Byrd Man

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

I did a mockup of a character sheet. Nothing too taxing.

Character Sheet

Name:

Age:

Ethnicity:

Occupation/Place in the Combination:

Personal History:

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Right on! That makes four. I might go ahead and start this thing with four people and see how it goes.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

I like that. Do that shit. Also this is a bump.

World in Revolution: 1910, the Wall at the Edge of Infinity

Sorry it didn't work out. I had one post written so I posted that shit just so it won't go to waste.

World in Revolution: 1910, the Wall at the Edge of Infinity

1910 in Politics

Wilson Frontrunner for Democratic Nomination
Princeton President is Party Favorite to Run for Governor This Fall

Dr. Woodrow Wilson is the favorite among the potential Democratic Party members heading into the convention this September. The academic and professor of political science is well-known across the nation for his critically acclaimed books on American history and government but is a newcomer to public service. For his part, Dr. Wilson has remained silent on the issue of running. When pressed he has simply said, "My work and loyalty is to Princeton first. Whatever the Democratic Party of New Jersey has in store for me, I can only guess." Dr. Wilson has said time and time again he would not seek nomination, but would not turn a nomination down if the convention did indeed choose him as its candidate for governor.

Excerpt from Newark Star-Eagle Article
July 22nd, 1910

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George,

You have been talking Wilson up for nearly six years now and, upon finally meeting the man, I think I am comfortable with throwing the party machine behind him. Wilson is smart, eloquent, and perhaps most importantly very new to politics. Sure, he has studied it as an academic, but the statehouse is not the school room. He will need men like us to guide him and show him the way. He will need advisement if and when he gets to Trenton. By placing him in debt to the machine and men like us, he will certainly come to his senses and follow the party line. I am assured that this talk of progressivism is just talk for the campaign trail. When the times comes, you will find that Dr. Woodrow Wilson is most agreeable to our wishes.

-- Senator James Smith Jr.
Letter to Democratic Boss George Harvey
July 25th, 1910

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President Roosevelt Stumping For Congressional Candidates
T.R. Mum on 1912 Republican Nomination

-- Wichita Eagle Headline
August 30th, 1910

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Run, Teddy, Run!
The US Needs Roosevelt Again

-- San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Headline
August 31st, 1910

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"It is of little use for us to pay lip-loyalty to the mighty men of the past unless we sincerely endeavor to apply to the problems of the present precisely the qualities which in other crises enabled the men of that day to meet those crises... The absence of effective State, and, especially, national, restraint upon unfair money-getting has tended to create a small class of enormously wealthy and economically powerful men, whose chief object is to hold and increase their power. The prime need to is to change the conditions which enable these men to accumulate power which it is not for the general welfare that they should hold or exercise... The prime problem of our nation is to get the right type of good citizenship, and, to get it, we must have progress, and our public men must be genuinely progressive."

-- Theodore Roosevelt Speech
August 31st, 1910

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"Well, I am a Roosevelt that much is true. But it seems that Uncle Ted -- That's what I call him -- and I are on different sides of the aisle. One thing we do have in common is something that you will find in all Roosevelts, and that is a sincere desire to help people. He may be a Republican and I a Democrat, but we both have a Progressive soul. We both seek to help the downtrodden and the infirm, those that have been robbed of their chance by cruel circumstance. I sometimes think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm. A vote for me is a vote for that early worm, a vote for me is a vote for Progressivism and a transparent government that works for everyone, not just those who can pay for my campaign. If you give me the awesome responsibility of being your state senator, then you will see that a Roosevelt can be both a progressive and a democrat."

-- Franklin Roosevelt Campaign Speech
September 7th, 1910

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Democrats Win House, Gain Twelve Senate Seats In Midterm Elections
Conservative/Progressive Split in Republican Party To Blame

Washington Post Headline
November 9th, 1910

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Wilson Wins!
Princeton President Beats Lewis by 49,000 Votes

-- Trenton Times Headline
November 9th, 1910

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Democrat Roosevelt Wins Senate Seat
Franklin D. Roosevelt Upsets Schlosser In Landslide

-- Albany Times UnionHeadline
November 9th, 1910

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

Appreciate it, fam.

