The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-04-25
THE DEATH OF TWEED.

/ The man who but a few years ago
! governed New York with as indis-
/ puted sway as the Car ruled Russia
has just ended his days in Il prison
cell. Tweed. the political dictator Of
the metropolis Of the nation, and
Tweed, the dying convict-such are
! the extremes in the life of one whose
I political career had been but one
long series of robberies of the public
treasury. OF Tweed personally we
do not wish to speak. He was Il low,
vulgar, dishonest, self-seeking fellow,
who, with the base instincts of his
class, believed that the possession of
wealth was the great aim, the only
aim, of mans life here below. He
attained what he so priced by tramp
, ling on justice and honesty. For a
while he prOSpered, ard then fell. We
are not of those who would bespeak
Indulgence for the memory of the
man that SO shametully abused the
public trusts coniided to him by his
fdllOw-citiZens. But whilst unwilling
to indulge in the mawkish sentiment
atty that, in the contemplation of
the recent reverses of the eX-Boss,
/ would have us forget the punishment
due his rascalitieS. we must say that
we believe too much of the public in
dignation has been concentrated in
that single man. The end of justice
would be better served if this indig-
nation were more extremely directed
against his co-partners in guilt.
There are men to-day in New York
who have acquired large fortunes
through the Tweed Ring-men. who
are known to be in possession OF this
ill-gotten wealth; and yet the finger
of public scorn is not pointed at them,
because no tribunal of justice has as
yet branded them rs felons.
What we have just said suggests to
us train of thought that may not be
out of place in speaking of the death
of Tweed.
Here we have man that has gone
down to his grave covered with oppro.
brium. His name has become SYM
onym for all that is dishonest and
disgraceful in politics. Whilst in
dulging in invectives against the ex-
chief of Tammany. did it ever occur
to us that, after all. he has not done
One-hundredth part Of the stealing
that is yearly done by men who are
praised by the very journals that are
loud in their denunciations of the
late "Boss! The money rings"
, and the railroad rings" have cheated
! the people of this country of more
money in one year than Tweed could
have robbed them of in hundred
years. jay Govld and Tom Scott have
done more to corrupt legislation than
the leader of Tammany did in the
worst days of Tammany legislation.
Tweed was common, vulgar robber.
who openly stole for Il few millions of
dollars. WAS detected and punished.
He. at least, had the credit due to
courage. He ran the risk of detection.
with All Its consequences. Not so
with the knot or bankers and railroad
spectators who. under the protection
of nefarious laws. framed bv them.
selves. are to-day plunderiny the
country with rapacity compared to
which Tweed 5 few millions seem in
significant indeed.
No one demands the Imprisonment
of these men. ay.if we lift our voices
against them we are condemned as
communists and disturbers of the
peace. And yet these men are greater
criminals than the man whom the
newspapers, in the interest of the
money power and the railroad power.
are now holding up to the public as
the embodiment of all that is bad in
polkicS.-irish Uorld.