The record-union., 1895-02-09

stian-G n-Gotf-LeXow revelations, and only
some of the lesser Tammany Hall satel-
lites.
That earliest downed Tammany rose
like Phoenix from its ashes. Whether
Iammany's recent cremation will event.
uate IN an application OF the poet Bry-
ants aspOstrophe to Truth when it is
crushed; or, in an application OF his
apostrophe to writhing Error, which
dies amid her worshipers," remains for
this new year to answer.
But this narrative will be incomplete
without few closing words as to Will
lam NJ. Tweed. He has been generally
described as a coarse, common man, with
out servIceable intellect, merely cunning
and dishonest official. But he had good
mental powers, Innate tact, and by attTi-
ton socially and in business way with
his kinQ mad acquired at least The veneer
Of pleasant intercourse. He was intensely
executive, born to command, full of
thoughtIuIneSs, weak often in Judgment
and OF depressed moral sense l am not
TO defend hlm as man, only as muni-
cipaI Official, the Commissioner OF Public
W Orks. AS the county officer referred
to he became a passive offender in the
hands OF adrOlt consplratOrs much his
junior. But III charge of his department
that severed the streets and cared for the
underground honey ycOmbing of them,
that lighted and swept and paved them
y
of the city, all his official contemporaries
will agree with me that he was the most
efficient and far-seeing officer in COM
maud OF those subjects that the city has
ever had.
His chief engineer was admirably Sc
lected, and 50 were his employees adapt
i've 10 the scope Gf their duties. To him
is largely due the fine bouIevards at the
west end of the city, and its excellent
horse railway communications. He it
was who laid out an original plan for
stone docks and suggested the placing
OF them in care of General Mcclellan as
| engineer-in-chlei. AS the head of the
Iammany organization he was deSpotic
ana autocratiC. Yet he always consulted
compeers anu disciples, and often had
the address OF making the most OF them
! believe he was following their views,
when IN reality he had converted them to
J his own.
| In personal dealings he had brusque-
hess OF manner which was, however,
! kept from being offensive by a certain
| healIueSs o. look. Tweed died in
| ueDtOrS prison UI Il brCken AearJ. lie
| had vein OF tenGe; ness III MS rough eX-
! terror, as his family and Intimate friends
| We'll knew, anG his geneI0sit;=s were uu
! bounded ana sincere. ..Toa+hiy half of
! tie moneys he undou5, ,eGly received
! Ircm the Courthouse syndicate OF con-
! SEI"S..OIS gas spent upon others. L grieVe
+ 20 say IL3t he was practically plundered
/ IN reLurn oy his cotefie of lawyers who
for yeas defended his misiortunes. if
dIs.Icsses thaC d man solely brings upon
hlmseG cs sVtain The dignity CT The title
OF mis:ortunes. AnG when he died he
was practically ipennlless and his estate
! was neve: opened in the Probate Court.
! There is personal legend about him
| that when dying he said:
ii / took the stolen money Of the city
treasury | have returneu value Tor it in
the Improvements L bestowed upon the
| metropolis"
l lave used the phrase broken heart
ed" with meaning. Not long before his
romantic escape from debtors jail to
! Cuba and Spain, and his exJraditIon, he
was assured by the then Attorney Gen.
eraI OF the State that if he would tell
the whole tale of the Courthouse con-
spiracy before an investigating commit
tee then in session, he would be released
on his own recoguizance from the civil
imprisonment he was suffering at the
| the whole tale of the Courthouse con-
splracy before an investigating commit
tee then In session, he would be released
| on his own recogniZance from the civil
imprisonment he was suffering at the