the boss and the machine-第12章

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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　left。

A　public　meeting　in　Cooper　Institute；　April　6；　1871；　was
addressed　by　William　E。　Dodge；　Henry　Ward　Beecher；　William　M。
Evarts；　and　William　F。　Havemeyer。　They　vehemently　denounced　Tweed
and　his　gang。　Tweed　smiled　and　asked；　〃Well；　what　are　you　going
to　do　about　it？〃　On　the　4th　of　September；　the　same　year；　a　second
mass　meeting　held　in　the　same　place　answered　the　question　by
appointing　a　committee　of　seventy。　Tweed；　Sweeny；　and　Hall；　now
alarmed　by　the　disclosures　in　the　Times；　decided　to　make　Connolly
the　scapegoat；　and　asked　the　aldermen　and　supervisors　to　appoint
a　committee　to　examine　his　accounts。　By　the　time　the　committee
appeared　for　the　examinationits　purpose　had　been　well
announcedthe　vouchers　for　1869　and　1870　had　disappeared。　Mayor
Hall　then　asked　for　Connolly's　resignation。　But　instead；　Connolly
consulted　Samuel　J。　Tilden；　who　advised　him　to　appoint　Andrew　H。
Green；　a　well…known　and　respected　citizen；　as　his　deputy。　This
turned　the　tables　on　the　three　other　members　of　the　Ring；　whose
efforts　to　oust　both　Connolly　and　Green　were　unavailing。　In　this
manner　the　citizens　got　control　of　the　treasury　books；　and　the
Grand　Jury　began　its　inquisitions。　Sweeny　and　Connolly　soon　fled
to　Europe。　Sweeny　afterwards　settled　for　400；000　and　returned。
Hall's　case　was　presented　to　a　grand　jury　which　proved　to　be
packed。　A　new　panel　was　ordered　but　failed　to　return　an
indictment　because　of　lack　of　evidence。　Hall　was　subsequently
indicted；　but　his　trial　resulted　in　a　disagreement。

Tweed　was　indicted　for　felony。　He　remained　at　large　on　bail　and
was　twice　tried　in　1873。　The　first　trial　resulted　in　a
disagreement；　the　second　in　a　conviction。　His　sentence　was　a　fine
of　12；000　and　twelve　years'　imprisonment。　When　he　arrived　at　the
penitentiary；　he　answered　the　customary　questions。　〃What
occupation？〃　〃Statesman。〃　〃What　religion？〃　〃None。〃　He　served　one
year　and　was　then　released　on　a　flimsy　technicality　by　the　Court
of　Appeals。　Civil　suits　were　now　brought；　and；　unable　to　obtain
the　3；000；000　bail　demanded；　the　fallen　boss　was　sent　to　jail。
He　escaped　to　Cuba；　and　finally　to　Spain；　but　he　was　again
arrested；　returned　to　New　York　on　a　man…of…war；　and　put　into
Ludlow　Street　jail；　where　he　died　April　12；　1878；　apparently
without　money　or　friends。

The　exact　amount　of　the　plunder　was　never　ascertained。　An　expert
accountant　employed　by　the　housecleaners　estimated　that　for　three
years；　1868…71；　the　frauds　totaled　between　45；000；000　and
50；000；000。　The　estimate　of　the　aldermen's　committee　was
60；000；000。　Tweed　never　gave　any　figures；　he　probably　had　never
counted　his　gains；　but　merely　spent　them　as　they　came。　O'Rourke；
one　of　the　gang；　estimated　that　the　Ring　stole　about　75；000；000
during　1865…71；　and　that；　〃counting　vast　issues　of　fraudulent
bonds；〃　the　looting　〃probably　amounted　to　200；000；000。〃

The　story　of　these　disclosures　circled　the　earth　and　still
affects　the　popular　judgment　of　the　American　metropolis。　It
seemed　as　though　Tammany　were　forever　discredited。　But；　to　the
despair　of　reformers；　in　1874　Tammany　returned　to　power；　electing
its　candidate　for　mayor　by　over　9000　majority。　The　new　boss　who
maneuvered　this　rapid　resurrection　was　John　Kelly；　a　stone…mason；
known　among　his　Irish　followers　as　〃Honest　John。〃　Besides　the
political　probity　which　the　occasion　demanded；　he　possessed　a
capacity　for　knowing　men　and　sensing　public　opinion。　This　enabled
him　to　lift　the　prostrate　organization。　He　persuaded　such　men　as
Samuel　J。　Tilden；　the　distinguished　lawyer；　August　Belmont；　a
leading　financier；　Horatio　Seymour；　who　had　been　governor；　and
Charles　O'Conor；　the　famous　advocate；　to　become　sachems　under
him。　This　was　evidence　of　reform　from　within。　Cooperation　with
the　Bar　Association；　the　Taxpayers'　Association；　and　other
similar　organizations　evidenced　a　desire　of　reform　from　without。
Kelly　〃bossed〃　the　Hall　until　his　death；　June　1；　1886。

He　was　succeeded　by　Richard　Croker；　a　machinist；　prizefighter；
and　gang…leader。　Croker　began　his　official　career　as　a　court
attendant　under　the　notorious　Judge　Barnard　and　later　was　an
engineer　in　the　service　of　the　city。　These　places　he　held　by
Tammany　favor；　and　he　was　so　useful　that　in　1868　he　was　made
alderman。　A　quarrel　with　Tweed　lost　him　the　place；　but　a
reconciliation　soon　landed　him　in　the　lucrative　office　of
Superintendent　of　Market　Fees　and　Rents；　under　Connolly。　In　1873
he　was　elected　coroner　and　ten　years　later　was　appointed　fire
commissioner。　His　career　as　boss　was　marked　by　much　political
cleverness　and　caution　and　by　an　equal　degree　of　moral
obtuseness。

The　triumph　of　Tammany　in　1892　was　followed　by　such　ill…disguised
corruption　that　the　citizens　of　New　York　were　again　roused　from
their　apathy。　The　investigations　of　the　Fassett　Committee　of　the
State　Senate　two　years　previously　had　shown　how　deep　the
tentacles　of　Tammany　were　thrust　into　the　administrative
departments　of　the　city。　The　Senate　now　appointed　another
investigating　committee；　of　which　Clarence　Lexow　was　the　chairman
and　John　W。　Goff　the　counsel。　The　Police　Department　came　under
its　special　scrutiny。　The　disclosures　revealed　the　connivance　of
the　police　in　stupendous　election　frauds。　The　President　of　the
Police　Board　himself　had　distributed　at　the　polls　the　policemen
who　committed　these　frauds。　It　was　further　revealed　that　vice　and
crime　under　police　protection　had　been　capitalized　on　a　great
scale。　It　was　worth　money　to　be　a　policeman。　One　police　captain
testified　he　had　paid　15；000　for　his　promotions；　another　paid
12；000。　It　cost　300　to　be　appointed　patrolman。　Over　six　hundred
policy…shops　were　open；　each　paying　1500　a　month　for　protection；
pool　rooms　paid　300　a　month；　bawdy…houses；　from　25　to　50　per
month　per　inmate。　And　their　patrons　paid　whatever　they　could　be
blackmailed　out　of；　streetwalkers；　whatever　they　could　be
wheedled　out　of；　saloons；　20　per　month；　pawnbrokers；　thieves；
and　thugs　shared　with　the　police　their　profits；　as　did
corporations　and　others　seeking　not　only　fav