The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-07-01


opinion that they were on the eve OF great
war, and maintained that instead of 10000
troops Mr.. Lincoln should have called out
SOC, 900, half for immediate service and the
other half to be put in camps of instruction
and trained for impending exigencleS. I'm
happily that generation had seen 50 little OF
war and had sucn limited means OF compre-
bending the rapidly with which The war
spirit once lighted, Will spread among peo-
pie, that it was not competent to appreciate
the wisdom of this advice, which, if adopted,
would probably have prevented the necessity
of any further increase of military force.
Being invited by the government at wash
lngton to give his advice as to the conduct OF
the war, he put on record, in letter to the
Secretary of War; these memorable words:
You have no right to expect great mill,
tary genius to come to your assistance. lhey
only appear once in two or three centuries.
You will probably have to depend upon the
average military talent OF the country. IN
der such circumstances your only course IS
to avail yourself of your numerical strength
and your superior military resources result
ing from your greater progress in industrial
arts and your greater producing capacities.
You must have reserves and concentrate your
forces on decisive points, and overwhelm
your adversarles by dlsproportionate numbers
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 hls inability to secure
its adoption.
With the peace came to Mr.. Tiden the
most important political labor of his life
With the assistance Of Charles O'COnor, who
followed the members Of that band of con.
spirators with all his usual vigor and adrott,
ness until II was not only broken up, hut its
leading members scattered to the four quar-
tiers of the globe, he aSsailed and overthrow
the combined republican and democratic
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
sons should be voted for by each elector and
twelve chosen. In other words, the nominees
of the republican and democratic party eau
clses should be elected. At the succeeding
session of the Legislature their term of office
was extended to six years. This gave Board
of Supervisors, consisting of six republicans
and six democrats, to change a majority of
which it was necessary to have control of the
primary meetings of both of the great nation
al and state parties for years in succession
a series of condolences which rarely hap
pens IN generation.
THIS was doubly ring" twas a ring
between the six republicans and the six dem.
ocratic supervisors. 1t soon grew to be a
ring" between The republican majority in
the Legislature and the halfand-half super
visors and few democratic officials of the
city 1t embraced just enough influential
men in the org anizatIon of each party 10
control the action Of both party organizations
men who in public life pushed to extremes
the abstract ideas of their respective parties,
while secretly they joined hands in common
schemes for personal power and property.
1t would take columns to portray even
family the rascaities of this ring headed by
the notorious Boss Tweed, with his efficient
lieuteuants, Sweeny, Connolly, etc. Suffice it
to say that of the millions annually raised by
the city government of New York to defray
expenses, in 1869 the per centage
stolen reached 30 per cent, IN 1870 60 per
cent, and in 1871 and ~, SIS per cent,
We have neither the time or means to
race the successive steps by which, through
he unwearying labors of Tllden and O'Con.
nor, this gigantic ring was broken up and its
leaders either driven into impenetrable hid.
ng holes or lodged in the penitentiary.
But the corrupt infection was not confined
70 the city of New York 1t was found to
)eryade the whole state, and most notably
he management of the canals was found to
De rotor to the core John A. Dix was gov.
,rnor, an able and honest man, but he was
believed to lack nerve to grapple with the
giant, and the people demanded Tllden for
Dix had been elected by $4,000
majority, and was popular man; Dut at the
election IN 1872 Tilden was elected over Dix
~ majority of 54,215.
The war waged by TIlden on the canal and
'ther corrupt rings since his first Inaugural
ion as Governor of New York has been per.
lstent and determined, and though fruitful
n many reforms and savings to the people,
las been repeatedly checked and retarded by
lilatory proceedings in the courts; yet the
read of the snake has been scotched and ulti-
nate death Is inevitable.
But this epidemic of corruption, which
proceeding from Washington had overspread
Every part of the civil service, not only of
New York, but of all the states, was manifest
n no way more clearly than in the enormous
axatIon that was everywhere required to feed
t. Gov. Tilden believed that there could be
10 more effective way TO fight the disease
IA an to mt a StOu 10 this Taxation Inv which