led up about 160,000 majority the first time
he ran and 131,000 the second time. About all the Democratic votes cast
were polled in New York City. The Republicans can get all the votes they
want up the State. Even when we piled up 123,000 majority for Coler in
the city In 1902, the Republicans went it 8000 better above the Bronx.

That's why it makes me mad to hear about upstate Democrats controllin'
our State convention, and sayin' who we shall choose for President.
It's just like Staten Island undertakin' to dictate to a New York City
convention. I remember once a Syracuse man came to Richard Croker at
the Democratic Club, handed him a letter of introduction and said: "I'm
lookin' for a job in the Street Cleanin' Department; I'm backed by a
hundred upstate Democrats." Croker looked hard at the man a minute and
then said: "Upstate Democrats! Upstate Democrats! I didn't know there
was any upstate Democrats. Just walk up and down a while till I see what
an upstate Democrat looks like."

Another thing. When a campaign is on, did you ever hear of an upstate
Democrat makin' a contribution? Not much. Tammany has had to foot the
whole bill, and when any of Hill's men came down to New York to help
him in the campaign, we had to pay their board. Whenever money is to be
raised, there's nothin' doin' up the State. The Democrats there--always
providin' that there is any Democrats there--take to the woods.
Supposin' Tammany turned over the campaigns to the Hill men and then
held off, what would happen? Why, they would have to hire a shed out in
the suburbs of Albany for a headquarters, unless the Democratic National
Committee put up for the campaign expenses. Tammany's got the votes and
the cash. The Hill crowd's only got hot air.

Chapter 11. Tammany Leaders Not Bookworms

You hear a lot of talk about the Tammany district leaders bein'
illiterate men. If illiterate means havin' common sense, we plead
guilty. But if they mean that the Tammany leaders ain't got no education
and ain't gents they don't know what they're talkin' about. Of course,
we ain't all bookworms and college professors. If we were, Tammany might
win an election once in four thousand years. Most of the leaders are
plain American citizens, of the people and near to the people, and they
have all the education they need to whip the dudes who part their name
in the middle and to run the City Government. We've got bookworms, too,
in the organization. But we don'