Table of Contents

Part I: Honest Graft: Two Views.

The World of George Washington Plunkitt (James S. Oslon).

The Problem of the Cities Revisited (James W. Mooney).

Part II: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall.

Preface (William L. Riordon).

A Tribute (Charles F. Murphy).

Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft.

How to Become a Statesman.

The Curse of Civil Service Reform.

Reformers Only Mornin' Glories.

New York City Is Pie for the Hayseeds.

To Hold Your District: Study Human Nature and Act Accordin'.

On The Shame of the Cities.

Ingratitude in Politics.

Reciprocity in Patronage.

Brooklynites Natural-Born Hayseeds.

Tammany Leaders Not Bookworms.

Dangers of the Dress Suit in Politics.

On Municipal Ownership.

Tammany the Only Lastin' Democracy.

Concerning Gas in Politics.

Plunkitt's Fondest Dream.

Tammany's Patriotism.

On the Use of Money in Politics.

The Successful Politician Does not Drink.

Bosses Preserve the Nation.

Concerning Excise.

A Parting Word on the Future of the Democratic Party in America.

Strenuous Life of the Tammany District Leader.

About the Author

James S. Olson is Distinguished Professor of History at Sam Houston State University. He is the recipient of the university's Excellence in Teaching Award and Excellence in Research Award. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than thirty books, including The Ethnic Dimension in American History, Third Edition (Blackwell, 1999); Catholic Immigrants in America (1993); Winning is the Only Thing: Sports in America Since 1945 (1989); and John Wayne American (1996), which won the Ray and Pat Brown National Book Award from the Popular Culture Association. His book A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory (2001) won the Diolece Parmelee Award from the Texas Historical Foundation. Finally, his most recent book—Bathsheba’s Breast: Women, Cancer, and History (2002)—was nominated by The Johns Hopkins University Press for the Pulitzer Prize in History, won the History of Science Category Award from the Association of American Publishers, and was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as one of the best non-fiction books in America for 2002.