The poverty and corruption of urban areas Political Machines The poverty and corruption of urban areas

The Results of City Growth Rapidly growing cities were difficult to govern. Different groups represented the interests of different classes. The political machine, born from these clashing interests, was an unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular group in power, usually headed by a single powerful “boss.” Sometimes the boss held public office or he handpicked others to run and helped them win.

Political Machines Political machines worked through the exchange of favors. Machines used an army of ward leaders, each of whom managed a city district, to hand out city jobs and contracts to residents of their ward and do other favors. In return, residents were expected to give their votes to the machine. Many people who wanted favors would pay money, graft, to the machine. Graft was a major source of income for the machines. "New York's new solar system": Tammany Hall revolves around Boss Croker.

The Corruption of the Machine How does graft work? Firms/businesses that contribute to the machine would get government contracts, favorable tax treatment, and good city service. Criminals enterprises also gave payments to the machine in exchange for protection from police interference with their activities. In New York, Boss Tweed accepted money from gambling and prostitution rackets. In exchange, they didn’t get in trouble for their activity and they also helped stuff the ballots come election day.

The “Tweed Ring” Caption under engraving reads: Can the Law Reach Him? - The Dwarf and the Giant Thief. William "Boss" Tweed, New York City’s Democratic Party boss and head of Tammany Hall, in York, was exposed of having stolen up to$200 million from the city over the years. That is 5 trillion dollars in today’s money. One example of his corruption was a three story townhouse which he charged the city 12.5 million for building; approximately 20 times its actual cost. On 21st July 1870, the New York Times published the contents of the New York County ledger books. This revealed that thermometers were costing $7,500 and brooms were being charged at a staggering $41,190 apiece(900,000 in 2009). Tweed's friends were commissioned to do the work on the City Hall Park. George Miller, a carpenter, was paid $360,747 for a month's labor, whereas James Ingersoll received $5,691,144 for furniture and carpets.

Thomas Nast----Tweed’s Worst Enemy Information about Tweed's corrupt activities were passed to Thomas Nast, a cartoonist working for Harper's Weekly. Nast now began a campaign to expose Tweed's corruption through political cartoons. Tweed was furious and told the editor: "I don't care a straw for your newspaper articles, my constituents don't know how to read, but they can't help seeing them damned pictures.“ Pressure was put on Harper Brothers, the company that produced the magazine, and when it refused to sack Thomas Nast, the company lost the contract to provide New York schools with books. Nast himself was offered a $500,000 bribe to end his campaign. This was hundred times the salary of $5,000 that the magazine paid him but Nast still refused to back-down.

Thomas Nast Cartoon Work

What Happened to Tweed??? In 1871 Samuel Tilden established a committee to look into Tweed's activities. Jimmy O'Brien, the sheriff of New York, believed Tweed was not paying him enough money for his services. Disgruntled, he passed documents to Tilden's committee. Tweed was arrested and found guilty of corruption, was sentenced to 12 years in jail. Tweed, who had made an estimated $200,000,000 from his activities, was able to use his wealth to escape from prison. Tweed fled to Cuba, before moving on to Spain. An American in Spain recognized Tweed from one of Nast's cartoons that he had. He used the cartoon to convince the authorities and Tweed was arrested and sent back to the United States. William Tweed died in prison in 1878.

Pros and Cons of the Political Machines Many machines formed in cities to serve immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th century. Many immigrants viewed machines as a vehicle for political enfranchisement. They also served a purpose, political machines were the only ones there to help poor people when they needed it. i.e. jobs, housing, food CONS Took advantage of poor, uneducated immigrants of the time. Led to massive corruption, bad living conditions and high crime rates of areas. Additionally, many immigrants were unfamiliar with the sense of civic duty that was part of American republicanism.