Boss Tweed

Boss Tweed

- Excessively criticized by political cartoon master Thomas Nast.

- Was a NYC politician who gained power in the Democratic party (part of the “democratic machine”) when hew as elected “Grand Sachem” of Tammany Hall.

o Was originally a community service-like organization but it grew more political.

o Controlled through his control of patronage which was the ability to make people get certain jobs in the government in response to loyalty.

§ Included “making” jobs such as having people inspect manure.

- Profited personally from the business.

o For company to receive business contracts, had to inflate prices and then “scrape off” the top of its income to Tweed.

§ Politicians would give “fat contracts” to a railroad company for example, overpaying laborers. The money would actually go into the pockets of Tammany Hall while the taxpayers would end up paying very expensive money

o Group of politicians who would profit at public’s expense was the Tweed Ring.

§ Successful due to popularity among voters, esp. Irish immigrants.

§ Tweed made sure Irish Americans got jobs from city governments.

- Nast described Tweed personifying two evils in Amer society: corruption and greed as well as influence of Irish immigrants.

o Nast anti-corruption, anti-Irish

§ Anti-Irish sentiment common in society during the time as they were Catholic, and also due to prevalent British v. Irish conflict that ran deep back. British had treated Irish harshly during its colonization.

o Harper’s Weekly and New York Times newspapers denounced corruption in city government in early 1870s.

o Drew cartoons, portraying Tweed as thief as well as creating the Tammany Tiger as a symbol for the Ring (sometimes also to represent Democratic Party)

- Did not make Boss Tweed turn out of power.

o Eventually Samuel Tilden and democrats who wanted spoils of office for themselves, turned against Tweed.

o Sold evidence in newspapers and convicted Tweed.

§ Businesses who hoped to recover from bankruptcy also sued Tweed.

- George Washington Plunkitt was professional politician assoc. with Tammany Hall.

o Describes the “distinction between honest graft and dishonest graft”

§ Graft = corruption.

o Claims that he is actually doing “honest” corruption.

§ “I’ve seen my opportunities and I’ve took ‘em”