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George Washington Plunkitt

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George Washington Plunkitt was a historically significant politician born in 1842 into a poor family. He initially worked as a butcher, but then followed his dream of entering into politics. He started at the New York state assembly and ultimately ended up as a New York state senator. He held the reins of the Tammany Hall political machine for over 40 years. Tammany Hall is one of the most controversial topics of political history and is the main discussion of the book Honest Graft: The World of George Washington Plunkitt by William L. Riordon. It is a collections of talks and writing of Plunkitt detailing about his life, politics, and general knowledge of the public. Many reformers saw the organization of Tammany Hall as a corrupt malignancy that plagued the American government. But Plunkitt argues that his work was always practical, legal and influential and helped shape the democratic system for the better. And as for his fortune, he simply states, “I seen my opportunities and I took em.” (Riordon) According to the book, becoming a politician is simpler than one would think. Plunkitt repeatedly mentions that one cannot become a successful politician from formal education. “Some young men think they can learn how to be successful in politics from …show more content…

It is apparent that he doesn’t notice the difference between honest and dishonest graft: he compares the Tammany Hall to the Philly Republic gang and puts them into the same category. This goes again with Plunkitt’s quote about the looters only going in for himself. Plunkitt describes the members of the Philadelphia Republican gang as these “looters” who have consequently ruined their political career. Plunkitt considers himself and members of Tammany Hall to be honest by his definition, although some see any form of graft as abuse of the political system, but this was not something Plunkitt thought of

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The actual document begins with Plunkitt discussing the difference between honest graft and dishonest graft. He asserts that during this period of time many questions arose involving Tammany men becoming wealthy, while in office. This questioning defeated Tammany in 1901 due to the fact that the New York individuals thought some of the Tammany men were stealing from the city treasury. He argues that, “There’s an honest graft, and I’m an example of how it works. I might sum the whole thing by sayin’: ‘I seen my opportunities and I took ‘em” (49).

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He was born to Irish immigrants in New York City in 1842. He ran for office at the early age of twenty-four but was defeated. Two years later, with the help of his friends, he ran again to be elected to his first public office, New York State Assembly. This victory started his forty-year span as a statesman. Plunkitt's disputable strategies for retrieving votes in favor of his party (Tammany Hall) and himself, one may say, were a crest for

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President George Washington knew that a lot of his accomplishments would be viewed as precedents. As being the first President, he set numerous precedents, a significant number of which are still being implemented today. He chose to be called Mr. President as opposed to the title of being called a King, he then created the Presidential Cabinet, established the term limit of two terms for Presidency and was first President to create foreign policy. Those who served under the first Presidential Cabinet that was created by George Washington was: • Vice President John Adams • Secretary of State- Thomas Jefferson • Secretary of The Treasury- Alexander Hamilton • Secretary of War-

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"The Plunkitt of Tammany Hall" written by William L. Riordon about George W. Plunkitt's multiple talks in defense of his career in the political machine Tammany Hall. George W. Plunkitt was a ward boss of the Tammany Hall Political machine. It was full of corruption which made George W. Plunkitt wealthy. Before people knew about Tammany Hall being corrupt, George W. Plunkitt tried to defend Tammany Hall throughout his political career in order to keep making a lot of money. Some of George W. Plunkitt's talks were on his honest graft against dishonest graft, Civil Service reforms, Tammany Hall being patriotic, and how successful politicians do not drink.

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