers may be absolved from their allegiance and they may
up and swat him without bein' put down as political ingrates.