New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-30
PUBLIC OPINION As A POWER,

people that the thieves shall not TAX,
their names in vain, and increase theil
taxes under the name of either Democ
racy or Republicanism, is becoming daily
more obvious.
The prosecution of Republican officials
in st. Louis and Chicago has its counter
part in similar pursuit in New York
where the Democratic offenders are in
like manner held to answer. There is, in
fact, a competition between Secretary
Bristow and Governor Tilden. Between
them those ring rascals who represen,
both parties, and secure a contract or &C,
| OF legislation by union of corrupt in.
hCences, will have a hard time. 1t will
| be combination about as hard on the
| rogues as that by which the raiders and
| cattle thieves Of the Rio Graude are closed
in by the cooperation of the two govern
ments. Each party is therefore preparing
| for the centennial celebration of American
unity by preparing the political scalps Of
oLuClai ueidullels' "ucro uoSt uatlOuh
can show superior degree of official dis
honesty, none can display such a cage full
of official criminals, punished and con-
victed by the act of their own govern
ments, as the United States.
Mr.. Green, controller of the Democra-
tic administration of New York city, has
prepared an exposure of Democratic
fraud under the following sound doctrine
of official appointments:
This whole matter of appoint ntments is one
of vast Importance, and where men ale in.
trusted with official responsibilities they
should be qualified by character and expe-
rience to administer them properly and
with regard to the public interests.
He illustrates this by reciting the pro-
gress of fraud in New York since the date
when the commissions of park and other
Improvements was seized upon by tho
politicians and made an engine of rob-
berry.
The Democratic thieves saw the i'm
mense plunder in the power of officials.
The commissioners of city improvements
were formerly appointed for their know
ledge of such matters. They had pre-
pared plans by which the city would have
been justified in assuming the construc-
the most expensive part of the corporate
area. Mr.. Green says:
Before these measures were consummated,
however, the management and control of
the improvements thus projected passed
into other hands, and became the fruitful
source of official iobbery and plunder. The
adherents of the ring began to speculate in
Riverside and Moruugside lots; Hugh
Smith, James NJ. Sweeny, and William NJ.
Tweed, Jr., were appointed by judge of
that period commissioners TO value the land,
and spectators, municipal thieves, and
others wearing the garb of vanished re-
spectablity held high carnival over the
prospect of plunder.
1t was necessary, however, that this
ring should acquire control of State and
corporate legislation.
The city charter of 1870 gave legal form
and assurance to the ring, confirmed it in
the government of the cong quered city, and
divided patronage and plunder among its
triumphant leaders.
10 Tweed was given a new department of
public works, with enormous powers, made
up by an unnatural combination Of the
functions of various previously existing de.
partments.
To Sweeny was handed over the desart.
ment Of parks, with all the powers Of the
commissioners of parks. Associated with
him were Henry Hilton and Thomas C.
Fields, who together, forming q majority
absolutely directed the operations of the de.
partment. Sweeny had also the control of
the chamberlainship. From this time / had
neither control nor influence in the affairs
Of the parks, nor Of any of the works of the
city. Expenditure ran riot, plunder was
triumphant, and the park organization,
which had required twelve years to perfect,
was utterly demoralized. This state Of
things lasted for eighteen months, until the
fall election of 1871.
The reforms Of that year did not operate
directly. The ring designated its own
successors. o. fraudulent phrase snaked
into an act relating ostensibly to the Cro-
ton aqueduct, it is said:
Thus were centred in that departmeat
not only the unlimited powers that Tweed
had given 1t in his chatter, but nearly all
the system OF powers and duties that had
been conferred upon the department of
parks and the park commission.
Mr.. Green says that public opinion is
in fair way to execute the intent of this
reform. The dismissal of the Tweed an.
peal for relief on the ground that he had
been twice impleaded for the same offense,
and that he was entitled to bill of par
ticulars to satisfy himself how much he
had stolen from the public, have shown
this naughty and dishonest snob in his
true nature. The people do not relax
their grasp upon the throat of robber
through fear it will hurt his sensitive
moral feelings. Tweed insolently asked
the people: "What are you going to do
about the money stole from your"
The people answer by clothing him
in a coat and breeches of a couple of
colors, shaving his head and showing him
like one of Barnum's gorillas through the
bars of cage. Public opinion is an
awful power. 1t moves like moral hur-
ricane, and illustrates all official iniqui-
ties which occur within its resistless
range. The Republican probabilities"
intimate, from the falling barometer of
popular condemnation at Washington and
New York, that it may be apprehended in
the West and South. The Republicans of
Louisiana will be prepared for it, and all
vs.s-