The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-07-19

" with which the war spirit. once
lighted, will spread among people,
that it was not competent to appre'
ciate the wisdom of this advice,
which. il adopted. would probably
have prevented the necessity of any
further increase of military force.
To Secretary Chase and his friends
Mr.. Tilden insisted that the war
ought to be carried on under a sys-
tenn Of sound finance. which he did
not doubt the people would cheer
fully sustain if the Government
would have the courage to propose
it. At later period Of the war he
was invited by the Government at
Washington to give his advice as to
the best methods for its further con-
duct. He said to the Secretary OF
War:
"You have no right to expect q
great military genius to come to your
assistance. They only appear once
in two or three centuries. You will
probably have to depend upon the
average military talent Of the coun-
try. Under such circumstances your
only course is TO avail yourself OF
your numerical strength and your
superior military resources resulting
from your greater progress in indus
trial arts and your greater producing
capacities. You must have reserves
and concentrate your forces on de-
cisive points, and overwhelm your
adversaries by disproportionate num-
bers and reserves"
His advice was not taken, but he
had the satisfaction, within year
after it was given, of hearing the
Secretary of War acknowledge its
wisdom and lament his inability to
secure its adoption.
With the peace came to Mr.. Til
den the most important political Ia
Dor of his life. With the assistance
of Charles O'Conor, who followed
the members of that band of conspi-
rators with all his usual vigor and
adroitness until it was not only
broken up, but its leading members
scattered to the four quarters OF the
globe, he assailed and overthrew the
combined Republican and Democrat
ic Ring which ruled and ruined New
York. This ring" had its origin in
an act passed by the Legislature of
the State of New York in 1857, in
connection with the charter of that
year, which provided that but six
persons should be voted for by each
elector and twelve chosen. In other
words, the nominees of the Republi-
can and Democratic party caucuses
should be elected. At the succeed
ing session of the Legislature their
term of Office was extended to six
years. This gave a Board of Super
visors, consisting of six Republic
cans and six Democrats to change
majority of which it was necessary
to have control Of the primary meet,
ings of both Of the great national
and State parties for years in snc
cession-a series Of condolences
which rarely happen in a generation
This was doubly ring" 1t was
a ''ring'' between the six Republi
can and the six Democratic Super
visors. 1t soon grew to be ring
between the Republican majority il
the Legislature aud the half-and- hal
! Supervisors and a few Democratic
officials of the city. 1t embraced
just enough influential men in the
organization of each party to contro
the action of both party organiza
tions-men who in public life push
ed to extreme the abstract ideas o
their respective parties, while secret
ly they joined hands in common
schemes for personal power anC
property. 1t gradually transferred
its seat of operations to Albany
The lucrative city officers-subordi
nate appointments, which each heat
of department could create at pleas
ure, with salaries in his discretion
distributed among the friends Of th'
legislators contracts, money con
tributed by city officials, assessed OIL
their subordinates, raised by job
under the departments, and some
times taken from the city treasury
were the corrupting agencies whic
shaped and controlled all legislation
; Year by year the system grew wors
as q government institution-mor
powerful and more audacious. Th
Executive Department swallowed u
all the local powers, which gradua
ly became ncgc deputies of legislE
; tors at Alou y, u. s. hom alone the
were depellent IL became con
pletely orga ;zra on the 1st of Jar
uary, 1869 But It's power was emo
mously extended by an act passe
on the 5ih Of April in the followin
year. giving tie power of local go'
ernment to few Individuals OF th
ring for long periods, and free
from ali accountability.
Without month after the pa
saga Of this Tweed charter the Boar
of Special Audit-one Of the fruit
of this Legislature-were maxim
an order for the payment of ov'
, six millions of money, of which it
now known that scarcely 10 p'
. cent. in value was realized by I'll
city. Tweed got 24 per cent, al
f his agent, Woodward, Z the brothC
, of Sweeney, 10; Watson. Deput
Collector. Z; SO per cent. went
mechanics who furnished the bill
though their share had to suff
! many ATTACHMENTS; and 20 went
! other parties. Over $4,000 We
sent to Albany to be distribute
among the members Of the Legisl
ture.
5 The percentages of theft, compa
atively moderate in 1869, reachC
&c per cent. in 1870. and later,
D per cent.
+ The Senators who voted on Il
: 9th of April, 1870, with but two di