Thomas Nast, the Crusading Cartoonist“Stop them pictures!” Legend has it that the corruptpolitician William “Boss” Tweed once used those wordswhen ordering someone to offer a bribe to Thomas Nast,an artist who had become famous for cartoons that calledfor reforms to end corruption. (12) As a result, Tweed’sattempt to silence the artist failed, and Nast’s cartoons,published in magazines like Harper’s Weekly, actuallyplayed a key role in bringing Boss Tweed and his croniesto justice.(13) There were powerful political organizations inthe 1860s and the 1870s. The organizations were knownas “political machines” and started taking control of citygovernments. These political machines were able to packlegislatures and courts with hand-picked supporters bypurchasing (14) votes, a form of election fraud involvingthe exchange of money or favors for votes. Once apolitical machine had control of enough importantpositions, its members were able to use public funds toenrich themselves and their friends. Boss Tweed’sTammany Hall group, which controlled New York(15) City in the 1860s—stole more than

365 million today.(16) Tweed had been elected to a single two-year term inCongress in 1852. Tammany Hall was so powerful and(17) corrupt that, the New York Times, commented“There is absolutely nothing . . . in the city which isbeyond the reach of the insatiable gang.”Given the extent of Tweed’s power, it is remarkablethat a single cartoonist could have played such asignificant role in bringing about his downfall. Nast’scartoons depicted Tweed as a great big bloated thief. Oneof the artist’s most (18) famous images showed Tweedwith a bag of money in place of his (19) head. Anotherfeatured Tweed leaning against a ballot box with thecaption “As long as I count the votes, what are you goingto do about it?” These cartoons were so effective in partbecause many of the citizens who supported Tweed wereilliterate and thus could not read the newspaper accountsof his criminal activities. Nast’s cartoons, though, widelyexposed the public to the injustice of Tweed’s politicalmachine.Nast’s campaign to bring down Tweed and theTammany Hall gang was ultimately successful. In theelections of 1871, the public voted against most of theTammany Hall candidates, greatly weakening Tweed’spower. Eventually, Tweed and his gang were(20) persecuted for a number of charges, including fraudand larceny, and many of them were sent to jail. In 1875Tweed escaped from jail and fled to Spain andunwittingly (21) brought about one final (22) pinnacle forthe power of political cartoons: A Spanish police officerrecognized Tweed from one of Nast’s cartoons.Consequently, Tweed was sent back to jail, and Nast washailed as the man who toppled the great Tammany Hallmachine.