Party Machines and Immigrants
For more than a century, party machines dominated the political process in many parts of the United States where William "Boss" Tweed and his Tammany Hall henchmen and their ilk controlled the outcomes of elections in many major American cities by manipulating the immigrant vote. Although these political figures were eventually displaced by other politicians, they left a legacy of corruption, back-scratching and double-dealings that persists to this day. To determine the impact of these events on modern American politics, this paper provides a discussion concerning some of the main actors involved in party machines and immigration in the United States during the 20th century, including Frank Hague, William "Boss" Tweed, Abraham Reuf, George Cox, Richard Daley and Vito Lopez. A summary of the research and important findings concerning party machines and their implications for immigrants are provided in the conclusion.
Review and Discussion
Frank Hague -- Jersey City
According to many biographers, Frank Hague was a true American rags-to-illegal riches story. For instance, Luthins and Nevins (1954) argue that, "Few party chieftains have ever held such an anaconda-like grip on an American municipality as did this slum boy who rose to public power and financial affluence and was variously dubbed the 'Sphinx of Jersey City,' the 'City Hall,'" and 'The Boss'" (p. 128). Beginning with his ascension to office in 1913, Hague wheeled- and-dealed his way to the top of the political machine and used many of the same tactics as other big city bosses to remain in power. For example, Luthins and Nevins (1954) report that Hague "had dispensed bread in the form of jobs, and circuses in the form of vaudeville acts and parades. He had made himself something of a perennial mayor, controlling the city that became synonymous with his name, and dictating Democratic destinies throughout the state of New Jersey" (1954, p. 150). The New York Times reported a series of state legislative investigations into Hague's finances on January 8, March 10, and May 19, 1929 (Luthins &, 1954). As he entered his semi-retirement, Luthins and Nevins (1954) suggest that, "There can never be peace in Jersey City while Frank Hague remains alive. There are too many people who worship him and too many others who blame him for all the city's ills" (p. 151).
William Tweed -- NYC
It is not hard to stay in office when you control the votes, and this was certainly the situation with William Tweed. The archetypical big city boss, William "Boss" Tweed was "the boss of Tammany Hall (the society controlling all the activities and businesses of the Democratic Party), who tries to get hold of the area in order to get votes from the Irish immigrants who are constantly arriving from Europe" (Saetre & Patrizia, 2010, p. 211). From a strictly pragmatic perspective, Tweed was correct in his assessment of how the voting system in early 20th century America worked and exploited every weakness to his advantage (Judd & Swanstrom, 2012). For instance, according to Summers (2011), "Tammany boss William Tweed once explained that the voters didn't make the result -- the counters made the result" (p. 484). In fact, Kazin and Edwards (2010) emphasize that, "Bosses like William Tweed in New York hired fighters to serve as ballot enforcers on Election Day" (p. 773). In sum, Tweed consistently manipulated the immigrant population to his advantage through legal, illegal and extralegal means, but he made it clear that he was prepared to break the law to ensure the semblance of the law remained intact (Kazin & Edwards, 2010).
Abraham Reuf -- San Francisco
Even for the era, Abraham Reuf was notable as being one of the most corrupt politicians in the country (Howe, 1915). In this regard, Howe advises that, "Since the first years of the century a corrupt Mayor, a corrupt Board of Supervisors, creatures of the supremely corrupt boss, Abraham...
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