THE TAMMANY RING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 33, 7 February 1872, Page 4

THE TAMMANY RING.

And what is that? Why, it is the corporation of New York; Tammany Hall being the Town House, and the Tammany Ring is the New York name for a set of people who are charged with having, for two years and a half, plundered the city of New York to the extent of many millions sterling, under the pretence of ruling it and economising its revenues.

Everybody knows the peculiar state into which matters have fallen ia the United States, and more especially New York, which indisposes the more respectable citizens to take any share iv public affairs. In New York the Government of the city, until lately, was under the Municipality and several Commissioners, the Commissioners being members of the Town Council, a body which has become a byword. The County affairs were in the bands of a board of Supervisors, who seem to have been little better than tbe managers of the city affairs. It was therefore proposed, the other year, to amalgamate the local Government under a charter, the civic constitution to be sub mitted to the electors of 1872, and in the meantime the affairs of the city and county to be in the hands of an interim Govertment, which practically consists of the Mayor and two Commissioners.

Those who were ready to " feign, and fawn, and flatter," carried everything before them. The mob delights to do them honor, while men of character, -who scorn to " feign, and fawn, and flatter," and decline to make professions which they cannot fulfil, prefer to stand aloof from public life. They will not soil their hands with politics in a community where honesty is nothing, and •' smartness," in the Yankee sense everything, and public office is a trade and a means of personal profit to the holder. Well, under these circumstances tbe promoters of the reform in municipal affairs, a sortof amalgamation Bill, backed by the mob vote, and a dexterous pitting of Republican against Democrat, and Democrat against Republican, carried certain provisions in the charter, which gave the Mayor, A. Oakey Hall; R. M. Tweed, Commissioner of the Public Works; and R. C. Conolly, Controller, a lease of official life for four and a half years, and the command of the public purse and credit.

And all this while a respectable house, which had only a fair account of a thousand dollars or so, where they had millions, could not get their money, except by prosecuting the Ring. These are the charges brought against the Tammany Ring by the most respectable citizens in New York, and as yet no answer has been vouchsafed by the Triumvirate.

Well, they have, during their short reign, more than doubled the debt of the city and country,, adding to it the handsome sum of sixty-three million dollars- — their borrowing powers, and means of creating public debt, being apparently illimitable. With this triumvirate is associated a person of the name of Sweeney, whose position is not very distinct, except that he was a useful confederate.

We shall now give a small sample of what that state of things is. Judge Pierrepont says, "these men, from recent penury, have become immensely rich, living in princely splendor and wanton luxury." Judge Elliott says, " The great city of New York is like a great whale, stranded upon a coast and devoured piece meal by sharks." " The great wealth of New York," says the Hon. Mr. Ollendorfer, "has attracted vultures from all directions, and this city is finally looked upon as a milch cow, to support in opulence the leaders of corruption." And what is the explanation of such charges ? Why, although a set of accounts have been suppressed for two years, the New York Times has got at the Controller's books, and has thrown in a little light upon a series of the most munificent payments which the most sanguine of Eastern tradesmen, such as Ainaschar, never imagined in their wildest dreams. A certain Mr. T. Garvey, a plasterer, receives, for plastering and repairs of the Court House, 2,870,464 dollars, or something over £570,000 sterling. A lucky plasterer, Mr. Garvey. Then comes Mr. Keyser, plumber to the RiDg. He gets 1,231,817 dollars. Fortunate plumber; over £250,000, is no bad job. But what is the luck of Mr. Garvey or Mr. Heyser to the luck of Mr. Ingersole. Messrs. logersole and Company supplied the chairs and carpets for the Court House. Their small bill amounts to 5,663,643 dollars 83 cents. It is best to be particular. That is considerably over a million sterling. Carpets and Chairs ? Who is Mr. Ingersole's Co., it is asked, and the answer is — tbe Tammany Ring. Then a Printing Company, in which certain of the members of the city Government are shareholders, has a handsome account of a million and a half dollars for printing, and about a quarter of a million for stationery. Ia all, about a million sterling. Then the of the militia regiments required repairing and decorating. Fine places they mustjbe. Soon the little bill amounted to two millions and a half dollars, or about half a million sterling. Then among the smaller items, come two accounts for election expenses, making between them about 243.000 dollars! or about £25,000 sterling, j