is ruled by sachems elected by the members. Both organizations, however,
are one in spirit. We need concern ourselves only with the organization
of Tammany Hall.

The framework of Tammany Hall's machinery has always been the general
committee, still known, in the phraseology of Burr's day, as "the
Democratic-Republican General Committee." It is a very democratic body
composed of representatives from every assembly district, apportioned
according to the number of voters in the district. The present
apportionment is one committeeman for every fifteen votes. This makes a
committee of over 9000, an unwieldy number. It is justified, however, on
two very practical grounds: first, that it is large enough to keep close
to the voters; and second, that its assessment of ten dollars a member
brings in $90,000 a year to the war chest. This general committee holds
stated meetings and appoints subcommittees. The executive committee,
composed of the leaders of the assembly districts and the chairman and
treasurer of the county committee, is the real working body of the
great committee. It attends to all important routine matters, selects
candidates for office, and conducts their campaigns. It is customary for
the members of the general committee to designate the district leaders
for the executive committee, but they are elected by their own districts
respectively at the annual primary elections. The district leader is a
very important wheel in the machine. He not only leads his district
but represents it on the executive committee; and this brotherhood of
leaders forms the potent oligarchy of Tammany. Its sanction crowns the
high chieftain, the boss, who, in turn, must be constantly on the alert
that his throne is not undermined; that is to say, he and his district
leaders must "play politics" within their own bailiwicks to keep their
heads on their own shoulders. After their enfranchisement in New York
(1917) women were made eligible to the general and executive committees.
Thirty-seven were at once elected to the executive committee, and plans
were made to give them one-half of the representation on the general
committee.

Each of the twenty-three assembly districts is in turn divided into
election districts of about 400 voters, each with a precinct captain who
is acquainted with every voter in his precinct and keeps track, as
far as possible, of his affairs. In every assembly district there are
headquarters and a club house, wher