Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay - 1541 Words

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall 1. Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft- When Plunkitt was tipped off about something in the city or someone wanting to built a park or something, he sees the opportunity and he takes it. He buys up the land before they do. When they see that they are going to need the land, he sells it to them at a much higher price than what he paid for it, giving him a nice profit. That is honest graft. Several politicians are accused of stealing dollars from the state’s treasury, this is an example of dishonest graft. The condemnation commissioners came along and found piece after piece of land under the name George Plunkitt of the Fifteenth Assembly District, New York City. They wondered how he knew just what to buy.†¦show more content†¦6. To Hold Your District: Study Human Nature and Act According’- Plunkitt talks about books being a hindrance and the only way to last is to know everyone in your district. He talks about looking after the people, know what they are interested in and help them with what they want. Help the people and they will help you on election day. 7. On the Shame of the Cities- In Lincoln Steffens, The Shame of the Cities, Plunkitt says that he does not know how to make decisions. He talks about the Philadelphia Republican Gang and Tammany Hall being almost the same. Plunkitt thinks he is all wrong. Plunkitt seems to talk about politicians stealing, saying that they in 1905 are no worse than 1835 as a class. It just means that the old timers had nothing to steal, while the politicians in 1905 were surrounded by temptations. 8.Ingratitude in Politics- Plunkitt talks about how he was back stabbed by one of the people he took in hand, â€Å"The† McManus. His friends told him that this would happen but he did not believe them. McManus ran ahead of Plunkitt in their own district. He later broke his ties with him. When a district leader is voted in it is like a solemn contract. If you do good and help us out, we will re-elect you next term. If you do not, you will be swatted down and will not be reelected. 9. Reciprocity in Patronage- Plunkitt talks about him being on top and doing favors for the republicans, and when theyShow MoreRelatedPlunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay842 Words   |  4 PagesKaung Myat Thu @ Keith Professor Traverso English – 119 14th October 2012 Media Influence the Identity and culture Over the last few decades, ever since the televisions and computers were invented, self ethnic identities have been influenced because of the progress in technology, which we commonly known as media, and whether the globe benefits from this approach or not has become a controversial issue amongst most of the people in the world. As what survey shows that a dominant group of peoplesRead MoreEssay about George Washington Plunkitt of Tammany Hall720 Words   |  3 PagesGeorge Washington Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Everybody is talkin these days about Tammany men growin rich on graft, but nobody thinks of drawin the distinction between honest graft and dishonest graft. With this sentence in the first chapter Plunkitt sets the tone for his short treatise on New York City politics while Tammany Hall ran the show. George Washington Plunkitt was a senator in New York during the turn of the 19th Century to the 20th Century. He was very successful in politicsRead MoreBook Report of Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay example949 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"An Analysis of Plunkitt of Tammany Hall† William Bryce History 1302 Austin Community College November 30, 2011 The purpose of this book report is to analyze the themes in Plunkitt of Tammany Hall by William L. Riordon. Riordon’s purpose is to educate people about politics and to stimulate reform in their corrupt political system. The first theme of this book is Plunkitt’s use of patronage. He openly discusses quid pro quo: he gives people jobs, opportunities, and welfare services inRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution1518 Words   |  7 Pagesmethods. The Progressive Reformers were a political organization that sought out to set permanent fixes to these conditions and make it possible for the immigrants to be self-sustaining. On the other hand, the political machines, more specifically Tammany Hall of Manhattan, sought to make changes by directly helping the immigrants but not without them having some benefit to their organization. Both political organizations had different responses to the plight that the lower class immigrant workers wereRead MoreThe Views of the Politician George Washington Plunkitt690 Words   |  3 PagesGeorge Washington Plunkitt was a complicated politician from New York in the 1900’s. He had his own questionable way of seeing what’s right and what’s wrong . Plunkitt’s Ideas of right a wrong sometimes seemed to be off. However, some of his ideas about things that needed to be reformed were as true then as they are now. Plunkitt seemed to be a man that knew how to get what he wanted out of people with very little effort. From the perspective of an outsider this could make him hard to trust,Read MoreThe Gilded And Progressive Eras1245 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical machines such as George Plunkitt and James Gillespie Blaine. Plunkitt was known as the leader of Tammany Hall, an Irish-based organization that was heavy in politics during the 19th century. Politicians affiliated with Tammany Hall would provide jobs, money or other favors and in return would receive government favors. Although Plunkitt believed he was doing no wrong, many Americans saw this as taking the patronage system for granted. During an interview, Plunkitt said, â€Å" I might sum the wholeRead MoreThe End Of The Civil War1805 Words   |  8 PagesGeorge W. Plunkitt in Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, and how he was living through a time where mass immigration was underway along with urbanization and industrialism. These were major changes happening during the peak of Plunkitt’s political power. These new opportunities in the economy meant new forms of corruption. For people already living in the U.S., new immigrants becoming citizens brought about controversy and questions about the effect it would have on the national identity. Plunkitt and his actionsRead MoreThe Period Between Reconstruction And World War I1811 Words   |  8 Pagesvote. Without this participation, there is no way that society can reflect their interests and the whole system of democracy falls apart. Not everyone agreed with Hewitt’s view of intelligence and education as the key factor in government success. Tammany Hall and other political machines obtained and maintained power through what is know as the â€Å"spoils system† whereby they give positions to their supporters in return for their votes and loyalty. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which requiredRead MoreBoyer Dbq Teacher Guide10764 Words   |  44 PagesAmerican life. Can be contrasted with Document C, in which Steiner points out the lack of such agencies in Chicago at an earlier time. Here, Addams criticizes teachers for forcing a type of assimilation disruptive to immigrant families. I—Plunkitt of Tammany Hall—Like Documents C and E, Riordan looks at city government’s relation to urban immigrants. While often cited for corruption by those with Victorian moral standards, urban political machines linked immigrants to the greater society and probably