George Washington Plunkitt: Trending quotes

“As a matter of policy, if nothing else, why should the Tammany leaders go into such dirty business, when there is so much honest graft lyin’ around when they are in power? p. 6”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 1, Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft

Business

“I think every man would be better off if he didn’t take any intoxicatin’ drink at all, but as men will drink, they ought to have good stuff without impoverishin’ themselves by goin’ to fancy places and without riskin’ death by goin’ to poor places. p. 86”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 21, Concerning Excise

Death , Men , Drink , Thinking

“There’s always a certain number of suckers and a certain number of men lookin’ for a chance to take them in, and the suckers are sure to be took one way or another. It’s the everlastin’ law of demand and supply. p. 60”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 14 Tammany the Only Lastin’ Democracy

Men , Law , Way , Chance

“How nice it is for the people to feel that they can get up in the mornin’ without bein’ afraid of seein’ in the papers that the Commissioner of Water Supply has sandbagged the Dock Commissioner, and that the Mayor and heads of the departments have been taken to the police court as witnesses! p. 82”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 20, Bosses Preserve the Nation

People , Feeling , Water

“If I have a good thing to hand out in private life, I give it to a friend. Why shouldn’t I do the same in public life? p.6”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 1, Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft

Life

“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. p. 45”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 11, Tammany Leaders Not Bookworms

People , Education , Parting

“Say, ain’t some of the papers awful gullible about politics? p. 59”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 14 Tammany the Only Lastin’ Democracy

“I know that the civil service humbug is stuck into the constitution, too, but, as Tim Campbell said: “What’s the constitution among friends?””

George Washington Plunkitt

Source: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 3, The Curse of Civil Service Reform, p. 13

“Another kind of honest graft. Tammany has raised a good many salaries. There was an awful howl by the reformers, but don’t you know that Tammany gains ten votes for every one it lost by salary raisin’? p. 6”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 1, Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft

“You can’t be patriotic on a salary that just keeps the wolf from the door. p. 56”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 13, On Municipal Ownership

Wolf

“Of course, the day may come when we’ll reject the money of the rich as tainted, but it hadn’t come when I left Tammany Hall at 11:25 A. M. today. p. 73”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 18, On the Use of Money in Politics

Money

“The men who rule have practiced keepin’ their tongues still, not exercisin’ them. p. 8”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 2, How to Become a Statesman

Men

“There’s an honest graft, and I’m an example of how it works. I might sum up the whole thing by sayin’: “I seen my opportunities and I took ’em.””

George Washington Plunkitt

Source: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 1, Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft, p. 3

“The railroad is a great public institution, and I was never an enemy of public institutions. p. 63”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 15. Concerning Gas in Politics

“The boys and men don’t get excited any more when they see a United States flag or hear “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They don’t care no more for firecrackers on the Fourth of July. And why should they? What is there in it for them?”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 3, The Curse of Civil Service Reform

Men , Star , Boy

“Every good man looks after his friends, and any man who doesn’t isn’t likely to be popular. p. 5”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 1, Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft

“What did the people mean when they voted for Tammany? What is representative government, anyhow? Is it all a fake that this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people? If it isn't a fake, then why isn't the people's voice obeyed and Tammany men put in all the offices? p. 12”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 3, The Curse of Civil Service Reform

Men , People

“The hayseeds think we are like the Indians to the National Government—that is, sort of wards of the State, who don’t know how to look after ourselves and have to be taken care of by the Republicans of St. Lawrence, Ontario, and other backwoods counties. p. 21”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 5, New York City Is Pie for the Hayseeds

Thinking

“The name-parted-in-the-middle aristocrats act in just the same way. They don’t want to be annoyed with firecrackers and the Declaration of Independence, and when they see the Fourth comin’ they hustle off to the woods like my dog. p. 71”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 17, Tammany’s Patriotism

Dogs , Way , Parting

“The politician who steals is worse than a thief. He is a fool. With the grand opportunities all around for the man with a political pull, there’s no excuse for stealin’ a cent. p. 32”

George Washington Plunkitt

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Chapter 7, On The Shame of the Cities

Fools