Year: 1873

In vindicating the law by the conviction Of
Tweed the jury that tried the criminal case
have done great service 10 the cause of public
morality. Their verdict nails a criminal to
the shame and ignominy which his crime de-
mands-a criminal for whom his friends
claimed an immunity from punishment, no
matter what his guilt He was stout and hale
and hearty he had literally fattened on pub
ic plunder in person as well as purse. Three
years ago he was such model of prosper
ous rogue that men shook their heads in
doubt and said, with their eyes upon him,
that bold, unblushing dishonesty was the best
policy in this world, at least. 1t was told in
corner groggeres that he had been poo
chairmaker once; that, since he had given up
earning his bread honestly millions had rolled
in upon him. What young man in our city,


fred with this staring example to the hasty
pursuit of wealth, could settle down con-
tentedly to his daily round Of poorly paid
toll? Wherever he went Tweed's name


wealth. and, alasl his popularity, met him and
spurred him to overleap the bounds of honesty
and morality when they barred his way to sud-
den money making. Like the three witches
in Macbeth" they whispered feverish words
into his ear, instilling hopes and desires that,
no matter how brilliant the end aimed at, had
rascality and dishonor at every step upon their
road. The verdict of yesterday is blow that
in the case of Tweed, and in all others like
him, skaters the picture of deified dishonesty
which the hot hands of deluded youth were
busy painting three short years ago. He
should have marble palace for his
horses his diamonds We'd with those of
Jim Fisk alone; he put q Legislature
in his pocket and had plenty of money
there to quiet them. He robbed and shared,
like the highwaymen of q hundred years ago,
until the poor fantastic ''Prince of Erie" be-
side him seemed a gilded butterfly hovering
around gorgeous cockatoo. So high had he
enthroned himself in the affections of the hun
gerers after sudden wealth that his statue in
dispute the open spaces of the city with Wash
ington himself Thousands of dollars
were subscribed by his henchmen
and admirers, and it seems like
horrid dream now that q glimmer of dis
trust in Tweed himself alone saved the city
from the bitter irony of seeing his bronze
efigy in q public square. With what shame
should we explain to-day to the hard-handed
emigrant from Europe that the original was
serving his time with other robbers in the
Penitentiary in a striped suit instead Of a
Roman toga, that this was the sort of man
America loved to honor, if Tweed had been q
vain fool as well as rogue He had clubs
and public places named after him, and the
first title to the aristocracy of public plunder
was diamond-set gold and enamel badge Of
his club, that held high festival at Greenwich,
Conn, and collected at the Academy of Music
ball enough diamonds to start new Col
conda. In Fisk young men saw glitter,
fanfare parade, vanity, disregard of decorum
in manners and of scruple in business. He
appealed to the volatile class; he stimulated
recklessness in the pursuit of money and
prodigality in spending it. But Tweed was
far more dangerous as he was the greater Of
the two ideals of the age of plunder. When
Fisk tricked himself out in his
admirars suit, rode down Broadway at the
head of his regiment or moved about from
box to parquet at the theatres, he never lost
the attributes of the spangled harlequin.
With Tweed it was somewhat different His
followers and sinecurists called him ''solid."
Bold as Macheath, he was imposing as Lon
don alderman of the old turtle-soup time. His
was no traffic in railway bonds, but syste-
matte diving of the hand into the public purse,
bringing out small bills for those who con-
nived at his villany, and purchasing what
seemed invincible security with o fraction
of the large remainder, which was banked
to his own account. Dishonored, convicted,
he stood in court yesterday amid the dis
mayed remnants of his once victorious band


"A javelin of law has pierced him. said his
counsel piteously 1t was javelin Of justice
and stout one, driven with mighty force,
which went whizzing through the armor of
stolen money he had on, and struck to earth
so great and yet so vulgar leader in the
golden age of fraud. Well may we congratu-
late the twelve good men and true who
drove that javelin home.


1t would seem that there are scme yet left
who, if they do not love Tweed for the sake
Of old fellowship in plunder, have lingering
belief in the power of money to stay the
hands of justice For this purpose they
believe that stolen money is as good as any
other. Perhaps it is. The evidence Of late
criminal trials does not 60 to strengthening the
belief that it is as we'll to have no money as
to have great deal when one is at the bar.
The belief that money will make some differ
ence is grasped at by those who do not wish
to see Tweed punished as he deserves.
Now the question becomes a serious one
whether these men are in the right. We have
seen in this case how potent money is to de-
lay justice by the quirks and bubbles it can
find tn throw in the way II in n yery differ