Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-26
THE TWEED GANG.
HOW 1T WAS BROKEN UP BY Ed
TOR GEORGE JONES.
How He was offered the Sum of Five MIL
ion Dollars As Rush NIoney-His Re-
frsai and Tweed's Fall.
Now York Times.

A complete history Of Mr.. Jones' man
agement of the Times during the three
years following Mr. Raymond's death
would of necessity include Il history of the
Tweed ring, broken and overthrown by the
Times A briefer recital of the events of
| that memorable contest against corruption,
which ended, for the Times, in a splendid
triumph, and for the city in Il needed puri-
tcation, will here suffice. 1t was in Sep
TENDER, 1870, that the Times began its as
saults upon Tweed and his accompices.
The charges and accusations were cOntin-
ued, with increasing yehemence and direct
ness Of attack, through 10 the fall OF 1870
aud the winter and spring OF 1871 In these
days, when the reign of law Is, perhaps,
more sOlidly established, when the public
press is more Vigiiant and outSpoI1en. and,
consequently, when thieves have Il harder
time of il, il is not elsy rightly to measure
the courage and the conscientious devotion
to the public interest displayed by George
Jones in assailing and exposing this power
ful band of robbers. Tweed and his men
absolutely controlled the city. They had
blinded the eyes of its chief citizens and
put their consciences TO sleep. They had
paralyzed the organs of public opinion, they
had Slapped the virtue OF the bench, and had
terrorized even those who distruSted and
suspected them. Mr.. Jones was made
aware early in the fight that his
property and even his person were
in danger. The ring sought to
silence him by threats and to under
mine him by intrigues. They learned the
courage ana determination of the man they
had to deal with, when upon the editorial
page of the Times of March IS, 1871, they
read the following declaration from Mr..
Jones, made in reply TO published intima-
lions that his paper was about TO pass from
his hands into the ownership and control Of
the members of the ring:
1t is my duty to say that the assertion
that have ever offered TO dispose of my
property in the Times, or that | have ever
entered into negotiations for that purpose,
or am ever likely 10 do so, directly or indi-
rectly is a fabrication from beginning to
end Believing that the course
which the Times is pursuing is that which
the interests of the great body of the public
demand, and that 1t would be 4 base be-
trayal OF the public to turn aside from that
course until an honest government and an
incorruptible Judiciary are restored to the
community, no money that could be offered
could induce me to dispose OF single share
of my property to the Tammany faction, or
TO any man associated with 1t, or indeed to
any person or party whatever, until this
struggle is fought out. | have the same
confidence in the integrity and irmuess of
my fellow proprietors, and believe that
they will decline to sell their honor to a cor
rupt clique at the instigation OF ''RepuOi-
cans who are as unprlncipled as their en-
ployers. Rather than prove false to the
public in the present crisis, would, If
necessity by any possibility arose, imme-
diately start another journal to de-
nounce those frauds upon the peO-
pie which are so great a scandal to the
city, and should carry with me in this re-
newal Of our present labOrS the colleagues
who have already stood by me through
long and arduous contest. Even if the
Times could be sileuced by some fresh
abuse of judicial authority, as l believe it
cannot be, il would pot cause weeks ces-
sation of the exposures of the frauds which
we are now making, committed by the
ring l have, from the first number of
the Times, taken too active part in its
management. and felt far too deep solicit
tude for its good name to dishonor it BY
making it the advocate of mendacity and
corruption l pledge myself to persevere
in the present contest under all and any
circumstances that may arise, through good
report and evil report, in success or failure:
and even though the ring and its friends
offered NE for my interest in the property
as many million dollars as they annually
plumber from the city funds, it would not
change my purpose. This determination is,
| have every reason to believe. fully shared
by my co-proprietors ana by the stan who
act with me in the paper.
GEORGE JoNEs.
This dispelled the hope of the members
Of the ring that they might silence the
Times by the purchase of Mr.. Jones shares.
They did rot. however, cease their efforts
. accomplish their purpose. Mr.. Jones
WAS not the majority owner in the shares OF
he Times. To get control of a majority OF
he stock held oy other shareholders then
0ee.:ne the rings aim. The lowing par