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

The Octopus: A 19th Century Political/Crime RP

"I've been called a boss. All there is to it is having friends, doing things for people, and then later on they'll do things for you."
-- James Pendergast

"Vote early and vote often!"
-- Richard J. Daly

Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose.
-- James Ellroy

In Character Info:

Welcome to Central City, gateway to the American West. This rough and tumble city was once the largest hub west of the Mississippi, the last bastion of civilization before the wilderness. While the frontier has pushed on west, Central City's frontier mentality and pioneer spirit still remain even as the city becomes an industrial hub. It's a city filled with graft and vice. Saloons and gambling dens are on every corner and anything you desire can be bought for a price. It's a city where everyday municipal life is controlled by the Patterson Combination, a powerful political machine that has control of City Hall, a good chunk of the statehouse, and even a US Senator. Patronage is the order of the day and the Combination rewards loyalty with jobs. Policemen, alderman, and even dog catchers owe their jobs and allegiance to the Combination. Anythings happens in Central City, it does so with the Combinations approval. At the center of this Alan John "A.J." Patterson, a man who holds no public office but is still more powerful than the mayor or governor.

It's the summer of 1876 and it's an election year. Reform seems to be in the air and it's up to the Combination to show Central City that it is a force for good, a force that provides for the downtrodden and needy for the simple price of a vote or two or three. From the corridors of power all the way down to the muddy back alleys, it's up to you to see that the Combination stays in power and that you get your just reward for your hard won loyalty.

Out of Character Info

This game is a mixture of crime and politics. You'll play a member of the political machine, from lowly street hooligan and saloon owner to ward boss to beat cop and on up. There will be a few members of the machine that will be off limits, the upper ranks especially, but I have an overarching story in mind for the game and want to allow everyone a chance to work inside that framework and do their own things. There's a lot of flexibility in this. I want it to be about politics and crime, but also about just life in an urban city that was rapidly changing around its citizens and how they dealt with it. The backdrop of this is the American centennial and the controversial presidential election of 1876, along with a party convention that will be coming to town soon.

Primer:

What is a Political Machine?

From Wikipedia:

A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses, who receive rewards for their efforts. The machine's power is based on the ability of the workers to get out the vote for their candidates on election day.

Although these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power, often enforced by a strong party whip structure. Machines sometimes have a political boss, often rely on patronage, the spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of for a single election or event. The term may have a pejorative sense referring to corrupt political machine

The Hierarchy

Precinct Captain

A precinct captain is the lowest level of power in the organization. This is the man out in the street, getting the vote for the Combination any way possible. Oftentimes a Precinct Captain will be someone who does not hold office but gets benefits -- money, power, a chance for political office -- from his loyalty to the machine. The Precinct Captain's territory is, you guessed it, the precinct where he lives. He is a neighborhood leader who uses his connections with the machine to help constituents with everyday problems that come with living in an industrial metropolis.

To get an idea of the day to day life of a the lower levels of party machine work, read this fascinating excerpt from the diary of a Tammany Hall member: Plunkitt's Diary

Ward Boss

The middleman in the organization, a Ward Boss usually controls a significant chunk of the city's political territory, with as many as seven or eight precinct captains under his watch. While the precinct captain deals in political tactics, the ward boss deals in political strategy. He is usually in some midlevel political position, a city councilman or a high-ranking police captain or a state legislator or some other bureaucrat, and is indebted to the machine staying in power for his job. The Ward Boss handles constituent problems, but is also the man to see about business licenses, court problems, and other problems that may pop up for the well to do members of the city.

Underboss

Very rare, maybe only two or three men in the machine can be considered underbosses. The Underboss has a significant chunk of political power. He is either a high-ranking elected official (city mayor, district attorney, US Congressman, US Senator) or a prominent businessman. The underbosses can move the levers of government in a way that nobody else in the machine can. With the snap of their fingers they can get legislation passed, they can get charges dismissed, and they can get state and federal contracts for anyone willing to pay the price.

City Boss

The pinnacle. The boss is the man you see when you are either powerful enough to warrant it, or have something he wants. The boss holds no political office and is rarely mentioned by the politicians who owe him so much. It is he who makes the big decisions that affect the machine, the city, and maybe even the country as a whole.

Character Sheet

Name:

Age:

Ethnicity:

Occupation/Place in the Combination:

Personal History:

Precipice of War - We Write Under The Sign Of The Goat

It's funny because the junior senator from SC, Fritz Hollings, was the young whippersnapper who was just pushing 80. The old joke around here used to be how do you get to become a senator from South Carolina? Stay alive.

Apex Comics: Brave New World

Interesting.

Precipice of War - We Write Under The Sign Of The Goat

<Snipped quote>

This sounds like the name of a Wildling.

@Pepperm1nts

More like a goblin, actually:



That's him at 100 years of age when he was still a sitting senator. The inspiration for my Wilbur Helms character.