New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-29

his accomplish Harrington, with the same
prompt and thorough result. Judge Davis.
Yesterday morning, 40 far from considering
tho circumstances under which lngersoh de-
frauded the County as extenuating his crime,
properly regarded them as an aggravatloh anu
imposed the full penalty OF the law IN SELL
fencing him to five years Imprisonment, re-
GREETING that he could not do more. There
has been too much OF this unwholesome sen
timent that stealing from the public Is after
all not the same thing as stealing from an IN
dvidual II was evident in the expectation
EXPRESSED BIZ Ingers0ll, that his avowai that
harrington was Innocent of the actuai forgery
and did not share in the protits wouiu Clear
him from any punishment whatever. Judge
Davis admitted the statement III extenuatlon'
but showed with perfect justice that Harrington,
by knowingly adding fifty per cent to an ac-
count, assisted in defrauding the County, and
became an accomplish in the crime. The
fact that he did this without seeing any
special harm in it, and without receiving any
share in the plumber is one OF the most
significant proofs we have yet seen of the
utter decentralization prevailing III the air
which surrounded Tweed and his colleagues.
There was such flavor of theft everywhere
that even the clerks and dependents of the
Ring leaders ceased to perceive 1t. They
seemed to have lost their moral sense, and no
more Judged each other than the co-partakers
of an onion salad reproach each other for the
resulting atmosphere.
But with the closing of the prison doors on
these first fruits of the harvest of law, there
must come over those who remain longing
for green fields. IL is doubtful, even yet,
whether Prince Harry Genet does not
regard this whole affair as political persecu-
ton. II may be questioned whether the truth
has dawned upon his mind that the lumber ne
took from the County to put ia his own mousse
was not sort of fiotsam which belonged
under proper restrictions, to the inder' vi
course, not to everybody-that would be mere
anarchy; but to the friends OF the " Boss
GOOD fellows. who could run their wards and
hold their tongues. 1t has often seemed that
these men looked upon themselves as entitled
TO take what public money fell III their way
and that they regarded all criticism upon slch
proceedings as the expression OF mere spite
and envy from men who would do the same
thing if they had the chance Ihey looked
upon their enormous expenses, their CLUBS,
their gangs of repeaters, their whisky and
their charities as a legitimate charge against
the public which must in some way be rem
bursed -
We do not think the millennium is coming
because Tweed and lngersoll are in Jail and
others are on the way. But we think 1t is
not too much to hope that "a change of con-
science, to some extent at least, is taking
place among the average of our subordinate
and more numerous politicians. Stealing be-
gins to look like stealing when it takes men
to Sing Sing. And whether the rest of the
Ring go to prison, or whether they seize the
remains of their spoils and take flight to
other scenes "where they can live in clover
"on $1,000 year." the effect is made. the I'M
pression is created In Jail or in clover, they
are living lessons to the crowd of Their asso-
ciates whom they leave behind.