frances perkins was a high-minded social worker in the early 20th century, a reformer from new england who was new to the politics of new york when she arrived here in 1910. to pursue price, and to the shock of our colleagues, she found much to like about tammany figures like big tim sullivan, mcmanus, and, of course, al smith. >> if i had been a man serving in the senate with them, i'm sure i would've had a glass of beer with them and gotten them to tell me what time -- >> as perkins worked to achieve dramatic social change in the second decade of the 20th century, she realizes some of our colleagues in the reform movement had it wrong about the nations most infamous political machine. >> once what i worked in a settlement house, a woman asked me, came to ask for help after her son was arrested. the sun was the sole support of the family. he went to prison, the woman and her young daughter would have no means of support. my colleagues in the settlement house beside the mother was not worthy of help. i was aghast. i walked over to the headquarters of the mcmanus political club, which w