Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-12-22
HE STORY OF wN. " YwEEr.

William NJ. Twre'i way hliu in lie rliy of
New V"k RI year a.r'i.st April. His par
enis "r.r tuA people, snt the boy was carly
thrown r;oi his o~n resource. LIS LEANED
the trade OF chairmaker and worked at II few
years. BE soon became arabi'iors for political
dis:inction, and 20 Increase his qualifications
and improve bis chances lie entered the Uni
versi'y Law Schoo, from vi h he graduated
As member VI the bar. His power began In
the I'D volunieer f-e department II the metro
polls. de becaue foreman IF Dig Six"-an
engine company famous ia the lower par { the
city. II immense vital energy and his org'n-
izing ability were here level, pei md exh 81.
In that day popular fireman W as positive
power in localpolitits AID rweed began to make
himself felt.
In 1851 he was elected alderman from the
Seventh Ward, sewn z IN the common council
through the years 1928 In the tall Of 1852
he was elected to Congress from the fifth dis
trict, which then embraced the seventh and
thirteenth wards Of New York and the village
OF Williamsburg, Long Island. He took his
scat IN the house In December lS5}, while his
term NJ Alderman was expiring. He was thil-
~ years old at that time, with the promise of a
tair future before hun. While In Congress he
was elected school commisi ner Of the seventh
Ward. The year afte. his erIn ns Representa-
tive expired he was chosen To the board OF
supervisors, and coLtnued 10 hoii place there
uitii the uay W HIS ONrIltiroN.
In le6l he was candidate for sheriff on the
TAmmany Ticket The Office is one Of enor-
nous enoluner', and Tweed struck for it with
his usual energy. lie Isckoned himself worth
1000 at that tine, and he made the money
honestly, He expended every dollar of 1t ia
the can' ass, led Oh bs the hope and belief thai
he would triumph He was beaten and during
the winter which followed he found great diff
Guilty In meeting the house rent and paying his
butchers and grocers' bills. II is probable that
his career as a public plunderer dates from his
defeat as sheriff.
He was not fine-grained man nor troubled
with many conscientious scruples. lie saw
himself as the victim Of what he looked upon
as q conspiracy. He had DIST ibuted his money
among the various wl,d organic uious in return
for their proIn sal 'sisiaLvr. They di, idcd his
fortune and With III their support. lie re-
solved get eVri' y nh lie public, who had
preferred lnut''ct :..an 10 him, and lie set abont
the Job " itI tue IuulnrsS ~ great i.cn"rll and
the "ickeditss If great ruhb r. In 1862 he
became deputy street commissioner, and while
holding Tia. otiicr lie got his hard freely into
the putt purse lri the first time At about the
same pefrud he made himself tie lea ling
spirit IL the Tammany organization.
He showed soon thar lis power as an organ
iEer vas very great He drew men around him
usually by appeals to Their selfish natures. 70
ore lie gave money, To another some pos itiou Of
hoI o. and iris'. lie proceeded on tie theory
that every ma Lad hls price. II rival arose
10 dispute h> au h"rity, he ushod that rival il
h. could. ai.,i II = couidn't he crushed the ry-
airy BY supp ring The man FOL some office, and
thus making hin, his ally. In this way he
spikaI the guns of FeininGp Wood, and called
truce with his most pnptlIr enemy, the big
Judge" Michael Connolly.
In 1867 Richard b. Conhuliy, iiIniL man,
plausible in manners, but exceedingly corrupt
at heart, became Comptroller # New York =
With him Tweed formed an alliance Connul-
ly was greedy and Close i.tgd. lie never could
secure popular following He held office at
the pleasure of Tweed, who was, howey er, com
PEELED to share equally with him in the division
of the money pliudie-cd from the city. That
same year, 1857 Tweed was elected 10 the
State Senate from the fourth district by a large
majority In the Senate e found large ma
jority opposed to Lin politically. How h. used
that majority to effect his purposes, is one OF
the chronicles of Albany which is yet to he
written. We may undertake the task here
after.
In 1865 Tweed fuui Il u counsellor far wiser
aud much more honest thar himself in the per-
sJu Of Petet Is ) rrigy lie hl.u found a
uippaul but billliatd riNuca., ,u \ q key Hall
man free IL ~ corrupt motive, hat "ne will.
IN 10 blind his Eyes to the crimes committed
around him AS reward for temporal power
Tweed, Connoly, Sweeney and Hal-joined
their forces and talents the rammany cnrspir.
acy was complete. In 1860 the first revolt
against this concentrated pOwe~ began. 1t was
badly planned and disrepuiab'y oilicered.-
Norton, Genet, Dreamer, Peter Mitchell, Michael
Murphey and others who led tie movement In
tue Legislature were not the men thu ough whom
reform could come.
1t looked for a lime, however. as if the move
ment would succeed. Tweed was beaten in The
preliminary skirnsh in the Senate. II, pre-.
| tended to surrender, and voted for the charter
OF Tue young democracy. But he had secret,
formed all alliance with the republican party II
the Legislature and could afford to bide HI,
TIME Meantime his rivals had lost their heads
LII the flush OF temporary success they dividet
on paper, all the city offices among themselves
| The Charter under which this grand dlstrihu
ton was to take place, was taken to The Asspr
Dly, where 1t was understood that il would pasl
by general consent. But to the ama2 ,nrnI u
many, and to the disInay + the Young demo
| cracy, 1t was defented.
| weeds rivals surrendered at discretion, -
Dreamer, Norton, Mitchell-all but Genet
sued Tor terms of peace. The next weel
Tweed's charter was Introduce, d and, rpcei,in,
the support OF the republican Senators except
| ing Ihayer, OF Rensselaer,, it passed IL wa
iohoWed by other measures which made til
power OF the ring well nigh absolut- Il va
then that the system of plumber began la wor
OUT lis amazing results. Bills against the cit
We're deliberately raised from so, uGU To 5000
uoO, and tie enormous excess divided betwee
Connolly and Twes' VIM in turn shared p.i
OF the money with suboldm.tn likris. LA
Looked on and held his peace. Sweeney III
iortl an effort TO stop the steaiing but was oycl
borne. The accounts OF the compiroer's o
nee were secreted, and the general public, q
well as the democratic party, We're hnodwike
and misled.
Among those who sought 10 profit in the yet
eral carnival of fraud, Vas James U'lirien, VIII
as Sheriff u New York, had received upward
OF S3oO,ooo Tor three years service. After II
firing from office, he cooked up IA bogus claim
aggregating $200,0O', and demanded It's IA,
ment. The board of audit I-iised To conshlt
1t, although Tweed espoused O'BIien's ba
cause. 10 strengthen his chances If grttiu
the money he placed confidential clerk in III
comptroller Office and secured transcripts
fraudulent vouchers therein contained. Aime
with these evidences of the guilt Of h, iorm,
comrades, he again demanded his plumber.
was again refused. The ring had grown SO Dol,
and they felt that their lease of power was {
long and strong, that they could brave any es
!, posure.
Thereupon O'Brien turned his evidence oyt
TO the New York Times, and that paper prirte
II. The effect was startling. With one vol,
the people demanded the punishment of Il
men who had betrayed so great trust. The
were thrust out of the Democratic party, who,
J temple they had detilcd. Said Judge Davis
} sentencing Tweed: "O'Connor, who has bee
named here, and who holds the foremost ran
In his profession, and who stands without
stain upon character as pure aud noble as an
man In this great city, Immediately from h
seml-retlement came and aided in the rescl
| OF his city from its great corruption An