New-York tribune., 1873-06-28
THE BRIDGE RING.
BROOKLYN TAXPAYERS VIEWS

BROOKLYN TAXPAYERS NlENSs
The following are only two out of scores of
letters which THE TRIBUNE has received from residents
Of Brooklyn thanking it for the efforts it is making to
reform the Ring rule Of that city out Of existence
GRATITUDE FOR THE TRIBUNE'S EFFORTS.
To The EdftOr Of The Trf6unc.
SIR: Your fearless independence is exciting
among us all the lveles gratitude. year or two ago
we were on the brink OF despair Our newspapers. gen
orally muzzled with largesses snecures, were as
dumb dogs that cannot bark sleeping, lying down,
loving TO slumber." We saw way OF escape On our
right hand and on left at every street corner and
far out wherehere streets, were waylad by
nmSs hS % W Mere aF aeecse m accents gn bst Tongues
not altogether unknown, with athletic emphasis, in
language which is being interpreted Your money
your life" Our leading public men were generally OF
easy virtue m lev b @ and An H. we'll - echoed
from watch by day well as by night Our
Lawyers were deaf to The cry Woe unto you
ahi,, 30 cars Oar leading pnbic men. most
OF them lawyers, as we elevated them, one
after another stumbled very generally into
hhe snares Of the rings, or were chased there with
fI an easy prey 70 the Wills OF the Fowers" Very
few of men prominent in learned aud benevolent
and religious Organizations exhibited inherent yigOr
enough for public remonstrance against the vilaines
that were sappng the sacred foundations OF the family
institution aud the bases OF social order Where Is there
a pulpit that has resOunded with denuncati0ns OF
single OF our hydra-headed monsters Alas, even
poor GodfOrsaen Sodom In the last sad hour OF It's ap
paing DOOM seems To have had more righteous out
spoken men, proportion 90 population, than our un-
fortunate Brooklyn had when the rings" The Three
kings" The Three ks"-were punderng the city In
the noOn-tide OF their gigantic conquests Yes con
quered over to tho spoer, and pundered without
mercy, within the past rev years, anu WIN our own
consent all by our own chosen servants, General de-
moraizaton bankruptcy OF our chartered corporation,
the final plunder OF the city treasury ana the seizure oi
all private property 10 pay debts contracted by tine OF
fetal prOgates, were some OF the evils that stared INTO
dwellings with the ttfu gas light furnished at
thieves prices" And, worst Of ALL could no way OF
escape. Nelghbor after neghbor deserted us sofa OUT
and cleared out" some going 10 nearhand places IN
NewJersey, others 70 suburban villages on Long Island
many Of us. blackness OF darkness that might be
felp spread the cty. Thick clouds OF pOrentOus
aspect surrounded Thunders Of reform were heard
occasionally. from The Rink and from The Fifty;
and sometimes omlnous rmm0lings from the seventy
TRmUSE's lightning hashesl The Ring rogues, how
they run on to the West out to the prares, over the
ocean, the somewhere or anywhere 10 get out
OF Brooklyn away from these terrible TRIBUNE thunder
b0tsl Ii rains DrimstOneW u said Ring magnate the
BACK of T" iRe CITY Hall yes so it does, Mr. Magnae-
hot isn't t Hotter than 1t was that day In the Pub
Well our atmosphere is getting purer Honest people,
men aud women, well as children, begin to breathe
breathe As IN old Romes days Of darkness, de-
spondency aud gloom, when the institution OF The
TRIBUNE has ~ Brooklyn, 10 great city from
impending ruin. Not In military array or with the en-
gnery OF war but IN the inyncDle armor OF truth t91
modern TRIBUNE marches on TO glorious ana peaccfnl
victory, amid the gratulations OF
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES IN BROOKLYN.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
L ~
mrer OF the political OF The TRIBUNE, but have
lately learned regard It with much respect and equal
admiration most able and faithful conseryaor OF
the public interests. / especially grateful for its
treatment OF the insOence and audacity OF the Ring
robbers Brooklyn the result OF its exposures IN that
direction already wears the form OF welcome relief
TO our dospoed payers II the rate OF taxation for
the present year hOud fall below cent the escape
from that intended oppression would be due solely to
denunciatons OF THE TRIBUNE For Gods sake perse-
We re in your good work. can other hope for
IA than IN THE TRBUSEs defense. The papers OF this
city are hOpelessy bound In the conspiracy OF the Ring
and all that their director do TO retard the reforms
you have inspired will certainly he done but have
equal faith In your power and your fidelity and look
many many thousands OF usto you AS the only means
left 10 US Of ayertng the threatened conscaton OF
property.
set 20 farming effect OF your statement respecting
the probable increase OF the rate Of taxation reported
interview between OF It's suDordnates and Mr d. NJ
Chauncey, illiterae real estate agent OF this city
The object the interview was 10 provo that taxation
was really less In Brooklyn than In New York. "A
matter OF course tho statement OF such PROPOSE
ton Will carry with IT, to Intelligent minds It's own
refutatOn; but illustrate It's absurdy allow me to
quote the following facts am the owner OF two houses
-one, Assessed for $500 valued at $1,000. In the
Tweny-rst Ward OF Brooklyn the other, assessed Tor
AZ co. valued ut $4,000 In Greenwich-ave., NeWlork
Last year. upon the latter were tI2 ~ upon
former including also assessment OF sAI9or open
ing sewer S5Tl l9 would gladly sell OUT IN brooklyn
for less than the property cost me- Dht VINO VIII buy III
such a condition OF affairs A. D. T.
BIoOkIyH, Juno l5 1873.