The New York herald., 1873-10-23
Obituary.

Inc famous COMMITTEE OF seventy dled on
Tuesday last at about ten o'clock in the even-
ing, after a lingering and painful sickness,
aged two years, one month and seventeen days.
Many members of the family were unavoida-
bly, absent at the closing scene, being detained
by public business and by pressing engage
ments with nominating caucuses; but . few
faithful relatives were gathered around the
death-bed, and the eyes of the patient We're
atfectionately closed by the same physician
whose hands brought it into the world The
old medical attendant of the deceased, Dr.
Havemeyer, had temporarily withdrawn from
the case in consequence of having succeeded
to a lucrative practice in another direction;
but he still acted as consulting physician, and
before the fatal end was reached he made q
last vigorous effort to check the progress of
the disease and to prolong the life of the suf-
ferer. With that object in view he forwarded
to the attendant physician Dr. Choate, a
recipe based upon the old treatment which
had proved SO beneficial to the patient in for
mer attacks, copy Of which we subjoin, in
order to assure the absent friends of the de-
ceased that no means were left untried to save
its life:-
r..
Removal: circul: vitat:.. t:.................. DIR. Kill
Judic eXpedlt: Tweedi:. scr. VII
Civ: bon: pro dignitat: grad d:........ dr. xxxii
Administered: prob ct nd: in Nov: York.: .gr. l.
NIX: DIV: IN pill: Cap: ad lib.
Although DR.. Choate had little hope Of the
efficacy Of the dose, which had been admins
tered SO frequently as to have lost its effect
upon the system of the patient, his respect
for the venerable practitioner who had pre-
scribed it induced him to make the trial. The
patient swallowed it unwillingly, and, as DR..
Choate had predicted, it produced only nau-
sea followed by a brief attack Of clonic
spasms, Immediately after which death put an
end to the sufferings of the unfortunate Com
mittee, and, at the hour named, it expired in
the arms of its faithful physician, amidst the
| sympathizing tears of the few relatives who
were with it in its last moments.
The deceased Committee owed it's birth to
the union of bogus reform with popular ex-
citement. Its father was needy politician,
who married for the sake of the brides great
| expectations in money and patronage. The
match was not happy one for the public, but
own immediate family. Of its seventy origi-
nal relatives nearly one-half have been well
provided for before its death. Fifteen of them
have secured valuable public offices ten or
twelve have received large indirect emolu-
ments out of reform, and about the same num-
ber have been pertinacous aspirants for pub
lie positions, and are still eagerly seeking to
he ND n rto h.
State or municipal treasures. In accordance
with q proverb handed down to us by the
ancients, it is customary to speak nothing but
good of the dead but the truth of history
requires us to say that the life of the deceased
Committee has been failure in all but the
accumulation of patronage and money. It
was brought into the world for the express
purpose Of reforming Legislation, and it
aided to give us the Legislatures of
1872 and 1873, which, elected under the
clamor of reform, were more infamous for
jobbing, lobbying and petty larceny than most
of their infamous predecessors. Its mission,
avowed at its birth, was to recover the peoples
money which had been stolen by dishonest
officials, and to secure the conviction and
punishment of the robbers. Up to the hour
of its death not . dollar of the plunder has
been restored, not single official thief has
been brought to trial. It was created for the
express purpose Of securing good men for
Office; the object of its life has been to secure
good Offices for its own men. It's godfathers
and godmothers at its baptism did promise
and VOW three things in its name:-First, that
it should renounce the Tammany Ring and
all its works; second, that it should give us
honest and economical government; third,
that it should advance the prosperity of the
city Of New York. 1t commenced by making
a political compromise with Connolly and
ended by dallying and trading with Tweed 1t
has enormously swelled our city debt, in
creased taxation, destroyed or paralyzed most
of our contemplated or partially constructed
works of public improvement, and left us with
a municipal government torn by squabbling,
wrangling reformers and writhing in the
agonies of financial embarrassment.
Some years ago the London Punch, in one
of its then admirable pictures, represented an
elderly charmer, covered with rich laces and
jewels, in the embrace of q gallant young
lover, who had evidently made an impression
on heart that had often before been won and
betrayed. "But you will never leave me,
Augustus Charles?" anxiously inquiries the
faded beauty. "Leave you, dearest one!' is
the warm response of the new Lothario
Never!-while you've a shilling!" The
latter part of the reply is, of course supposed
to be uttered in stage ''aside." Now, the
city Treasury, as we have said, is not in q
flourishing condition. The public offices have
been well gobbled up by ''reformers." The
cry which was powerful at the polls one and
two years ago is now distasteful to those who
have been deceived and betrayed by it in two
successive elections There is xaru little