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in　1863；　but　Tammany　returned　to　power　two　years　later　by
securing　the　election　and　then　the　reelection　of　John　T。　Hoffman。
Hoffman　possessed　considerable　ability　and　an　attractive
personality。　His　zeal　for　high　office；　however；　made　him　easily
amenable　to　the　manipulators。　Tammany　made　him　Governor　and
planned　to　name　him　for　President。　Behind　his　popularity；　which
was　considerable；　and　screened　by　the　greater　excitements　of　the
war；　reconstruction；　and　the　impeachment　of　Andrew　Johnson；
lurked　the　Ring；　whose　exposures　and　confessions　were　soon　to
amaze　everyone。

The　chief　ringster　was　William　M。　Tweed；　and　his　name　will　always
be　associated　in　the　public　mind　with　political　bossdom。　This　is
his　immortality。　He　was　a　chairmaker　by　trade；　a　vulgar　good
fellow　by　nature；　a　politician　by　circumstances；　a　boss　by
evolution；　and　a　grafter　by　choice。　He　became　grand　sachem　of
Tammany　and　chairman　of　the　general　committee。　This　committee　he
ruled　with　blunt　directness。　When　he　wanted　a　question　carried；
he　failed　to　ask　for　the　negative　votes；　and　soon　he　was　called
〃the　Boss；〃　a　title　he　never　resented；　and　which　usage　has　since
fixed　in　our　politics。　So　he　ruled　Tammany　with　a　high　hand；　made
nominations　arbitrarily；　bullied；　bought；　and　traded；　became
President　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　thus　holding　the　key　to
the　city's　financial　policies；　and　was　elected　State　Senator；
thereby　directing　the　granting　of　legislative　favors　to　his　city
and　to　his　corporations。

In　1868　Tammany　carried　Hoffman　into　the　Governor's　chair；　and　in
the　following　year　the　Democrats　carried　the　State　legislature。
Tweed　now　had　a　new　charter　passed　which　virtually　put　New　York
City　into　his　pocket　by　placing　the　finances　of　the　metropolis
entirely　in　the　hands　of　a　Board　of　Apportionment　which　he
dominated。　Of　this　Board；　the　mayor　of　the　city　was　the　chairman；
with　the　power　to　appoint　the　other　members。　He　promptly　named
Tweed；　Connolly；　and　P。　B。　Sweeny。　This　was　the　famous　Ring。　The
mayor　was　A。　Oakey　Hall；　dubbed　〃Elegant　Oakey〃　by　his　pals
because　of　his　fondness　for　clubs；　society；　puns；　and　poems；　but
Nast　called　him　〃O。　K。　Haul。〃　Sweeny；　commonly　known　as　〃Pete；〃
was　a　lawyer　of　ability；　and　was　generally　believed　to　be　the
plotter　of　the　quartet。　Nast　transformed　his　middle　initial　B。
into　〃Brains。〃　Connolly　was　just　a　coarse　gangster。

There　was　some　reason　for　the　Ring's　faith　in　its
invulnerability。　It　controlled　Governor　and　legislature；　was
formidable　in　the　national　councils　of　the　Democratic　party；　and
its　Governor　was　widely　mentioned　for　the　presidential
nomination。　It　possessed　complete　power　over　the　city　council；
the　mayor；　and　many　of　the　judges。　It　was　in　partnership　with
Gould　and　Fiske　of　the　Erie；　then　reaping　great　harvests　in　Wall
Street；　and　with　street　railway　and　other　public　service
corporations。　Through　untold　largess　it　silenced　rivalry　from
within　and　criticism　from　without。　And；　when　suspicion　first
raised　its　voice；　it　adroitly　invited　a　committee　of　prominent
and　wealthy　citizens；　headed　by　John　Jacob　Astor；　to　examine　the
controller's　accounts。　After　six　hours　spent　in　the　City　Hall
these　respectable　gentlemen　signed　an　acquitment；　saying　that
〃the　affairs　of　the　city　under　the　charge　of　the　controller　are
administered　in　a　correct　and　faithful　manner。〃

