, 1873-11-23
THE FALL Of TWEED.


Tho fato which has at last overtaton "DoB8;!',
Tweed Ia not only tho Legitimate sequel to tho
lito which ho haa 1od, but 1t will aoryo to "re-
atoro confidence among many persons who had
begun to doubt whothor thoro was any superior
ity in virtuc over vice, and whether pinchbock
might not be bettor than gold aftor all. Fato
has moved slowly but very surely, and noarly all
those who ahared their ill-gotten gainH with
Twood have paid tho penalty, one way or anoth-
or. Fisk wont to his own place at tho hands of
tho nssassin, and his momory even has almost
dropped into obecurity. Btokes, his murderer,
is in tho ponitontiary. Mansfield is wan
doring hnrlot, whom oaoh year brings
nearor to tho guttor. Barnard VAS lmpoaohed,
ruined, md driven from tho Bonoh. Cardoxo
resigned to eavo himself from impeachment
McOunn died Of romorso for What be had donc
and In terror OF tho consoqnences. Ingcrsoll Ia
under arrest. and must soon take his trial.
oakey Hall has dropped from his high position
into uttor obsourity. sveony has hod from
New York, and ia living in retirement. Tho
places which know them once ahau know them
no more forever.
OF all tho members Of this onco powerful
Ring, tho full Of Tweed has been tho most I'M
prossive. Tho othors wore but satolliteg which
royo1ved about him. He was intronchod behind
fortune and powor, which not only he,
but oyory ono else, supposed to DO
irnpregnable. Ills rotainors woro In every
public oflco, in New York City; and 30
great was his strength that ovon after tho proofs
Of Ills vast hnavory woro pilod up mountain
high, ho could atil boat down tho moral ole-
ments OF tho community and all othor o1omonts
which wore antagonistc to him, and got himself
elected to the State Senate by a large minority
Ho doomed himself 80 uuassailable and sure in
his position, with his control Of politics
nnd Ills wonderful, grasp on Wall street.
that he novor took tho trouble to dcny
tho accusations madc against him, but uniform
~ asked his acousera "What are you going to
do about it7" with his paid army of 10000
rotainers md his captains In power, he was the
maBtor Of tho ballot-box by force whore it would
succeed, and by fraud whore it would not. Tho
city and county officers alko lad to pay tribute
did not provide for Tweed. In tho financial
world, his power was equally great. In Wal,
street, on Fisk'a Black Friday, everything was
in confusion and uproar. Injunctious flow this
why and TINT, like bunch Of rockets nccidonr-
ally ignitod. Tho whole street was domoralizol,
and operators rorc eoized with sudden para1y-
sis, because II Doas" Tweed happened to bo nh
sent from the city that day.
| With his clutches upon tho ballot-box, unon
the COURTS upon tho Eric Railway, upon tho city
and county of1lces which paid him All annual
1.-THE, and upon tho contractors who had to pay
him for their contracts, and with the MD Of his
| thousands Of followers who stood ready to do
his bidding, whatoyer it might be, ho accum,1-
lated m immenae fortune. In his elegant Fifth
aYonuo mansion, ho lived in royal state upon the
money stolon from tho Taxpayers but "what
wero t1oy to do about it 7" He Haunted his gold
aud his diamonds In their faces, and rodo
through the streets OF New York ia his dash
ing cquipage, monarch Of I'LL he surveyed
| Emperor OF Embegzlement and Prince Of
Plumber. When his daughter was mar7ied,
/
Persia might havo given. Bride and bridegroom
wore showerod with flowers and pearls, and dia-
monds His rstinue Of followers and otLors
/ who wished to preserve his good will added to
the barbaric display with gold and silver, purple
and tine linen. Although the respectable society
Of Now York were not there, tho respectable
society were paying for tho dazzling display,
And what wore they going to do about it7 Go
to tho courts7 The courts woro Tweod'a. To
the polls7 The ballot-boxes wore Tweods.
To Wall street? That Waa Tweod's. Appeal to
tho City Government7 That was filed with
Twsod'a creatures. To every charge, every mp
poal, cyory protest, came the mocking answer !:
"What arc you going to do about it,"
1t last, the outraged community found what
they woro going to do about It, and did it. Thoy
commenced upon tho creatures Of Tweed, not
upon Tweed himself, and, as ono aftor tho other
WAS oyerthrown, tho power Of Tweed grow
weaker md woa}tcr. Stripped OF his paid ro-
ta!nors his apeou1ators, his corrupt Judges, his
balot-box- stuffors, and his dishonest contract
ors, it was, at last, possible to reach the Head
Centro, aud at last he too has boon hurled head
long. Convicted on some 200 counts, in an
Indictment any ono Of which demands
imprisonment in tho Ponitentiasy, it Ia
no wonder that his brazen countenance
b1anchol when the verdict was announced
to him. It ia possible yot that Twood'a money
ulay aavo him from tho Penltentiay. But ovou
should that gross outrage bo porpotrated 1t still
ro'nainB fact Of record TINT Twood is q convict
cd folon. What Is ho going to do about It.
This great Ring III at last completely broken.
TlloBe who arc not In their gravos arc in the
renitontiarY. Those who aro not In tho poni
tontary aro in obscurty What aEo thcy going
to do about It.?
The recent death Ut Mrs. Crlo, In Boston.
whilo undor tho influence Of anpathetlca during
dental treatment, Is now undergoing medical In.
vostsgation, tho result Of which will bo awaited