The inspector of bread, a sachem, resigned because his threat to extort one-third of the fees from his subordinates had become public.Several assessment collectors, all prominent in Tammany, were compelled to reimburse the city for deficits in their accounts.One of the leading aldermen used his influence to induce the city to sell land to his brother-in-law at a low price, and then bade the city buy it back for many times its value.Mooney, the founder of the society, now superintendent of the almshouse, was caught in a characteristic fraud.His salary was $1000 a year, with $500 for family expenses.But it was discovered that his "expenses" amounted to $4000 a year, and that he had credited to himself on the books $1000 worth of supplies and numerous sums for "trifles for Mrs.Mooney."In September, 1826, the Grand Jury entered an indictment against Matthew L.Davis and a number of other Tammany men for defrauding several banks and insurance companies of over $2,000,000.This created a tremendous sensation.Political influence was at once set in motion, and only the minor defendants were sent to the penitentiary.
In 1829 Samuel Swartwout, one of the Tammany leaders, was appointed Collector of the Port of New York.His downfall came in 1838, and he fled to Europe.His defalcations in the Custom House were found to be over $1,222,700; and "to Swartwout" became a useful phrase until Tweed's day.He was succeeded by Jesse Hoyt, another sachem and notorious politician, against whom several judgments for default were recorded in the Superior Court, which were satisfied very soon after his appointment.At this time another Tammany chieftain, W.M.Price, United States District Attorney for Southern New York, defaulted for $75,000.
It was in 1851 that the council commonly mown as "The Forty Thieves" was elected.In it William M.Tweed served his apprenticeship.Some of the maneuvers of this council and of other officials were divulged by a Grand Jury in its presentment of February 23, 1853.The presentment states: "It was clearly shown that enormous sums of money were spent for the procurement of railroad grants in the city, and that towards the decision and procurement of the Eighth Avenue railway grant, a sum so large that would startle the most credulous was expended; but in consequence of the voluntary absence of important witnesses, the 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 term--not; 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.
