The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-12-19
wHOKILLED TWEED.
jenkins Of the New Jerk Times and
Mast Of HarPeF's Weekly Did 1t.

jenkins Of the New l0rk Times and
Mast Of HarpeF's Weekly Did It.
I From the Cincinnati Commer.iai
The ring frauds, in all their
huge and complicated horror, had
been unearthed, published V the
the world, proven. This was the
initial work of the Times, which,
however, did much more than this.
Day after day, for weeks and
months, indeed, for the greater
part of q year, the Times accom-
/ panied the publication of the facts,
which were excayated in success
sive blocks, with Whole pages of
invective against the robbers.
These articles were fired with an
indignation which was necessarily
contagious. They aroused the at
tention of the entire population of
New York, and became the great
daily sensation Of the city. They
did more than arouse the atten-
ton. They stirred up the public
wrath against the robbers till 1t
became overpowering and univer-
sal. There was never case in
which the figure of speech, com.
pairing editorial diatribes to the
pouring of hot shot into the
enemy" was more deserved. The
superb wrath of the Times rose
constantly higher as that of the
community approached its own.
It got still closer and closer to the
"Americus Tiger" and when st
last it seized him by the throat,
the excitement got beyond bounds,
and the public closed in on the
monster and strangled him by
main force. 1t was magnificent
spectacle. For long period the
Times had battled alone. Most
people said its struggle could be of
no avail, Others laughed at it.
Others soon got tired of it, and
called tor some different sort OF
amusement, as the Old Romans
sometimes cried out, during the
performance of tedious tragedy.
Bring out the monkeys" But
the Times needed not, for it felt
that the loss of the battle meant
the DEVILS triumph. 1t was
not until the Times had got all
Now York up in arms against the
robbers Ia word which it printed
with bi g R)that it received any
assistance from some of the men
who have since claimed the hon
ors. The Times did not, for q
good while after the opening of
the struggle, feel it's own power.
But, after time, its thews became
like steel, and when the enemy be-
gan to stagger, its blows fell thick
er and fasteTs and were never ceas-
ed till it's carcass was flung to the
buzzards, and his soul was sent to
the pit, according to the legal
forms made and provided. In
their style. the leaders Of the
Times were totally different from
the ordinary diatribes with which
we are familiar. Many Of them
contained passages of invectives
equal in pungency, and far super
ior in force, to the most famous
passages in the "Lettefs of Ju-
nins." Now, for ali this great
work, which it carried out for a
long time under much discourage
ment and countless embarrass-
ments, we must contribute our
leaf to the small laurel crown that
adorns the head of the editor of
the Times. His title to this
crown can never be subject to dis
pute, as that OF Demostheness was
to the crown which had been
awarded him for public servi-
ces.
| And Tom Mast, who the Times
now looks on with Jealousy! Yes,
be too, deserves our contribution
| of . leaf to his crown. He rem
dered incalcuable assistance to the
Times in its struggles, by his
wonderful series of caricatures,
directed against the ring, in Har-
| per's Weekly. For strength, var
iety, applicability and force his
ring earicatures, taken IS q whole,
were far superior to anything ever
before done in the same line. Ii
would be gross injustice TO speak
of his work as lampooniag. or as
merely funny. He used the carr
cattIre as & political force, as q
moral agency, as q potential
means of affecting the public
thought and consciousness. They
had an immense influence, though
, by themselves, and without the
work of the Times, they would
never have overthrow the ring
They supplemented the thunder
of the Times, and did it in a way
which showed Mast to be a genius,
, And this is the leaf We contribute
to Toms crown.
As for Jennings and Mast, they
. need have no fear that their merits
| in this matter will be obscGred
and they should find no occasion
of quarreling with each other.
We hope these few observations
from a disinterested party will sci
. at rest the disturbance which has
kept 50 many Of the papers and
politicians of New York in no;
water ahout who broke Tweed'i
| ring.
II So successful has DIR. Pierce't