Committee of Seventy (New York City)

Last updated

The Committee of Seventy was a committee of 70 citizens of New York City, formed in 1871 and under the lead of Samuel J. Tilden, which conducted an investigation and prosecution of misuse of government office by William M. Tweed.

Contents

Foundation

In the summer of 1871, proofs were furnished that enormous frauds had been perpetrated by the existing officials upon the New York City treasury, raising the city debt in 2½ years from $50,000,000 to $113,000,000. One of the chief instruments of peculation was the court house, large sums appropriated for its construction finding their way into the pockets of the “ring.” The amount ostensibly expended in its erection exceeded $12,000,000. [1]

People were immediately aroused, and assembled in mass meeting in the Cooper Union on September 4, 1871, when a committee of 70 members was appointed, to take the necessary measures to ascertain the true state of the treasury, to recover any abstracted moneys, and to secure good government and honest officers. [1]

In the November 1871 city election, the candidates favored by the people accused in the frauds were defeated by large majorities. The accused were subsequently prosecuted. Some of them were convicted and sentenced, while others fled the country. Several of the judges were impeached and resigned, or were removed from office. [1]

Later Committee of Seventy

Another Committee of Seventy was formed in the aftermath of the Lexow Committee of 1894, where Richard Croker's operation of Tammany Hall and the police force were under investigation. [2]

Members

[3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : J. W. Hawes (1879). "New York, a city of the state of New York"  . In Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A. (eds.). The American Cyclopædia .
  2. Allen, Oliver E. (1993). The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall . Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. pp.  184-189. ISBN   0-201-62463-X.
  3. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044050952159;view=1up;seq=20

Related Research Articles

William M. Tweed United States politician

William Magear Tweed, often erroneously referred to as "William Marcy Tweed", and widely known as "Boss" Tweed, was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th-century New York City and State. At the height of his influence, Tweed was the third-largest landowner in New York City, a director of the Erie Railroad, a director of the Tenth National Bank, a director of the New-York Printing Company, the proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel, a significant stockholder in iron mines and gas companies, a board member of the Harlem Gas Light Company, a board member of the Third Avenue Railway Company, a board member of the Brooklyn Bridge Company, and the president of the Guardian Savings Bank.

Thomas Nast American cartoonist

Thomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was a critic of Democratic Representative "Boss" Tweed and the Tammany Hall Democratic party political machine. Among his notable works were the creation of the modern version of Santa Claus and the political symbol of the elephant for the Republican Party (GOP). Contrary to popular belief, Nast did not create Uncle Sam, Columbia, or the Democratic donkey, though he popularized those symbols by his artwork. Nast was associated with the magazine Harper's Weekly from 1859 to 1860 and from 1862 until 1886.

Tammany Hall New York Democratic political organization most influential in the 19th century

Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789, as the Tammany Society. It became the main local political machine of the Democratic Party, and played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. It typically controlled Democratic Party nominations and political patronage in Manhattan after the mayoral victory of Fernando Wood in 1854, and used its patronage resources to build a loyal, well-rewarded core of district and precinct leaders; after 1850 the great majority were Irish Catholics.

Edwards Pierrepont 19th-century American politician, lawyer, and US Attorney General

Edwards Pierrepont was an American attorney, reformer, jurist, traveler, New York U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Minister to England, and orator. Having graduated from Yale in 1837, Pierrepont studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840. During the American Civil War, Pierrepont was a Democrat, although he supported President Abraham Lincoln. Pierrepont initially supported President Andrew Johnson's conservative Reconstruction efforts having opposed the Radical Republicans. In both 1868 and 1872, Pierrepont supported Ulysses S. Grant for president. For his support, President Grant appointed Pierrepont United States Attorney in 1869. In 1871, Pierrepont gained the reputation as a solid reformer, having joined New York's Committee of Seventy that shut down Boss Tweed's corrupt Tammany Hall. In 1872, Pierrepont modified his views on Reconstruction and stated that African American freedman's rights needed to be protected.

Robert Roosevelt

Robert Barnhill Roosevelt, also known as Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, was a sportsman, author, and politician who served as a United States Representative from New York (1871–1873) and as Minister to the Hague (1888–1889). He was also a member of the Roosevelt family and an uncle of US President Theodore Roosevelt.