Thus　intrenched；　the　Ring　levied　tribute　on　every　municipal
activity。　Everyone　who　had　a　charge　against　the　city；　either　for
work　done　or　materials　furnished；　was　told　to　add　to　the　amount
of　his　bill；　at　first　10％；　later　66％；　and　finally　85％。　One　man
testified　that　he　was　told　to　raise　to　55；000　his　claim　of
5000。　He　got　his　5000；　the　Ring　got　50；000。　The　building　of
the　Court　House；　still　known　as　〃Tweed's　Court　House；〃　was
estimated　to　cost　3；000；000；　but　it　cost　many　times　that　sum。
The　item　〃repairing　fixtures〃　amounted　to　1；149；874。50；　before
the　building　was　completed。　Forty　chairs　and　three　tables　cost
179；729。60；　thermometers　cost　7500。　G。　S。　Miller；　a　carpenter；
received　360；747。61；　and　a　plasterer　named　Gray；　2；870；464。06
for　nine　months'　〃work。〃　The　Times　dubbed　him　the　〃Prince　of
Plasterers。〃　〃A　plasterer　who　can　earn　138；187　in　two　days
＇December　20　and　21＇　and　that　in　the　depths　of　winter；　need　not
be　poor。〃　Carpets　cost　350；000；　most　of　the　Brussels　and
Axminster　going　to　the　New　Metropolitan　Hotel　just　opened　by
Tweed's　son。

The　Ring's　hold　upon　the　legislature　was　through　bribery；　not
through　partizan　adhesion。　Tweed　himself　confessed　that　he　gave
one　man　in　Albany　600；000　for　buying　votes　to　pass　his　charter；
and　Samuel　J。　Tilden　estimated　the　total　cost　for　this　purpose　at
over　one　million　dollars。　Tweed　said　he　bought　five　Republican
senators　for　40；000　apiece。　The　vote　on　the　charter　was　30　to　2
in　the　Senate；　116　to　5　in　the　Assembly。　Similar　sums　were　spent
in　Albany　in　securing　corporate　favors。　The　Viaduct　Railway　Bill
is　an　example。　This　bill　empowered　a　company；　practically　owned
by　the　Ring；　to　build　a　railway　on　or　above　any　street　in　the
city。　It　provided　that　the　city　should　subscribe　for　5；000；000
of　the　stock；　and　it　exempted　the　company　from　taxation。
Collateral　bills　were　introduced　enabling　the　company　to　widen
and　grade　any　streets；　the　favorite　〃job〃　of　a　Tammany　grafter。
Fortunately　for　the　city；　exposure　came　before　this　monstrous
scheme　could　be　put　in　motion。

Newspapers　in　the　city　were　heavily　subsidized。　Newspapers　in
Albany　were　paid　munificently　for　printing。　One　of　the　Albany
papers　received　207；900　for　one　year's　work　which　was　worth　less
than　10；000。　Half　a　dozen　reporters　of　the　leading　dailies　were
put　on　the　city　payroll　at　from　2000　to　2500　a　year　for
〃services。〃

The　Himalayan　size　of　these　swindles　and　their　monumental
effrontery　led　the　New　York　Sun　humorously　to　suggest　the
erection　of　a　statue　to　the　principal　Robber　Baron；　〃in
commemoration　of　his　services　to　the　commonwealth。〃　A　letter　was
sent　out　asking　for　funds。　There　were　a　great　many　men　in　New
York；　the　Sun　thought；　who　would　not　be　unwilling　to　refuse　a
contribution。　But　Tweed　declined　the　honor。　In　its　issue　of　March
14；　1871；　the　Sun　has　this　headline：

