Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-17
The Imperial Ring.

III Inls otdte, tne OeUOCTutlc party con-
stantly alleged that the city of New
York had been virtually deprived Of self.
government by the system OF commissions
appointed by the Governor and Legisla-
ture. The, people were implored to save
the very principle Of free popular institu-
tions by overthrowing the Republicans |
and bringing the Democracy into power. |
AT length the Republicans were defeated. |
We are now entering upon the second year |
of Democratic supremacy in the State, and |
popular government in the city of New |
York is already practically subverted. An
imperialism has been established here as
absolute as that of Louis Napoleon, and it
Is formally sustained, as his was by an oc-
casional plebiscite called an election. DE
Tocqueville, that acute political thinker,
contemplated with the utmost apprehen-
sion democratic state of society without
honest democratic institutions. He thought
IL the worst form of tyranny. This is the
spectacle which the city Of New York now
presents, and it challenges the thoughtful
attention of every political student, as of
every American citizen who is looking
candidly to SEQ with which party in this
country the just development of the Amer
lean constitutional and popular principle
is most assured.
There afe in ne city of New York four
well known persons--Mr. Tweed, Mr.
Sweeny, Mr.. Connolly and Mr.. Hall. They
are the managers ofTammany Hall, and the
most conspicuous of them, Mr.. Tweed, has
been described often and at length in one
of the organs of his party in that city, the
New York World, in terms which, If not
justified by Knowledge, were the most wan
tonly injurious that could be applied to any
man. And it is one of the signs of the
power of which we speak that the World
is now as utterly the spaniel of the imperial
Ring as Paul de Cassagnac's paper was of
Louis Napoleon. The four persons whom
we have mentioned are the authors of the
present city Garter, which was passed last
spring by the Democratic Legislature
many Republicans voting for it because of
registry law which Mr.. Tweed permitted
to pass for the purpose of procuring an ap-
pcarance of unanimous support for his
charter, and which he now intends to re-
peal.
The charter vests the executive power
in the Mayor and the heads of depart
ments. The Mayor is elected for two
years and the system by which Tammany
controls what are called elections is no.
torious. The Controller is elected every
four years. The heads and commissioners
of departments are appointed by the
Mayor to serve from four to eight years.
The charter was passed and took effect
Immediately. The Mayor was Mr.. Hall,
and he instantly appointed Mr.. Tweed
Commissioner of Public Works, and Mr..
Sweeny the head of the Department of
Parks. In November Mr.. Connolly was
elected under the auspices of Tammany
Hall Thus these four persons, known as
the Ring and who by familiar means NOM
mate and elect their agents to the Legisa.
ture, and fill all minor offices with their
adherents, were placed by the charter
which they had prepared, and which the
party under their control had passed, in
the chief executive positions in the city.
Their official terms are four years, except
that of Mr. Sweeny, which is five years,
and that of Mr. Hall, which is two. They
will continue to hold the offices at their
pleasure So efficient is the political ma
chnery of Tammany Hall, and so we'll ad-
justed is it to Democratic voters, that no
man whom the imperial Ring does not
nominate will be elected Mayor, and it will
nominate no one of whose obedience it is
not sure.
The next step is now to be taken in the
formal subversion Of the popular system.
The imperial Ring has introduced bill in
the Legislature which constitutes the
Mayor, (AIr. HalD, the Controller (Mr.
Connolly, the Commissioner of Public
Works (NIr Tweed), and the President of
the Department of Parks (Mr. Sweeny) a
Board of Apportionment which, after
providing for the interest of the city debt,
and for the city's proportion of the State
tax, shall appropriate at its pleasure
all the money that is raised by taxa
ton in the city. To make this eX-
traordinary grant of power more accept,
able, it is decreed that the amount raised
IN 1874 ap1 1870 oho11 NOT aynapd utty,,
equal to two per cent. of the valuation al
ready fixed for this year by the Commits
sioners. of Taxes and Assessments. And
it is further provided that no bonds and
stocks of the city or county, except those
already authorized, shall be issued hereaf
ter, except by this Board. But it is by
their will alone that the rate of taxation Is
limited for two years to two per cent. OF
the present valuation. 1t will rest witt
them alone to determine what the rate
shall be after the two years are ended, ol
to amend their law next year by striking
out the limitation for 1872, and leaving
the valuation wholly at their pleasure.
Meanwhile, to divert attention from
this practical imperialism which the Dem
ocratic party has thus established it imi
tates the policy of Louis Napoleon, who
initiated the Roman despots, in amusing
the people with games and public displays
while they destroyed liberty. Thus there
is a show Of care about the public grounds
and of anxiety TO complete the system o
water supplies There is an ostentatio1
of charity to the poor. But while every
man is glad that suffering is relieved, HI
shrugs his shoulders when he is asked i
the money that relieves it was honestly
gotten. While this is the outer show, tht
secret aim of the imperial Ring is to dis
cl.
lessness, and to terrify capital by relent
less exercise of the mastery of propert,
which the law bestows. 1t bribes to 81
lence where it can, but it spares no blow
open or secret, to cripple those whom i
fears, and the terrorism is deepened by tn
public knowledge that certain judges upol
the bench are the supple tools Of thi
enormous and arbitrary power, so that tn
citizen is conscious that he is deprived o
the last remedy of injustice.
Thus the result of the ascendency of tn
Democratic party in New York is tn
destruction of popular government in tn
city, as it would have been in the countr,
at large if the people of the United State
had not chosen war as the least fearfu
alternative Nor is this surprising TIL
Democratic party in its long nationa
ascendency was steadily hostile to tn
fundamental principles of free govern
ment 1t was vast conspiracy to max
slavery the fundamental law of the Re
public. That purpose required absolut
national decentralization, and the great ei
fort of the party was to produce it.
clear perception of the true spirit and prin
ciple of free popular government was fata
to Democratic dominance, and therefor
the party ruthlessly sought TO obscure il
In the city Of New York the party ha
never lost its supremacy. The men VIII,
guide it to-day are politicians bred eithe
in. total ignorance or in utter contempt o
American principles. They are brough
in constant contact with the most ignoran
and venal men; and without faith in in
dividual honor, with the sincerest persua
sion that money and fear are the master
keys of politics, they distrust mere hon
esty as hypocrisy, and undoubtedly despis
"the people" and their representatives a
heartily as Robert WalpOle.