. The great American book of biography . e Tweed ring of thieves and adventurershad secured the absolute control of New York city. To illustrate their powerover the city finances, it may be mentioned that at one meeting of the Board ofSpecial Audit, three men ordered the payment of over six million dollars, hardly 428 SAMUEL J. TILDEN. ten per cent, of which in value was realized by the city. Nearly fifteen millionsof dollars in fraudulent bills against the city were paid in a single day ! Thethieves had so securely intrenched themselves that they defied any one to dis-lodge them. •• What are
. The great American book of biography . e Tweed ring of thieves and adventurershad secured the absolute control of New York city. To illustrate their powerover the city finances, it may be mentioned that at one meeting of the Board ofSpecial Audit, three men ordered the payment of over six million dollars, hardly 428 SAMUEL J. TILDEN. ten per cent, of which in value was realized by the city. Nearly fifteen millionsof dollars in fraudulent bills against the city were paid in a single day ! Thethieves had so securely intrenched themselves that they defied any one to dis-lodge them. •• What are you going to do about it ? was Tweeds famous replyto criticism. But there was one man who knew what to do about it. A combination ofcitizens was formed to attack the ring, and to this work Mr. Tilden gave hisbest powers. By obtaining from banks the checks which had been paid, andcomparing them with accounts in the Comptrollers office, he was able to lay barethe details of the conspiracy. He proved that two-thirds of the whole amount. GENERAL VIEW OF THE NEW YORK CITY of bills audited had been divided among public officers and their accomplices,and was able to show what amount of public plunder was in the hands of the proofs thus furnished the ring was at length broken up, its powerdestroyed, and the most prominent of the thieves brought to justice. Tweedfled to Europe, was brought back, and died miserably in prison. In consequence largely of Tildens good work in the overthrow of theTweed ring, he was elected, in 1874, Governor of New York. In this positionhe soon found work ready to his hand in the exposure and overthrow of the Canal ring, a body of corrupt men who had secured control of the Erie andChamplain canals, and by a system of immense expenditures and false accounts THE DISPUTED ELECTION. 429 had robbed the State of large sums. Tildens vigorous efforts resulted in over-throwing the ring, recovering large amounts of stolen money, and completelyrefo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidgreatamerica, bookyear1896
