Year: 1871

Reform-A Decisive Victory aud a Great
| Revolutions.


A great battle has been fought in New
York, city and State, between the honest
masses Of the people of all parties and cor
rupt combination of men in power, and vic
tory has been achieved in the cause of hon
| esty, justice and reform which marks the
practical beginning of great revolution in
our municipal and State affairs. The sceptre


OF the mighty Tweed is broken his cohorts OF


corrupt dependents and confederate robbers


are dispersed; his prestige and his power are


gone, and his ambitious schemes for control
| ling the voice Of the State through his dicta-


torial power over the city, and the democratic


party of the Union through his power over


the Empire State, are all scattered to the


winds. The glory Of ''the Wigwam" has de-


parted, and the jolly councils and carousals
| which it's sachems have known over the divi-
sion of the city spoils and plunder they will
know no more forever.


City and State, this great battle of the 7th
of November, 1871, was fought by an outraged
and indignant people for the suppression of
Tweed and his corrupt confederates and fol-
lowers. They had become, in their greedi-
ness, shamelessness and audacity, q tax, q
burden and scandal which could no
longer be borne. With the adjourn
ment Of our last Legislature, having, in two
winters at Albany, by bargains with the re-
publcans in the first place and through the
purchase of Winans as a last resort, accom-
| plished all he desired for our city government,
having tied 1t up and hedged 1t about so that
he had full power over the public treasury,
while there was no one who dared to call him
| to account, and with democratic following in
the city of fifty, sixty, seventy or eighty thou
| sand majority at his command, as the occasion
| might require, who could measure the power
! of Mr.. Tweedp Can we wonder, under the
| circumstances, that he became inflated as with
the grandeur of the Great Mogul2 Having
tried and proved the power of Offices and
plunder among the dangerous classes of the
city, and having in the guardian of the city
treasury an active confederate, can we be sur
prised at his confscations of millions of the
public money to enrich himself and his willing
tools and to widen his scope of authority by
bribery and corruption


1t was generally supposed that under our
new city charter, with q reasonably honest ad-
ministration of our municipal government the
party controlling it and holding the State had
the means in their possession for perpetuating
their power in the city and the State for many
years to come. The so-called Tammany Ring,
under this new city charter, had, indeed,
the opportunity not only to maintain
themselves in power and to strengthen the
democratic party of the city, the State ard
the nation, but they had an invitation to as
sumo the direction and management Of the
national democracy in reference to tie Presi-


Dental succession. We know, too, that the
Tammany Sachems expected to play this i'm
portant role in our national politics, and that
less than six months ago they were filed With
the grand idea OF an early transfer Of their


headquarteEs from the Tammauy wigwam to


the White House. But now


The cloud-cappd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
| which so allured them have assumed the dis
| NAL shapes Of prison walls and iron gratings.


Mr.. Tweed has simply presumed too much,


assumed too much and carried his game of


bluff and confidence too far. He was too


greedy, in being greedy beyond all expecta-


tions and all precedents. He was too bold In


his coarse and vulgar parade before the


astonished world OF his palaces and palatal


stables, his diamond weddings and his royal


charities with the peoples money. His Comp


troller and bis other convenient instruments


Woodward, Garvey, Ingersoll and Company
| Gn6 eu1 ric had ilro tha xyif


the wealth Of the Island of Monte


Christie, or the cave of the Forty Thieves
of course could only ape the fantastic tricks of
their master In shoddy displays, and in the
fuflment Of that right ancient adage that If
you 'put beggar on horseback he will ride
to the devil" But 'the Boss" has resigned
his office as chief of the Department Of Public
Works. He may put it on the vindication of
his honesty by the verdict of his constituents;
but if he will act upon the presumption that
this verdict will not acquit him in the State
Senate he will meet the case. We are salts
fed that Mr. Tweed will not be allowed by
our new Senate to sit among its members.
Should he present himself before the body as
member elect he will have to be admitted;
but he will next be expelled as an unfit asso-
ciate Of honest men.


And this is the end Of the Grand Sachem Of
TammaDy Hall. It is "a lame and impotent
conclusion" And this is the end of the Tam
many Ring and Of Tammany's reign over this
great metropolis and this great State. 1t is,
in truth, great revolution. 1t means the
complete reconstruction of our city govern
ment, in what shape we cannot tell but this
task devolving upon the republicans Of our
new Legislature is very delicate and difi-