New-York tribune., 1871-09-09
DECOY BLI.9S. JR.

DECOY BLISS. JR.
Mr.. George Bliss, jr, has been running at
large trife too long. We propose now TO
pen him up for few moments, and deprive
him of further power for mischief.
In Wednesdays issue we permitted Mr.. Bliss
to ATTEMPT an exculpation of himself and OF
Mr.. Orton, whose agent he was in the circu-
lation of Democratic State tickets through
Republican agencies at Republican cost. and
with the sanction Of a pretended Republican
Endorsement. His defense consisted OF con-
fession and avoidance. He confessed that ne
circulated the Democratic tickets with Repub-
Bcan money and machinery as charged; but he
had sent or intended to send Republican tick
cts along with them. He confessed that he cir
culated the Tammany Democratic State ticket
which he professed to be trying to defeat
along with the local ticket of the anti-Tam-
many Young Democracy, which he professed
to be trying to elect; but he had told MIR.
Greeley of "system Of decoy letters to
"detect persons wrongly registered" and
"Mr. Greeley's chief associate had been
"shown its details and had approved
"them." He had sent Democratic tickets,
because, for some unexplained and mysterious
reason, other Enclosures would not answer
the purpose" And he thought that Mr.. Gree
ley's letter to Mr.. Cornell unjust in repre-
senting Mr.. Orton's circular accompanying
these Democratic State tickets as calculated
to lead voters to suppose they were
asked to use D. Now, Mr.. Geo. Bliss, jr.l-
1. You admit all the statements Mr.. Greeley
made, and yet grumble about them. A good
many people of your kind don't like the
truth, but not many are so naive in proclaim
ing the fact Here is Mr.. Greeley's original
charge:
The Executive Committee Of the State Central Commit
tee and your Especial Campaign Committee, under the
charge Of George Bliss, r put Democratic State tickets
in envelopes with Republican State tickets and sent
them to the electors of the CITY, These tickets
companied by circular asking for support for the Dem
ocrstic candidate for Mayor but not word for Repub
nominees, and closed with the following renarksle
paragraph: Tho other candidates are, we believe,
equally entitled to public confidence and we be-
speak for the entire the cordial support Of all hon
est men, Thereby indorsing John T. Holman as o
didste for Governor 1t signed by William Orton,
falsely claiming to be Chairman Of the Republican
County Convention and William c. Barrett, Chairman Of
the Democratic [anti-Tammanyl County Convention.
Thus was the machinery Of the Republican party
used 70 circulate Democratic State tickets. Thus
was the money contributed for Republican purposes
diverted into Democratic channels. There be
no possible for such betrayal Of party trust
You admit that you sent these tickets. You
admit that you sent this circular. You admit
that YOU did this in the name, with the ma
chinery, and with the money of the Republican
party. Enough said
II. Your talk about what you had told "Mr.
"Greeley and his chief associate" concerning
your system of decoy letters, is abssurdly ir-
relevant. You never told either of them that
it was part of your system to distribute the
tickets of John T. Hoffman, with circular
80 worded as to lead nine-tenths of its hasty
readers to believe that Hoffman was as heartily
commended by Republican authority as Ledwith.
You never, in your widest moments, dreamed
that if you had told this, either would have
approved it, but you took advantage of the
temporary absence of both to say they had.
You are working now, as you were then, under
leader who had openly supported Hoffman /;
but you knew THE TRIBUNE great deal too
well to expect from it toleration for anything
! Of the kind.
Ill. Your pretense that it was necessary to
send Democratic State tickets, in order to
make your "decoy schemen work, is pre-
posterous John Smith was registered at No.
Slo East Eighteenth-st. You had reason to
suspect 1t to be false registration. To ascer-
.ann' you sent letter to John Smith, inclos-
| ing say grocer's card. If the letter-carrier
brought II back, saying no such man lived
mere, you mad prima-facie evidence of fraud.
Du' oiu IL help such evidence to inclose the
state ticket in your letter. 80 that,
"a 'onh omlth aid live there he should get
aeeommendation to vote for Hoffman, ODE
ooys may be well enough in their way, but our
idea mas been that they were intended to bring
| him.
| ~, ION are utterly mistaken about the
circular distributed with these tickets. Mr..
Greeley quoted, fairly and fully, in the extract
aoove reproduced, every line Of 1t bearing on
| the point at Issue. It nowhere drew
distinction between the State and City tickets,
which were printed on the same slip of paper,
"ithout separate heading, or oven line OF
Spnarafl0n