Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-02-20
Twecd's Faith.

| Tweed was the most striking illustration
| of 4 very common faith-belief in the al
| MIGHTY dollar. lie is the victim of a most
touching fidelity to the great principle
| which every good American will surely be
| the last to ilout. His creed was very SIM
pie: it was that money would buy every
thing and he reposed upon his belief with
the sweet security of the Mussulman who
sees bv faith heaven of hours. Certain
" his confidence was not surprising. lie
had proved his creed. lie had seen money
We miracles. lie had seen himself, a
ma IF no cleyerness and of no Advantages.
risins swiftly by means of Off from insight
| fcant poyerty 50 the control ola great par
tv. 1t had made him master of one of the
great cities of the world 1t had secured for
him governors, legislatures, councils, and le-
Gal and executive authorities of every kind.
lie invested in land and judges. lie bought
| dogs and LAWYERS. lie sileneed the press
| with Golden muzzle, and money made his
| will law.
Here was q man who wanted nothing that
money could buy was it strange that he had
unbounded faith in it ;? Every form OF virtue
was to him mere ailectation, moro or less
ingenious and tenacious ''strike Tor money.
If man spoke of honesty, patriotism, sell
respect, the public welfare, public opinion,
truth, justice, right, Tweed smiled at the
| fine phrases in which the auctlOneer, anxious
to sell himself, cried, "Going going
Argument, reason. deeency, they were mean
ngless to him. If an opponent held ont, he
| simply asked, How much The world
was a market Life was 4 bargain. lie
felt himself with pride to be the largest ope-
rator in his way, as Vanderbilt in ms, or
Stewart in his
In Albany he had the finest quarters at
| the Delayan. and when he came into the
great dining-room at dinncr-time. and looked
at all the tables throngcd with members OF
the legislature and the lobby. he had he
| ngnant, paternal expression, a. Of patrl-
arch pleased to see his retainers happy. 1t
wa, magnificent rendering of Fagin and
his pupils You could imagine him trotting
up and down in the character Of an unSu--
| picious old gentleman with his handkerchief
| hanging ont Of his pocket, that his scholars
might show their skill in prigging a wipe.
| He knew which of that cheerful company
was the Artlul Dodgcr and which Charley
| Bates And he never doubted that he could
buy every man in the room if he were will
| iur % rav the price. :, at the capitol.
where -it@ the legislature of a noble common
wealth of four millions of souls. he moved
| about with an air of fat GOOD nature. like
the chief shcpcrl of the flock. If he stood
at the door ol the assembly looking in. it Is
easy to fancy him saving to himself, the
state PAYS these men two or three hundred
dollars for four months service: | will give
them better wages. He did not doabt that
+, was a fair transaction. What is the state
II /. only four millions of people. hc Thought
who are irving tohc rich--true-linr. cheat
inc bv hook or hv crook. every man for
himself. and the devil take the hindmo~t. u
| l.e rich These men would be fool, not to
nix. nv money. And DE smiled his fat
.,pilc md ,qil' lib,rllly GraIl that was in
market
There vcr, some raucrs. whose rrice he
c,1lI nat ascertain. which rcr.i-ie,l in speak
| ;r., I'm +, linn and his laI- If the fools did
/ MT know their own iatcrc-t enough To De
| c,,-qrt with q ,,,l r-ice--.,v. of corppra-
tion odycrti.ine-tbev mast be ,Tcnccl.
The e,n,eit If virtue inp-t NO; i.e pushed too
| c,~ =, .nc da,- M. legislature 1.'-,e,l a iii
,;~,,,ll, ,,i,;r., M. iu5,,es mower 10 impri-
.,, ..Iit,rs o- tbeir rlea.nrc, B1t ,irtac-
,,9+ +. in tLe Tweed theory If Iile. of.-tiuacv
in Loljing amt for n birher price mustered
.r.i. - rc,lly resnoctabie prote.t that the
,9i.I;.. ,,7,;c'.- or coercion eilel and uri,ate