New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-09
SHEPHERD.

The verdict in the trial of the District Off
GERS has not been formally recorded, but 1t is
practically before the world. No doubt re-
mains as to the conclusions of the Committee.
Whether the report is to involve the whole
Board of Public Works in one sweeping reso-
luton of censure, or to pass lightly over the
names of individual offenders and waste Off
cial indignation on the general system OF
which they formed part, is question which
may affect the character of the Committee OF
Investigation but is of little practical impor-
lance to the officers themselves No CLOSING
of the truth in the report to the House can
save their reputation. They stand before the
country irretrievably disgraced. The air OF
Washington resounds with premOnitiOns of
ruin. There is q general packing of carpet
bags and settling of accounts, and in few
days we may expect to see an extensive hegira
of Washington contractors and other prOmi-
nent statesmen, very much like the flight OF
gentlemen with dyed mustachOs and diamond
shirt pins which took place in NewYOrk in
1871.
For Mr.. Alexander R. Shepherd there seems
to be, in a certain circle of Washington life,
great deal of noisy and rather Obtrusive SYM
pathy. Whatever happens to the Washington
Ring il will be a shame, say these mercenary
patriots, if Congress do not give the Boss
good character and the President reappOint
him to another office. He has covered
the city with patent pavements. He has trans
formed the streets. He has made the wilder
ness to blossom and the dusty road to glitter
with fresh sod and shiny houses. He has
made great many people exceedingly rich
without any trouble on their part. The Boss
ought to be let alone. We have heard some
thing like this before When Mr.. Tweed went
to the Penitentiary great many people in the
lower wards, whom he used to pay handsomely
for their votes, thought it was too bad, and
pointed to sundrY improvements he had made
at vast expense in the plan of the city as an
ample excuse for all the wrong that had been
laid at his door.
We do not say that the two men are morally
alike. We have no proof that the Governor
of the District of Columbia is thief. and we
should be very sorry indeed to know that he
is one. Tweed and Shepherd present strong
contrasts and strong resembances Tweed
was a man of coarse fiber and coarse tastes.
His first great success in life was getting
elected foreman of "Big Six" engine COM
pany, and with all the wealth and all the
political power that he afterwards obtained,
he never rose one step above the social level
of the hard-hitting gentlemen in red shirts
and plug hats who fired his youthful ambition.
He lived in princely luxury, and relics Of his
fallen state-gilded bedsteads, gorgeous car
pets, miraculous center-tables, cool gardens
famed by the salt breeze, and stately
mansions fit for mOnarch,-are now
pointed out to the wondering sight-seer. But
he never got that recognition from so-called
gentlefOlks which money can almost always
purchase. He was never seen in the parlOrs
even of the less disreputable politicians whom
he helped into Congress and the GOvernOrship.
His friends were the rude lOungers of the
barroOms; his entertainments remained to the
very last as vulgar as those of the boys who
used to run with the machine and roar over
their whisky in the engne-hOuse hunks. We
doubt whether he ever cared for more than
this, or missed bis exclusion from the society
of more polite blaGkguards and more aristo-
cratic swindlers. He made no secret of his
direct responsibility for all the wrong that
was done under his administration. He was
rather proud to have it known that not
penny could be stolen without his leave, and
not legislator who had sold his vote could
deliver the property without his knowledge.
Shepherd, on the contrary, thirsted for the
smile of society. Money was of value to him
chiefly because it opened the doors of polished
and respectable people, and purchased high
places at public festivals, and bows from
great folks on the Avenue. He cared nothing
for rich furniture and fine house, unless he
could ill his drawing-room with judges, and
generals, and senators, and fine ladies, unless
his banquets could be the talk of the town
and his balls the envy of all women. His
alliances were in higher rank than those of
Tweed,-among men who cheated with due
regard to the cOnvenances of society, and
when they broke the Ten Commandments
always did it after the most approved
fashion. Mr.. Shepherd found that gentlemen
of this sort were quite as apt at rascality az
the dirty patriots whom Tweed em-