Political boss Person who controls votes

In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous officeholders in that unit are subordinate to the single boss in party affairs. Bosses may base their power on the support of numerous voters, usually organized voting blocs, and manage a coalition of these blocs and various other stakeholders. When the party wins, they typically control appointments in their unit, and have a voice at the higher levels. Reformers typically allege that political bosses are corrupt. This corruption is usually tied to patronage; the exchange of jobs, lucrative contracts and other political favors for votes, campaign contributions and sometimes outright bribes.

William H. Wickham

William Hull Wickham was the 81st Mayor of New York City and anti-Ring Democrat who helped to topple corrupt politician Boss Tweed.

Lexow Committee

Lexow Committee was a major New York State Senate probe into police corruption in New York City. The Lexow Committee inquiry, which took its name from the committee's chairman, State Senator Clarence Lexow, was the widest-ranging of several such commissions empaneled during the 19th century. The testimony collected during its hearings ran to over 10,000 pages and the resultant scandal played a major part in the defeat of Tammany Hall in the elections of 1894 and the election of the reform administration of Mayor William L. Strong. The investigations were initiated by pressure from Charles Henry Parkhurst.

42nd United States Congress

The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, to March 4, 1873, during the third and fourth years of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Eighth Census of the United States in 1860. Both chambers had a Republican majority.

William Frederick Havemeyer

William Frederick Havemeyer was an American businessman and politician who served three times as Mayor of New York City during the 19th century.

John R. Fellows

John R. Fellows was an American lawyer and politician from Arkansas and New York. He served as New York County District Attorney, and a member of Congress from New York (1891-1893).

Augustus Schell

Augustus Schell was a New York politician and lawyer. He was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1872 to 1876.

William Hitchman was an American politician.

1882 New York state election

The 1882 New York state election was held on November 7, 1882, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the chief judge and a U.S. Representative-at-large, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly. Besides, two constitutional amendments were proposed - the abolition of tolls on the State canals, and to increase the number of justices on the New York Supreme Court - and were accepted by the electorate.

John C. Jacobs was an American politician from New York.

George "Country McCloskey" McCheester or John McCleester was an American bare-knuckle boxer and sportsman involved in the early history of pugilism and prize fighting in Old New York. A contender for the American heavyweight championship in 1849, he was an enforcer for the Irish Tammany Hall politicians, and a member of Isaiah Rynders non-partisan Empire Club, that opposed the policies of New York Mayor James Harper.

The Apollo Hall Democracy was a reform movement founded within the Democratic Party of the City and State of New York in the early 1870s as a response to the corruption of Tammany Hall under Boss Tweed. Hirsch (1951) describes the "Apollo Democracy founded in 1870 by a zealous band of reformers meeting at Apollo Hall, Broadway at 28th Street" as the nucleus of the Democratic Reform Committee formed in the wake of the Tammany Hall-dominated state Democratic convention of 1871. Oswald Ottendorfer & Abraham R. Lawrence, both ejected from the convention, were among the founders of the movement. The Committee also absorbed the Young Democracy movement founded by James O'Brien and came to be called the Apollo Hall Democracy. It initially attracted many leading Democrats, including Charles O'Conor & Samuel J. Tilden, but was unable to supplant Tammany Hall, which became reinvigorated under the leadership of John Kelly after the fall of Boss Tweed. Since the Apollo Hall Democracy nominated its own sets of candidates, the Democratic vote during its floruit was split, allowing the Republicans to win many elections in New York during this brief period. By the mid-1870s, many frustrated members of the Apollo Hall Democracy such as its former chairman William H. Wickham and William Collins Whitney joined Tammany Hall, and the Apollo movement fell into irrelevance.

Events from the year 1871 in the United States.

1869 Massachusetts legislature

The 90th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1869 during the governorship of Republican William Claflin. George O. Brastow and Robert Carter Pitman served as presidents of the Senate and Harvey Jewell served as speaker of the House.

1871 Massachusetts legislature

The 92nd Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1871 during the governorship of Republican William Claflin. Horace H. Coolidge served as president of the Senate and Harvey Jewell served as speaker of the House.

References