vin' today, although I hear somethin' about the ghost of the
Greater New York Democracy bein' seen on Broadway once or twice a year.

In the old days of the County Democracy, a new Democratic organization
meant some trouble for Tammany--for a time anyhow. Nowadays a new
Democracy means nothin' at all except that about a dozen bone-hunters
have got together for one campaign only to try to induce Tammany to give
them a job or two, or in order to get in with the reformers for the same
purpose. You might think that it would cost a lot of money to get up
one of these organizations and keep it goin' for even one campaign,
but, Lord bless you! it costs next to nothin'. Jimmy O'Brien brought the
manufacture of "Democracies" down to an exact science, and reduced the
cost of production so as to bring it within the reach of all. Any man
with $50 can now have a "Democracy" of his own.

I've looked into the industry, and can give rock-bottom figures. Here's
the items of cost of a new "Democracy

A dinner to twelve bone-hunters $12.00
A speech on Jeffersonian Democracy 00.00
A proclamation of principles (typewriting) 2.00
Rent of a small room one month for headquarters 12.00
Stationery 2.00
Twelve secondhand chairs 6.00
One secondhand table 2.00
Twenty-nine cuspidors 9.00
Sign painting 5.00
Total ------
$50.00

Is there any reason for wonder, then, that "Democracies" spring up all
over when a municipal campaign is comm' on? If you land even one small
job, you get a big return on your investment. You don't have to pay for
advertisin' in the papers. The New York papers tumble over one another
to give columns to any new organization that comes out against Tammany.
In describin' the formation of a "Democracy" on the $50 basis, accordin'
to the items I give, the papers would say somethin' like this: "The
organization of the Delicatessen Democracy last night threatens the
existence of Tammany Hall. It is a grand move for a new and pure
Democracy in this city. Well may the Tammany leaders be alarmed; panic