Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-10
THE GREATEST CRATER
How New York Newspaper Years
Ago Exposed Boss Bill Tweed-The
Story Retold on Its Fiftieth
Anniversary a.
BY GEORGE NoX MCCAIN
WNIHAT are you going to do about


w When they caught William M.
C'BilPD Tweed stealing millions from New
York City he calmly looked his accusers in
the eye and propounded the above famous,
or rather infamous, query.
William NJ. Tweed was the greatest
CRATER and public plunderer this country
ever knew.
John Bardsley. City Treasurer Of Phila-
delphia, with his defalcation of a million or
so, was a measly little plker beside "Bill'
Tweed.
Where Bardsley took his graft by the
handful, Tweed used SCOOP shovel.
Oddly enough, while this is the thirtieth
anniversary of the Bardsley crime in Phila-
delphia, it is the fftieth anniversary of
"Bill'' Tweed's great steal from the tax
payers of New York.
Vengeance was visited swiftly on Bards-
ley by the Council and people of Phila-
delphia.
New York had to be kicked into an apprc.
citation of her wrongs before she took steps
to punish the plundercrs.
William Marcy Tweed is the only Ameri-
can grafter in civil life who ever achieved
the distinction of having his crimes EN-
balmed in the Encyclopedia britannica.
FTliE Tweed ring reached the heights of
its rascality in New York City in 1871.
In the brief period Of one year his gang
looted the city for something like $S1 ,0O0,-
And there was practically nothing to show
for it,
Tweed was the first conspicuous exponent
OF the political idea Of intcrlocking relations
between state and municipality.
lie. secured legislative permission and
sanction IN the shane of enabling acts for
the various changes in New York's charter
that enabled him to bury his hands IN to
the elbows in the city treasury.
Tweed first great preliminary step vas
10 got new city charter from the State
Legislature. This was in 1870
It's preliminary advertising proclaimed it
to be Home Rule measure
Inc conspicuous feature in the new char
tcr TOR the metropolis was that the City
controller, the president of the Park Board
ana the president of the Board of Super
viSors. who was William Marcy Tweed
were placed in complete control of the city
fiscal affairs.
The joker in the charter was that these
three officials were irremovablc
TNHAT is where Tweed and his ring had
the public by the nose.
Moreover. all heads Of departments were
appointed for terms of from four TO eight
years, and they also were practically ire
movable.
Further, to clinch their hold on the city's
millions, 1t was also provided that all bills
against the County of New York incurred
prior to the passage of the Charter Act
troller, the president of supervisors and
president of the Park Board.
The Board of Supervisors, of which Tweed
was president, met but once.
BY vote 1t certified all claims to the CITY
Auditor, who was creature of the Tweed
ring.
lie in turn passed them on to the Board
of Auditors. headed by Tweed.
At one sweep the board authorized the
payment of $4,000, 600 worth of claims, of
which 10 per cent were fraudulent
Later on the Tweed ring raised thc limit
to ST per cent as its share of the graft.
THE City Controller, Connolly by name,
who subsequently "squcacd." was the
official who passed on the advisability of
increasing the amount of graft
In nearly, every case the scheme was 70
take, say. plumbers bill for $3.50 and raise
it to $500
OF course, the plumber got his money !
promptly and kept his mouth closed The
remainder was divided among members nf
the ring, according to their Importance
There have been instances of big thcfts
in municipalities in this country since, in
New York also, but nothing that ever an
preached the operations of the Tweed ring
All jobs of this kind are calculated NOT
only as to the amounts but as to the meth
DDS of acquisition and plans for cOnccalment
Another fact is that the official CRATER is
a coward, who only fights when in fear of
exposure and disgrace he is driven into n
corner. Then he usually breaks down in the
end.
THE New York Times exposed Tweed. At
l. first it had only rumors on which to
work.
Tweed cndcNvored to frightcn the news
paper into silence. That didn't work
Then he tried to buy stock in the Times
with the purpose Of ultimately turning II
into the hands of a receiver and thus silcnc-
ing its voice.
But the paper kept calling on the Demo-
cratic Party to investigate
II kept insisting that full information he
furniSh"d about the ,city's finances
Elmer Davis, historian Of the Tweed
ring expose. says:
"A great many worthy citizens Thought
that the Times was unreasonable md vim
dictive. There was heard the complaint.
since become painfully familiar, that criti.
cismS of the Administration were niurinr
the good name and credit of the cjty and ,
that 1t was the duty of all good citizens tn
boost New TOrk-nnd its officials.
Even the reformcrs Of that period were
silent"
Tn OCTOBER Of 1871. fifty years ago. tbe
l. City Controller suddenly announced that
he would submit his books to the inspcction
Of six Of the most distinguished citizens of
New York. John Jacob Astor and Marshall
O. Roberts were two of these men.
They reported that "the account books Of
the department are faithfully kept.
We have come TO the conclusion and certify
that the financial affairs Of the city, under
the charge of the Controller. are admin.
istCrcd in n faithful and correct manner
The books were "COrrcrt." They showed
TINT mnch mnnnN Ind hnnn r,n Ii E. II ~