New-York tribune., 1868-05-02
TgE RIOODSUCKERS TBIUMPH

TIE BLOOD-SUCKERS' TRIUMPH.
Late on Wednesday night the New-Yorl City
Tax Levy was reported to the Assembly by
the Committee having for the last four months
the sole charge of the matter. None except
the private friends of members OF the Legisa-
ture knew anything of its provisions. The
people naturally presumed that it was mon
strous swindle-a highway robbery shielded by
law for which Dick Turpn, if caught would
have dangled at Tyburn. But where is the
remedyi Some day Echo may answer-Sdn
Francisco!
Our city budget has risen in ten years from
less than nine to more than twenty-four mil
lions of dollars; the valuation of property has
been run up out of all proportion for the sole
purpose of keeping the per cent OF taxation
down to a figure that would not excite inquiry
vet this year we are called upon for q per
cent-twenty- dollars on every thousand,
for City, County, and State expenses. After
that comes the United States Assessor, who
demands five per cent (over.a certain sum- on
all our incomes.
How came this city under such terrible
load of taxation9 We will try to answer.
l. About 1915 there first began the organiza-
UOl, long ago Hlduc pldtliCdi uhu'l thS ouV
side name of "The Ring" About that time
four or five smart members of the Board of
Aldermen. finding that votes were merchant
able-not openly, but rs obscene books are, and
all the more trustworthy for their ilegality-
made a thieves compact to buy and sell OH
account all measures that might come before
the City Fathers They did it, successfully
the head center IAN old Whig) died years ago,
beloved-and otherwise. His mantle fell upon
q man who is still alive, but in consequence OF
infrmitcs has been for some months away
from the public eve. The Ring spread like the
lcprosy at first it was non-partisan, but very
soon il became Democratic iu all It's parts
htched its trace chains to the Tammany wagon,
roped in the Big Indians (they did not need
coaxng), and by 1890 the concern became
simply "A select subcommittee of the general
body at Tammany Hall. Thence until now the
Ring has known no other fealty; Tweed, Swee
ncy & Co. are to-day its managers. and control
its workings rs certainly as the helm controls
the ship at sea.
. This Ring finding its field for theft re-
strcted To the city, struck out for the Legisla-
ture and this year went up to Albany, with
nearly thirty votes in its pocket, to take charge
of the Assembly. Until this session their infu
enco was only moderate; but now they have
supreme control as the Tax Levy to be enacted
within two days will prove. And so over Com
mon Council, Supervisors, Legislature (and
some say our Courts)-this yillainous cOmbna-
ton of remOrseless theves-rides paramount.
We bow, we bleed-we are thankful if they
do not take our lives along with our money.
g. Ii is this Ring--this mloly compact of
villains-that has run up our taxation To such
a fearful extent Time was when they were
willing to work fol small wages-when they
would he satisfied with $2J on bill for
horse killed 10y reason of bad pavements
when their chief perquisites came from N0ta-
ries Public and other petty appoint
ments; when assessments were gauged by
the amount to which the victim would |
bleed; when they were not above sharing with
ward strikers. and thought the bleeding of n
nominee for Office the hight of success But |
the great city and outside Railway Companies |
broke up this trihing, and now it would be |
SANDER to say that any member of the Common |
Council favored (for a consideration this or |
that concern. Their recent votes prove this. |
The Erie bill, the Pro Rata bill, for instance.
could never have passed if any one had |
They tell us that the Ku-KlN Klan swear |
members to do the order of the presiding |
officer, even though it require assassination. |
We are under the oppression of domestic |
Ku-Klux, and with that patient resignation |
which characterizes the eel who was used to |
being skinned, we squirm feebly but bear it.
4. What will it all come tog Many years |
ago, a gang of villains, whose operations were |
virtuous compared with this accursed Ring, |
were doing business at Natchez. by and by |
the better sort of citizens, whose sons had been
robbed, and whose clerks had robbed them to |
feed the tiger of this Natchez Ring, got mad |
about it, took counsel, and the next day there |
was not gambler in Vicksburg, except here |
and there one hanging to lamp posts. Some |
years later, the people of San Francisco, find !
ing they were robbed on the right and on the |
left by Billy Mulligans and such scoundrels, |
quietly assembled, organized Vigilance Com
mittee, and used some hemp. What was the |
resultP Vcksburg was free from gamblers for |
twenty years; San Francisco is to-day well and |
cheaply governed, and the Ring that under
took to play New-York in the Golden City is
hopelessy broken up
The future is before us-IIistory often repeats
itself. L.l-. .r....,