New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-01
TAMMANY EXTRAVAGANCE
HOW TwEED's pRHToRIANs WERE PAID.

"THE COHESIVE POWER OF PUBLIC PLUMBER
now TwEED's REPEATERs WERE PAID OUT
OF THE PUBLIC PURSE -TwO THOUSAND
sINECURISrS ON HIS PAY-ROLLs.
Every person interested in city politics has
frequently heard the assertion made that VIM NJ Tweed
while Dictator of Manhattan, maintained his ruinous
power by the Infamous employment OF troops OF sine
curists who thoroughly organized "ropeaters"
at elections and strikers at primaries He supported
IL was at time claimed, at his expense OF more
than 100000 year. twentyon ward organizations or
clubs the members OF which were devoted az absolutely
TO his interests the PrGtorians OF the Roman Empire
were TO the maintenance Of their rulers The organza-
ton Of Tweed's prGorans somewhat different from
that OF the Roman cohorts but their purposes were the
same and their character fully as Infamous Like the
Pretoriaus the epeaters OF Tweed acquired dangerous
power which they exercised In tho most unscrupuous
manner to sustain bad leaders. Like the Pr9orans,
they had no political ambition for themselves they were
simply nsolent and rapacious idle and rioOus Glass;
fond only of and substantial qualifications and the
attainment of wealth without work, and II need De- re-
sorting to crime without reluctance.
SO much that strange has been written OF the
strength OF this organization that many persons became
ncreduous and s overthrow and dispersal at the last
election led many to believe that really never had any
existence But the examination by the Controller and
his CLERKS of the payrolls and bills submitted to the new
Board OF Audit establish clearly its strength and fur
and maintained his place long. There is not doubt
that he kept at the public expense fully 1900 mon. who
were sinecursts without actual Office duties The pay
rolls OF Tweed's department already examined land
than half still TO be investigated bear the
of more than 5000 many OF them residents in
Tweeds district 1.-THE only Senatorial District carried
by Tammanyl and more than one-haf OF them useless
for any public service, and detrimental to the public
good On the list of lamppainters he had 30 Names 70
than ever employed before his time; on the
Water Police CT more persons than the law allowed
while on the roll of Engineers Assistants 2,3OOmen,
half of whom constantly idle. The other payrolls
partially examined show like proportion of sinecursts
All the claims from Tweed's department have been
subjected rigid Scrutiny 1t notified to each per-
son whose appeared Oh any payroll OF the Depart
ment of Public Works to appear before the Examiners
OF the Finance Department. Each was then asked a
of questions the which, If satisfactory,
embodied in affidavit To the effect that he was
the person whose appeared on the payroll, and
that the services specified therein were actually and in
good faith performed by him The claimant further
required to state his previous occupation and the nature
OF the duties for which he asked pay, with the time
actually occupied in the performance OF them. All OF
the persons examined testified to having performed
the labor required of them, which in some
instances was to report for duty only. Those per
sons who performed the least duty made the strongest
ailidayits.
The painters Of lamp-pOss, of whom but twenty ap-
near to have had a previous knowledge OF their bust
ness their showing painted 3j,lO0 amp-posts in
the course OF q month. The number Of lamppOsts in
city, il is said, does not exceed $4,000 As ninety
men claim to have done this duty, they should have
painted all the lampposs in the city in eighteen days.
and If it was necessary 10 have the work continuous
throughout the year. each post could have received one
coat of paint between January and December by the
steady and ordinary excrtions OF six men.
The Water Police % in number ian increase of CT over
htf ba old (rofn
partment aud allowed by law, were engaged in mspec-
tions and serving notices Had each Of these mon made
ten inspections served ten notices "a very limited
estimate) daily for each working day throughout the
year. their abors would aggregate 279G0 notices or In
spectons In the OF the year. statement which
will appear all the remarkable when the city popu-
lation COI2,292 souls) is taken into account
The Inspectors of Sewer5 and Streets were also found
to be grossly OF the number that might reason
ably be deemed necessary to discharge the duties. The
examiners frequently found that two and sometimes
these men, whose abOrs could fairly have been
performed by assigned to the supervision
OF identically the work
The payros the engineers assistants and aborers
additional alterations the CrOtOn Aqueduc on
Tenthave., from Hnetyt hird-st to northumberland
thrteenths the latter half OF the month Of August
1871 includes the of LAS Similar rolls for
the first days Of September succeeding show, on the
same work employees, whose number the 3Oth OF
September increased to 233 These rolls were certified
to bv Tweed himself indeed nearly all the rolls
emanatng from his department Some Of them bore the
mentioned in connection with the foregoing IL
is clearly shown that Tweed surrounded himself with
bOdy-guard bound to him and each other by mutual
sympathy OF fraud.