The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-21
In Breaking Rings
the TRUE HISTORY OF The
DOWNFALL OF The TWEED
AND CANAL RINGS!
Continued.
THE CANAL RING.


such magnitude. Nevertheless, it was an
organization more powerful for evil in the
politics of the State. 1t was a clique Of
contractors, who by means of fraudulent |
devices in contracts for repairs, &C., by
false measurements, estimates and audits,
plundered the canals of their immense |
revenues. To secure confederates, the |
Ring Joined itself to both parties, nominal
ed, where It could, all canal officers, and
took care to have a sufficient proportion OF
It's friends 10 the Legislature, and also to
have the canal appropriation committees
made up of its tools. This secret combi- |
nation, which always avoided publicity and |
display, had an immense influence in the |
politics of the State, especiallyin the
Democratic party, and dated back many
gears in its history. 1t was this powerful
organization which Mr.. Tilden conceived
it to be his first duty to attack on taking
the Governors chair. In his first annual
message to the Legislature he asked for
the passage of laws facilitating the punish
ment of official defaulters and peculators,
which had been prepared by himself and
Charles O'Conor. While the public
understood that those thad been framed
especially to enable certain suits to be
brought against the Tweed Ring. they did
not know that they were framed. while in
tended TO cover all such cases, with
especial reference to the Canal Ring, which
Gov, Tiden was getting ready to expose.
In his message he also outlined his
policy of administrative reform which he
has steadily adhered to since. Meanwhile
he was collecting bis proofs, and, on the
18th of March, 1875, he addressed to the
Legislature long and able message,
describing in detail the methods of frauds
practiced for many years upon the canals,
showing the extent to which the robberies
of the Ring had run the State in debt, and
asking an investigation. The disclosures
made by his message aroused storm of
Indignation throughout the State, and the
frightened Ring, though having great in
fuence in the Legislature, could not pre-
vent an investigation. A commission was
appointed, headed by ohm Bigelow, which
devoted the remainder of the year to
the investigation, and disclosed astound-
ing frauds So much IF the fraud had
been accomplished through Acts of the
Legislature and awards of boards, that the
work of obtaining judicial proof was diff
cult almost beyond belief, but the Com
mission, by dint of great industry and
skill, succeeded in unearthing and proving
great thefts. The facts they obtained
were reported to Coy. Tilden as soon a
they could be got into proper form, anC
were by him at once transmitted to tn
Attorney General, with instructions t
bring suits. These suits are now pend
ing in the Courts, and if successful, wi
restore large sums to the treasury Of tn
State. This is only a part however, c
the results achieved. Gov. Tilden's dis
closures not only destroyed forever tn
political influence Of the Ring but pu
an immediate stop to its fraudulent praC
tees, and the triumph of his Reform tlckt
at the Fall election Of 1875 put the cana
under the charge Of honest men. TIL
reform in the management OF the cana
is complete; the work Of Furnishing tn
thieves still goes on as fast as the Court
can reach it.
The result of Gov. Tilden's action wa
seen at once in the appropriation Tor tia
year, as well as elsewhere NotwithstanC
ing his recommendations for retrencl
ment in his usual message, the approprii
ton bill for ordinary repairs, as it passe
the New York Canal Committee of tt
Senate, was nearly as large as in 1877
The bill for extraordinary repairs, or ne
work, promised also to be nearly as lare
as that Of 1874, appropriating near
$2,0O0,000 At about this time the spe
ia message on the canals was sent i
The result was that the appropriation Fl
ordinary repairs was reduced $2O0,0I
below that of the year before, and coun
ing the provision made for de6cience
S4l5.G3O. The appropriations for ne
work we're reduced from S2,000,O0O
1865, 900, and the balance was vetoed
the Governor Other appropriations we
also vetoed by the Governor, amountil
to $4OO,OU0, the whole reduction bell
S2,4OO.OOO
Some notion Of the extent Of the ro
berries Of the Canal Ring may be gather,
from the staten. eDt that while the tot
revenues Of the canals Of the State sin
their construction, had amounted, inclu
ing gains resulting from the manageme
of the sinking funds, at the close of Il
last fiscal year to $l3s, iO7, l29, the tot
payments, including the cost Of co
struction, were $l67.OO3,357, lea
ing deficiency of S2S, 1896, %
This was the premium paid
the State of New York in taxes in so yea
to secure and encourage the use of the
waterways, amounting to a subsidy ca
year of $56000O. Part of this was doul
less honest deficiency. but there is no re
son to doubt that much Of it was the res
Of fraud. These were the totals of {
canal revenues and expenditures DUR
1875, the year in which Gov Tilden
posed the Ring:
Receipts. ................. 800.
Expenditures;