〃A　GREAT　MAN'S　MODESTY〃

〃THE　HON。　WILLIAM　M。　TWEED　DECLINES　THE　SUN'S　STATUE。
CHARACTERISTIC　LETTER　FROM　THE　GREAT　NEW　YORK　PHILANTHROPIST。　HE
THINKS　THAT　VIRTUE　SHOULD　BE　ITS　OWN　REWARD。　THE　MOST　REMARKABLE
LETTER　EVER　WRITTEN　BY　THE　NOBLE　BENEFACTOR　OF　THE　PEOPLE。〃

Another　kind　of　memorial　to　his　genius　for　absorbing　the　people's
money　was　awaiting　this　philanthropic　buccaneer。　Vulgar
ostentation　was　the　outward　badge　of　these　civic　burglaries。
Tweed　moved　into　a　Fifth　Avenue　mansion　and　gave　his　daughter　a
wedding　at　which　she　received　100；000　worth　of　gifts；　her
wedding　dress　was　a　5000　creation。　At　Greenwich　he　built　a
country　estate　where　the　stables　were　framed　of　choice　mahogany。
Sweeny　hobnobbed　with　Jim　Fiske　of　the　Erie；　the　Tweed　of　Wall
Street；　who　went　about　town　dressed　in　loud　checks　and　lived　with
his　harem　in　his　Opera　House　on　Eighth　Avenue。

Thoughtful　citizens　saw　these　things　going　on　and　believed　the
city　was　being　robbed；　but　they　could　not　prove　it。　There　were
two　attacking　parties；　however；　who　did　not　wait　for　proofs
Thomas　Nast；　the　brilliant　cartoonist　of　Harper's　Weekly；　and　the
New　York　Times。　The　incisive　cartoons　of　Nast　appealed　to　the
imaginations　of　all　classes；　even　Tweed　complained　that　his
illiterate　following　could　〃look　at　the　damn　pictures。〃　The
trenchant　editorials　of　Louis　L。　Jennings　in　the　Times　reached　a
thoughtful　circle　of　readers。　In　one　of　these　editorials；
February　24；　1871；　before　the　exposure；　he　said：　〃There　is
absolutely　nothingnothing　in　the　citywhich　is　beyond　the
reach　of　the　insatiable　gang　who　have　obtained　possession　of　it。
They　can　get　a　grand　jury　dismissed　at　any　time；　and；　as　we　have
seen；　the　legislature　is　completely　at　their　disposal。〃

Finally　proof　did　come　and；　as　is　usual　in　such　cases；　it　came
from　the　inside。　James　O'Brien；　an　ex…sheriff　and　the　leader　in　a
Democratic　〃reform　movement〃　calling　itself　〃Young　Democracy；〃
secured　the　appointment　of　one　of　his　friends　as　clerk　in　the
controller's　office。　Transcripts　of　the　accounts　were　made；　and
these　O'Brien　brought　to　the　Times；　which　began　their
publication；　July　8；　1871。　The　Ring　was　in　consternation。　It
offered　Gorge　Jones；　the　proprietor　of　the　Times；　5；000；000　for
his　silence　and　sent　a　well…known　banker　to　Nast　with　an
invitation　to　go　to　Europe　〃to　study　art；〃　with　100；000　for
〃expenses。〃

〃Do　you　think　I　could　get　200；000？〃　innocently　asked　Nast。

〃I　believe　from　what　I　have　heard　in　the　bank　that　you　might　get
it。〃

After　some　reflection；　the　cartoonist　asked：　〃Don't　you　think　I
could　get　500；000　to　make　that　trip？〃

〃You　can；　you　can　get　500；000　in　gold　to　drop　this　Ring　business
and　get　out　of　the　country。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　think　I'll　do　it；〃　laughed　the　artist。　〃I　made　up
my　mind　not　long　ago　to　put　some　of　those　fellows　behind　the
bars；　and　I　am　going　to　put　them　there。〃

〃Only　be　careful；　Mr。　Nast；　that　you　do　not　first　put　yourself　in
a　coffin；〃　said　the　banker　as　he　lef