New-York tribune., 1878-04-13

utos levied upon them by the Supervisors, for giving
them the contracts The total amount involved during
years was not large the subsequent seangs OF
single week The agents or "gobetweens IN the carry
days were E. A. Woodward then Clerk of the Board oil
Supervisors, and Cumming II. Tucker, su-
| perintendent of the Court House. The su-
peryisors' Ring hardly deserves paragraph
| to itself. 1t only the primary sehoo
OF the Tweed Ring. and taught men to be merely pick
pockets rather than burglars such as they were SUD
sequenty graduated into. Tweed in describing THIS
political gang of Fagns pupils said it was only for the
purpose OF making money. and not intended to con-
troll politics Its duration not long Public opinion
finally overhrew 1t. Tweed the most ambitious OF It's
members, met with the most signal overthrow OF all
! In 1861 semuous of the then great spons
! OF the SheriGs office. he put himself for
ward for that position, but was defeated by James
Lynch, who was at once a reform and war candidate
At that time the war fever high and thousands OF
Republicans voted against Tweed on account or the pro-
nounced sentiments of Mr. Lynch But the gross excesses
Of Supervisors had much do with rweeds retire
public life at this time and with his retire
ment the Supervisors Ring came to an end.
| Tweeds retirement not for any great length OF
time. He too powerful politician in his own
ward TO crushed by reverse, which all the wards
OF the city engaged. He was too useful ana TOO
necessary IN his district to the dominant political
power and sO very after his defeat for Sheriff. he
| Commissioner. his Deputy. Shortly after
ward George W. Mclean appointed to the Street
Commissionership. aud Tweed was retained. In
this Office, his chief business was the political manage
OF the Iyth Senate lower district, OF the city
and well did he manage IT, that in 1867 he elected
a State Senator He continued, however, to hold bis
depuyshp and the two positions him great power
! and patronage.
THE FIRST POLITICAL RING.
It was while he was merely Deputy Commissioner Of
Streets and before he Senator that tine first poti
cal Ring OF the city formed This composed of
John r. Hoffman, who then mayor, Matthew Il.
Brennan. who Controller Charles G. Cornell, who
was Street Commissioner. Tweed who was Deputy, as
aforesaid, and Peter b. sweeny who powerful as
political manager in an upper Senate District Bren
man, Tweed aud Sweeny at the time the real polt
ical managers OF New-York, and Holman and Cornell
merely honorable figurebCads.
This organization was born on q lunch table. Hoffman
daily lunch I'm the basement OF the city Hail Uhe
custom kept up to the present te and the four men
named his messmotes. They daily met there " for
social enjoyment" and from comments the weather
they gradually advanced to the discussion Of local pOu
! cal patronage. There does not to have been
| any disposition the part OF this board, q
majority OF It, TO steal money directly and It was not
until Cornell had been succeeded by Tweed himself,
der tie new title OF Commissioner OF Public Works,
Brennan by Richard b. Connolly, Controller, and
Hoffman by A. Oakley Hall, Mayor, that the schemes
! for plumber were developed. Mclean was in it for a
time but soon dropped out.
THE TWEED RING.
The Ring round table composed, In 1863 OF Hail.
Mayor Connolly, Controller Swecny. Chamberlain, and
! Tweed, Commissioner OF Public Works. The chief
| ttudauts at the table were James Watson, County
/ Auditor "a deputy Of Controller Connolly, whom Con
/ molly had selected from among the prisoners I'm
| Ludlow Street Jail for his purpose and +. A.
Woodward, formerly Tweeds agent IN the old
Board OF Supervisors, and sull deputy Of that body
Their master spirits not long in developing the
| ring. which, under Hoffman, had been merely one for
the distribution Of political spOs, into for the gath
ering of wealth. Puuder, not patronage, became the
chief purpose OF the organization ana the several
bcrs have gone at it Systematically. Hall
given the charge OF all legal and journalistic matters
to manipulate the press and prepare the legal
papers aud give legn advice. He then fresh from
the Dstrict-AtOruey's Office, aud thought good
AID safe adviser for this burglars club. To Peter
Il. Swecuy given tine management Of the courts, the
nomination OF judges, the dctatiOn OF clerks and officers
To indicate how thoroughly hc performed his duties IL 10
only necessary TO say that Barnard CardOEo, and Nc
| Cum his creations GDd creatures. To Connolly
was assigned the control OF the finances. To Tweed
! general supervision given, including the manage
meut OF the Tammauy General Committee, which the
success the party almost wholly depended. and the
manipulation of the Legislature, Oi which lie was men,
| Der In the upper House
The first effort of the new Ring was the destruction of
tac old or first Ring formed by the Supervisors
nant OF the old corrupt combination remained, and
few SUPERVISORS. combining with OBren, then Sheriff,
| were continuing system Of plumber not
| perfect and not very effective, but still strong
| enough 10 require ITS absolute stranguation be-
! fore q Ring could bee brought into existence.
! Tweed accomplished its overthrow by amendment 70
the levy OF 1869, which abolished the Board Of su
peryisors, and with indefinite idea 10 the spos
which might remain ungathered, authorized Hall. Con
molly and Tweed settle all claims then pending against
| al 81 Vttf1.l T II
! The passage OF this tax levy had he bought. The
! money was furnished by the commissioners aud
tractors OF tho building, and the original plan was
doubtless simply 10 rccompcnse these men for the 49,
600 advanced 10 bubG tho Legislature But stealing
begun hard 10 stop aud the Board Of Audit COM
posed Of Hall, Connolly aud Tweed went on stealing for
| an cntiro year before they recognized the danger
and were called to a halt BY this tme-the
story old familiar one-tne stealings the Court
| House alone had aggregated more than S6,O00O0O.
Other schemes Of plunder had been devised meantime,
aud IN every department corruption was rampant All
the old and trusted associates Of the former Ring
called INTO power. Henry " Hank Smith made
President o the Police force, aud he made it the
most corrupt and inefficient organization In
any city. regular lobby was organized at Al
bauy for tho purchase Of legislation. The
contracts for public improvements OF every sort
kept under Twceds control. Sweeny's courts, under
Barnard, Cardozo and McCunn, became simply mediums
for RING plunder OF private estates and public corpora
tons in which professional receivers and referees
the agents Every contractor laid under tribute No
corporation safe that did not subscribe to political
purposes that disguise tributes levied. IL
was not safe for rich 20 die and submit will In the
surrogates Office The spOils Of the years in which
the Ring may be- said 20 have been in power aggregated
probably Sj0,OO00O0. The sum OF S6,00OOO0, for
which each Of the four members Of the Ring sued,
was only fraction OF what they got away with"
THE DEATH OF THE RING.
The first vital wound Of this corrupt organization