The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-10-20
YILDEN AND I'IYEEED.
THE PART MR.. TILDEN PLAYED IN OVER
NHELMING GHK RING.

In the October number of the North
american HeUi63o, a magazine of no patty
preiudice Mr.. Charles Z. Wingate gives
tue fourth article Of his series, can Epi-
sode in Municipal Government" which
treats of the SCATTERING of the Tammauy
ring, and particu larly of AIr. Tildeu's part
in the work. Mr.. w Wingate says:
During the month of August Mr.. Samue!
J. Til,eu, who WAS chairman of the Demo
cratic state central committee, held several
conferences with Mr.. Francis Herman, ex
Governor Seymour, Mr.. Charles O'Gouor
and Mr. Oswald OtteEdorfer, all eminent
and respectable Democrats, to consider the
situation. y programme Of action was
laid down aud agreed upon by these gen
tleman which embraced as its maiu points
the cutting loose from he whole 1ammany
organization, as it then existed, with the
purlication OF the Judiciary aud the legis
lature. The great labor Of giving effect o
the plan was voluntarily assumed 10y Mr.
Til6en, who, from beginning to end, bo.h
| inspired and engineered this most danger
Gus of all te attacks on the ring. He was
indefatig able in his exertiOns, and neglected
no means calculated to mite the decent
elements Of The party in favor OF reform.
Among other things he issued a Circular
letter TO &c, coo influential Democrats, in
which he boldly declared that wherever tie
gaugrene of corruption lad reached tie
Organization they uust ''ttke a knife and
cut it out by the roots. - He promised
fur her that the present state of the local
goveTumen should be made the subject of
iHresti cation and ccuSure at the neXt state
convention, aud declared that the men who
had caused the existing decentralization
would have 10 go under This was
strong language from partisan politician,
but il bore fruit in the hearty Democratic
support of the reform ticket i'll the eensuidg
election. and il other undertakings which
Mr.. Yilden aud his associates presently set
on foot.
The Seventy was like other bodies of
the same character ; it was eminently re-
spectacle, but IT, realized too strongly that
the eyes Of the world were upon i, aud
accordingly INDUCED too much III postu'ing
and debate, aud net enough ID steady work.
Tweed and Sweeuy, if they had at this
time expressed their InneImost sentiments,
would probably have III. mated a toierdbiy
complete indifference to the debates and
proceedings of the ''Seventy," reSeIving
iheir wrath and fear for the quiet untiring
sleuth like assiduj1y with which SIR fIidcn
was feI reting out their wrong doingS, and
pressing them home to the party stronghold.
The seventy doubtless annoyed and
Democratic central committee was fairly
hunting them TO earth.
The move on Halls part was an ingenious
one, and brought TO his side large portion
of the press aud the honest public feeling
which clamUred loudly for Conuolly's in-
stant resignation. That lie could not long
sustain himself was apparent enough 20 all.
The vital question, however, was ''W no is
to succeed him ?'' The mayor and his con-
federates we're straining every nerve 20 Sc
cure for themselves the appointment OF the
new comptroller, confidently hoping that (
they could but do SO he frauds might yet
be concealed. Again they were dlSap-
pointed. Mr. Tilden stood in their path.
1t was on the evening Of the llth that
Mayor Hall had thrown himself on the
magnam;ty Of Mr.. Connolly. On the Eth
Connolly had mustered sufficient degree
of courage to inform him that he was
sunable to submit himself as vicarious
sacrifice to satisfy the hungry appetite of
adversaries for victim" and that conse-
oueutlv he declined TO resign. Having
Tins closed the correspondence, the wretch
ed man abandoned himself 10 despair. III
his utter wretchcduess he finally oethol@hC
himself of Sir. 1ilden, and through fiiend
begged for an interview. Somewhat sur
nrised at the request, and not knowng
what might come from it, Mr. Elden APP
n,iuted "A meeting for the morning oi The
18th Then and there Connolly poured
for,l his whole soul. Declining to I've his
l.,,,,l couusel or in any way to act for him,
Mr Tilden then frankly told him that he
must resign his Office. but on no account
into the hands of his former confederates
The question then arose about his procnr.
ing money to carry on the city government
notwithstanding the Foley" injunction,
aud on that point Mr.. Tiiden desired Time
To consult with others. and deferred the rest
of the interview until tue evening. This
anxiety on Mr.. Tildeu's part for "A renewed
interview was due TO the fact that, on eX
amining the laws after Connolly left him III
the morning. lac baG noticed a singular en-
acs,nent authorizing the comptroller to APP
point deputy. aud to confer upon hin for
a definite period all his own ohciai powers.
This clause had been slipped into the act
to enable Mr. Connolly To take trip TO