The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24

wrong 30 lar 90 fhcts ana inferenoes were
concerned. and where not only the ruling
power OF o great State was overturned, but
the policy OF the entire National Adminis-
tration Was wrested from the hands OF the
Republicans and given over to the control
OF the Democracy. The frat Is the case OF
William NJ. Tweed. My acquaintance With
Mr.. Tweed dated from 1868 until the time OF
bis death. From 1860 TO 1878 inclusive |
saw him half dozen times a week, not init;
watched his start, his progress, his
marvellous rise into popularity. and
shared with o score OF thousands OF
New York's wisest people admi-
ration for his ability and absolute faith in
his integrity. have before me at this mo.
ment subscription paper TO which are APP
pended the names OF the best known people
In the city OF New York for the purpose OF
raising funds for the casting and erection OF
q mammoth statue OF William NJ. Tweed on
the Tweed Plaza at the Fifth avenue entrance
to Central Park. There never was man in
New York city before whom the rich tax
payers bent the knee OF recognition. Thsre
meyer ives man Ia the city OF New York be.
fore whom the poor bwung the censor and
burned the incense OF praiss and COMPLY.
ment more than to that same William M.
Tweed. Disappointed evar!ce laid it5 hand
upon the knob OF the door OF discovery.
Greed, lust for money and desire for re-
venge brought about the publication OF sun
dry documents which had been In the hands
OF reputable men in this city for years, lead.
ing to the unwilling Of series of systematic
frauds before which even the mammoth
Mississippi bubbles of Law and his assocs tes
years ago ''pale their Intellectual fire" Led
by opposition politicians, encouraged by an
ell bat unanimous press, the peopls WIN had
We'd with each other in q hurrah of sd Mira
ton OF this man and his methods turnel in
a ral
mics and defemeIs' As you know, Mr..
Tweed never bad trial for any OF the frauds
he was charged to have committed. T1at he
committed the frauds l believe. have 10
doubt OF 1t, because l read the charges and
saw in print the proofs, bat no judge ever
sat upon bench when
WILLIAM NJ. TWEED WAS CONFRONTED
with Jury who were to decide whether be
was guilty or innocent OF the crimes charged
against bim. The only time he was ever
brought face to face with Jury was when
he was charged with malfeasance as O mem.
Der of q board of audit, the special act of
malfeatance being the fact that, instead OF
the board sitting az board, their papers and
conclusions, prepared by their clerk, we're
sent TO each individual member OF the board
in his individual Office. This. according TO
the ruling Of the court, was mslfeassnce, and
the jury found him guilty. Judge Davis 40.
surely ruled that he could sentence Mr..
Tweed on each count in the Indictment, and
graciously directed that be should be con-
fined to the peniteLtiary for twelve years. At
the expiration OF one year, however. OR
highest court, seat Of appeals, decided that
Davisw was wrong and that Tweed had suffered
all the law contemplated. He may have
been indicted don't know how that WAS
but he was never brought to trial charged
with theft, which corruption, with stealing
or with orookedness, so far az the public
funds were con earned. Do you believe 1t
would have been possible for William NJ.
Tweed to have had q fair Trial in this county
Why, when he was brought into c3urt on
the frat charge, and his counsel offered bail,
the then city juege, Bedford, in open and ab.
eolute defiance and utter disregard for the
provisions OF the law, committed him TO jail
at the irstigation OF Charles OConor, one of
the narrow est minded lawyers that ever
pleaded in our courts. refusing him the
privilege that the constitution gives to every
man, high or low, rich or poor. Tweed was
instantly taken before a Judge OF the supreme
court, who Laughed as be read Judge Bad
fords commitment, ard instantly released
Tweed upon bail for years. Absolutely right
ss ii was, standing on all fours, with equity,
with justice and the plain provisions OF tue
constitution, the judge was then and there
threatened by Charles O'Conor, in sneering
tone and offensive gesture, with impeach-
ment. The judge was right, OConor was
wrong, and Tweed was set at liberty. Now
don't 60 off on tho wrong tangent. ] am not
Tweed was an innocent man. I simply re-
iterate that he was never prov
tlce, and, further. say that public opinion
was such that, in my judgment, he never
would have had fair trial in the city and
county of New York any more than 1 believe
this police officer Crowley could have fair
IN N q m
Or that the juror Munsell, if he were not an
exceptionally clesn.skirted man, could have
stood up In the face Of unanimous public
opinion and dare the judge and the district
attorney to prove the faintest of their insinu-
atoms against his character. The other case
to which l refor Ia of more recent date than
that of Tweed. When the Republican con.
vention met in Saratoga in 1852. ] think,
Judge Folgsr was nominated. Prior TO the
sitting of the convention, the Stale COM
mittee held q meeting, at which
FORCED rsoxY,
or bogus dispatch purporting to bea proxy,
wes received by Police Commissioners Preach
of this city, enabling the administration PEG.
pie 10 have controlling voice in that COM
mittee. That bogus proxy and the action of
that COMMITTEES had no more to do With the
subsequent nomination of Judge Folger
than my black dog Prince has to do with
the day OF Judgment. He was nominated
against blind pool Cornell by msjority so
significant that there wasn't peep OF dis
satisfaction afterwsrd, and it wasn't until
the New York Herald brought into conspic.
uous promin snce the story OF the forged
proxy that anybody knew or cared aught
about 1t. A cunning twist was given, and
the people got it into their heads that in
some way or other Judge Folger bad received
o bogus nomination. Well, you might Just
ss we'll attempt to explain to bull in a
china shop that be was in wrong place, ana
thss he would be more agreeable as a visitor
in the stall OF nsighboIing barn, as to try
to explain to the people that they were on
who was down in Washington attending to
his duties as secretary Of the treasury,
had nothing to do with it, knew
nothing of it, and was in no sense bene