Plunkitt of Tammany Hall: a series of very plain talks on very practical politics, delivered by ex-Senator George Washington Plunkitt, the Tammany philosopher, from his rostrum—the New York County court house bootblack stand; Recorded by William L. Riordon

A former New York state senator and longtime Tammany Hall operative steps down from a courthouse boot‑black stand to lay out his brand of straight‑talk politics. In these plain‑spoken lectures he pulls back the curtain on the everyday calculations that keep a political machine humming, from the art of “honest graft” to the mechanics of patronage and party loyalty. Listeners hear a figure who mixes personal anecdote with hard‑won pragmatism, presenting the very tactics that helped him amass wealth and influence.

The talks are peppered with vivid examples of how public projects, appointments, and street‑level dealings intersect, offering a rare glimpse into a world where political success is measured in both votes and venture. While rooted in the late‑19th‑century New York scene, the speaker’s observations about power, profit, and the raw logic of governance echo surprisingly into modern political discourse. It’s an engaging, unvarnished portrait of a bygone era’s most outspoken strategist.