Grand Jury was left without direct testimony of the particular
recipients of the different amounts。〃
These and other exposures brought on a number of amendments to
the city charter； surrounding with greater safeguards the sale or
lease of city property and the letting of contracts； and a reform
council was elected。 Immediately upon the heels of this reform
movement followed the shameful regime of Fernando Wood； an able；
crafty； unscrupulous politician； who began by announcing himself
a reformer； but who soon became a boss in the most offensive
sense of that termnot； however； in Tammany Hall； for he was
ousted from that organization after his reelection as mayor in
1856。 He immediately organized a machine of his own； Mozart Hall。
The intense struggle between the two machines cost the city a
great sum； for the taxpayers were mulcted to pay the bills。
Through the anxious days of the Civil War； when the minds of
thoughtful citizens were occupied with national issues； the tide
of reform ebbed and flowed。 A reform candidate was elected mayor
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