The St. Louis Republic., 1902-11-13
WORLD'S-1eO4-FAlR.
THE NAPOLEON OF BoopLE.


tweed days have long been and bid fair to remain
the most giarng chapter In the history corruption
In cities. Compared to villany nowadays the deeds
OF Tweed completely overshadow. His crimes par
took of heroic proportions.
There are Twentieth Century boodlers whose most
opulent dreams stop at a hundred thousand dollars
or two hundred thousand. Not so with Tweed He
had flched twelve millions before his downfall and
at that time about to consummate coup of
eighteen millions more
The fraudulent election of 1868 was notoriously
the worst ever held in New York, or anywhere else
Tor that matter. In this in everything Tweed OBJ
served, the heroic proportions The frauds were
colossal embracing every known method of corrup-
tion Tweed awaited election day with perfect con-
fdence, holding in his hands the entire election ma
chinery. He remarked openly that it was his bust
ness tocay this election and that he proposed to do
it. There were fraudulent naturalizatons by thou
sands. Foreigners were "railroaded' through courts
dominated by the boss Old politicians opened their
eyes in wonder at the huge scale of the operations
Finally, out of superabundant caution Tweed di-
rected that the returns of the New York city vote
should be withheld the night after election until
large part OF the returns sholld in from the
State and he should have time to estimate the epemys
majority in the State This was accomplished When
the figures were In his possession he announced the
city vote sufficiently large upon his own side to over
come the eneniy's majority
One measure of Tweed's characterized bv the
greatest daring and effrontery was his attempt to
bring the whole of New Yerk's press under control
He had previously spent liberal amount of dishonest
money for the purpose and also he had at his dis
posal over two million dollars worth of advertising
Finding these insufficient to procure silence he de-
termined upon coercion He succeeded in having the
Legislature enact Law giving to two ring" Judges
unlimited power to punish summarily whatever they
construed to be "contempts'
The powers of modern 'bosses'' are paltry COM
pared to that of Tweed. He welded the enormous
patronage of offices and millions worth of public con-
tracts. He held all the institutions OF local govern
ment in the palm of his hand He controlled the
whole machinery of election. As to his hold upon
New York, 1t has been said, New York City with its
million of people with its concentration of vast in
terests of individuals in other States and in foreign
countries with its conspicuous position before the
world had practically power of self-government"
Tweed had what is called the courage of a lack of
conviction. Human nature" he once said cannot
resist such temptations as are offered to me-" He
boldly espoused wrong Indeed his weakness ay in
open and utter disregard of public opinion He re-
fused TO believe in its force The title of Boss
amused him, pleased him. Accusations met only
defiant sneer. When the end came and his Ieutenants
fed the be cursed them for being towards
and stayed till all lost. He loved "sand' and
nerve" in a IN the teeth of fierce public hatred
and against overwhelming odds he fought TO the last
ditch And he lost smilingly. BY every possible
means he sought to escape punishment, but that
punishment which he did take he took like man.
He never betrayed friend. although many were
false TO him. He unmitigated scoundrel. but
he was cut after the pattern of hero. COM
pared TO the Missouri bocdlers who are whining
in jas or laughing in nervous staccato, or who
rapidly peopling Mexico and other foreign shores
compared to these Bill Tweed real mans man
in spite Of being Incompatible thief and b.ackleg
Such contrasts st. Louis's and Kansas Ctys crop
booders provide are necessary to realization of