New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-01
The Last Chance of Tammany.

The removal Of Judge McCunn from the
judicial bench by a unanimous vote Of the
Senate of New York will serve to show the
country that the reform movement of last
autumn, although perplexed by much of the
action of the Legislature, has not yet been
wholly defeated. 1t began by the vigorous
and unsparing exposures of the New York
Times, which struck at the heart and source
of the corruption in the Tammany Ring, of
which Tweed, Sweeny, Connolly, and Hall
were the chiefs. The power of the Ring was
apparently absolute. 1t cajoled, corrupted,
and terrified opposition. 1t held the Gov
ernor of New York in leash. 1t bought
| the Legislature. 1t owned judges, and sold
injustice for a price. 1t surrounded itself
with ostentatious luxury, to which it COM
PEELED reluctant citizens to contribute, and
then published their names as its willing
slaves. 1t ordered its Legislature to pass
law forcibly silencing the independent press,
and prepared to take possession of the Gov
eminent of the United States by means of
money and fraud, upon condition that its
agents should be nominated. By the worst
Of means the Tammany Ring had such abso-
lutte sway in the great city, and through the
city IN the great State of the Union, that
thoughtful men despaired of popular govern
ment, and patriots could see little hope of
escape but in revolution.
The defeat of the Ring at the polls was
one of the most significant events in the his
tory of free governments. The assault was
led by a newspaper, the New York Times,
and the victory was one of the most benefi-
cent triumphs of the press. The Ring can
Tweed, was, indeed, elected Senator, but he
did not dare to appear in the seat in which
he had been dictator only the year before.
His confederates, excepting Hall, were driven
by public opinion from their Offices. Many
of them were indicted, and, except for lin
gering influence of the Ring, would have been
punished. The club in which they reveled
was broken up. The judges upon whom they
chieflyrelied were impeached.. One resigned
to escape removal, another has been removed,
and the third awaits his trial. The defeat of
the Tammany Ring, if it can be made perma-
nent, will be one of the browning mercies in
our history.
But there is one hope for it. There is one
chance which it instinctively seized, and
which it is improving to the utmost. That is
the success of the Cincinnati ticket. The
ring was the most powerful organization in
the Democratic party. If that party were
finally defeated and dissolved, the ring would
be hopelessly broken. With all its old
shrewdness, therefore, it clutched the chance
of saving its party. "Hardly anywhere"
says the Springfield RepuDhcdn, which sup
ports Mr.. Greeley" hardly anywhere has
his nomination commanded more demonstra-
tive favor or a more Jealous support than
among those New York politicians of both
parties who whilom sat at the feet of Mr..
Tweed and ran at his beck"
1t is true. The Greeley nomination was
first vOciterously welcomed by "the worst
men in the country" as the same paper re-
marks. The especial henchmen of Tweed,
the parasites and creatures and tools of the
Tammany Ring, were its earliest, as they are
still its most ardent, advocates, and with
these the Springfield Republican, the Cncin-
natl Commercial, and the Chicago Tribune,
every one of which deplored that nomination, |
now fall into line, and, marshaled by Tweed
and Hall, are surrounded by the cheers of
Tammany repeaters and bruisers, they an
nOunce that they propose to make war upon
rings and purify the Government! They
clasp hands cheerfully with the most notori-
GUS and corrupt body of men ever known in
the country, but are shocked and scandalized
that there should be some questionable col
lector or doubtful postmaster anywhere in the
country! The gnats choak them, but the
camels are most manageable morscl.-
HarDer's WeekIY,