New-York tribune., 1884-12-21

ihNfp nv Ws NWN sskh thAl AsspNhl WAN 'fpN'Nh p.
tfwiA "a het FaAaMs @a candidate ief speaker ~ lhe
s,iehe'h ~ hls Ppfsenai beanN, Ito has stgaRs i al
e ae'elepment bat hs rame has pFoiiei ~ tho cost
| ~ hs halnIes. | knaw Ro one with whpm Mr tvWin
can he compared Ia ths latter respeet Wnless " ha the
'le ,harlas baehus iie,has especially the mouth of p
." "nstrel baokus used to describe ths feature as
bens bo'h Oppressive aud eN@usire, sood thug for
depot or member OF the Legislature" Possibly Mr.
Erwin h"s tho other qualification which jaokus claimed
aud which all his friends claimed for him. he may
oeed IN becoming Speaker Whenever alusion made
10 hs extraordinary ugincss Backus used to remark In
mock protesting way: Yes Il know I'm not pretty,
| but you all know I'm good"
Channcey NJ. Depew introduced me TO Mr.. Erwin a
few nights In the Fifth Avenue Hotel rouDda, and
| though had only few words with Mr. Erwin. they
were about his candidacy. and Immediately struck
with the drectness and sensible manner In which lie
spoke should Judge Of the man from this brief ac-
qlantance as one not disposed to let his light shine
under bushel and yet deserving and competent
TO carry his banner loty Of them He appeared
se-reiant without being egotistcal. and seemed conI-
dent OF success at that date chiefly because he as ac
| lively engaged In working for It.
About the time the investigation OF tho Department Of
Pubic WORKS was to begin prominent Democrat who Is
large city contractor said to This investigation Is
going to he failure. Thompson will notbe removed and
he Will succeed himself. This Riug is not Ike the old
Ill or Public WORKS. IL mas
by Tweeds experience There will be found no con-
tractors with elltac books, and vouchers which it
will be necessary to burn" Down to this time 1t looks
ne II this man spoke whereof he knew, ana with pro-
phctic vision. Mr. Thompson certainly has held on
tenacously and do not how he ia going to be
dispossessed unless by the process outlined In TIE
TRIBUNE fortnight ago. 1t therein said on
the authority OF Democrat who had splendid oppor-
unitlcs for getting at the facts and the probabilities
that Mr. Thompson hal enough Aldermen fixed To de-
feat any nomination by Mayor Edison, but that when
Mayor Grace 10 appoint he would be ikclyto pass
Hubert o. by and name hs crony, James $. Coleman
| street Commissioner, to DO Commissioner of Public
Works.
was repeating this prophecy to number of gentle
men, among whom was Commissioner Hess. lie said:
THE TRIBUNE believe to be right in this matter-with
amendment Mayor Grace Is moro likely 10 appoint
James s. Coleman John d. Crimmins than Mr. Thomp-
believe IL will be OF the two" lam reminded
OF this seeing Mr.. Grin mins's name suggested as
possible nominee Ivy Mayor Edison. Crimmins is County
Democrat and this would the objection that Is
urged that Mayor Edison is pledged to reappont County
Democrat to succeed County Democrat.
Speaking Of the old Ring am reminded that about
ten days before the late election while passing through
Thirty eighth-st with friend we.encountered gentle
coming of the residence Of former official dup
ing the Ring days We both stoppedand looked at the
until lie sprang into his coach and driven rapidly
away. As turned to resume walk our eyes met
and each said addressing the ether inquiringy Peter
u. g. We both subsequently agreed that the man was
Peter b. Sweeney the brains OF the old Ring" Ny com
panIon hail. howeye last seen him in London years ago
had him but twice In ten years. In IA In the
Rue de la Pa,, In Paris looking sad and melancholy i'c
one lost gay city; and later him in this city,
at time he returned here aud made restitution for s
brothers share Of the Ring spos aud thus secured
immunity for himself We could not be quite sure how
even that It was Sweeney, and hs protese in the past
ont of whose house he had como, wond not inform ne
he WAS In the country He comes and goes, however,
quite frequently, ani ALWAYS aecrev, "a custom and hs
sectrve nature would naturally lead hih to doi AMI |
sha not he sutprlsci any day to hear that tho old Ring
namarck wa, really here ami taking hand Ia the late
election,
efhis rims" ~ my Democratic friend " ithherto
fhnMpaon tu, aad, IA not lse tho old ono" it wefe
II wou,d he rar mere ahoft-lNei than Tue fweea i'hA
was Tor we knew httter how 10 deal with hhsa nav
aays than We di then Certainly three men mere unlike
IA characters, purpoaes aud dupes'liohs th"h fWee"
Connolly aud sweeney never before engaged IN
conspiracy to dominate rule ana rob great CITY HOW
tho noonsruous three held together as long ~ they
did l. tho ohei mystery now. Tweed was bold reckless
iomineering dctaora In tho extrome, and needessy
extr.yagant that he enriched many of his followers who
did not share his guilt responsibility His methods
OF lavish expenditure alono would have exposed the
Ring frauds In tmo; tho iagran total of some OF his
department bills indeed first drew attention to the rob
berries going generally Connolly on the other hand,
was pcnurlous cowardy and mean. giving nothing to
others and raising mp his own Office men who
were ready betray him FOR alone lie robbed
only to for himself and family but the wealth dd
him no more good for being preserved than Tweeds did
for being wasted Both died practically paupers; Tweed
in Ial dependent friends whom he had enriched
for his board money and Connolly In exile dependent on
he
his thes I'm order preserve them. Sweeney was man
ambitious OF political power without eage-ness Tor tho
wealth the public display it might bring him. lie was
sccretve and suspcious reserved and patient; ana he
Aimed am firmly convinced, at National administration
rather than local pcculaon The dissolution OF such
Ring us that was inevitable.
Especially was 1t certain 70 be speedily dissolved IN
view OF the people whom these Ring leaders attached
TO their pcrs and interests Tweed had COOK rs his
right-hand man In the Department OF Public Works
This was like having ring within ring :; minor In
sect 70 prcy upon the grcater thief within the den TO
rob the chief Connolly surrounded by knayes who
we're fully as cowardy as himself. There was quite
race between his man Friday, Andrew ]. Garvey' ana
Others as to VINO should first betray him. The Old man
I'm his cowardice turned traitor first OF them all and de-
iyered over the proofs against the whole Ring to Its
foes .Sweeneys osition was made imnedlaely untch-
able v the discovery that his drunken brother James Ne
Sweeney, large sharer in the Ring frauds. Han
stood his ground the last and received only the severe
punisment which the keeping Of bad company brought
unon him. AZ It will ON every man, guilty or innocent
The present" Ring" am told. as before quoted mas
none of these weaknesses We shall see. it mas hos
these then Others will discovered 1t Is inevitaben
wrong ia going on that will be brought to the light OF
day. But how, II the Ring be again entrenched py the
retention OF Thompson by Grace There Is Du' one
nothod Investigation and exposure The next Legls- |
lature should go at 1t again and with new energy.
Thore are two new incentives the Legislature to send
tton hare LII q 4 mnntl tO In |