New-York tribune., 1876-10-28
ELEcrlNG a REFORM PRESIDENT BY


A rcformer who wants to be elected by
fraud-what sort of thing is that Mr., Tildcn
is Governor of this State. That Office he did
not steal, and has crcditably filed. Had he
gained it by fraud he would have been III the
power of scOundrcls. But now ballot-Stu'lcIS
and. periued rcpcatcrs are trying To make
him President. One word from hlm would
have caused an honest registration. Yet The
registration proves to be the most intamoU+
and fraudulent this city has ever seen. 10
one man, the overwhelming proof which Mt
Davenport has gathered i, useless, for with
ont any mans help Mr.. Tildcn knows the
truth. As Chairman of the Democratic stat"
Committee for years, hc knows tins city. ~
Presidential candidate he has watched the de
tails of registration as reported with intense
personal interest. After ;hc stupcndou- lnfamy
of 1865, Mr. Greeley forced upon lis attcn-
ton facts which Mr.. Tidcn can never forget,
and, as be watches the returns from certain
precincts day by day, he knows that the same
Infamous work which was done in SGS is being
done even now to make him President. a
word from him would have stopped it, But
Mr.. Tilden uttcrs not word OF restraint. He
looks or and says nothing, while jaiI-birds
swinde the people of this State III order to
elect him.
In 1868, though Chairman Of the State
Committee, and though circulars preparing
for the fraud were signed with his name, he
pl AIDED ignorance. That plea cannot serve
twice. After one such experience, it is inpGs-
sible that he does not watch the registration
of certain precincts. He reads the papers
Any paper of either party has said enough to
draw his attention to those wcil-tnown pre-
cinc.s. TO him, as to others less wcll-iniormcd,
the figures tell their own story. He cannot be
ignorant that in certain precincts his friends
are preparing tdsrob the people of their most
sacred right Yet he is silent. Small politi-
clans. who hunt for petty Offices, and make no
claim as great refCTmcrS, are distrustcd and
despised when it is proved that they would
mot play false, and yet would wrongly WIN"
But such men are needy, and sometimes pltlcd
Are we ready to make Il President OF such
stuif7 1t is not yet too late for Mr.. lllden to
refuse to be elected by fraud. He, and he
alone, can drive all Tcpcaters ont OF this
State But does anybody suppose that he VIII
Decent people have something to say about
this business. According to Hosea Blglow,
"CiyilIzation sometimes does git f0rrard on Il
"pow,ler cart" but does any real reform ever
oct forward by means Of pcIiurcd registra-
tjon? Will Mr.. Charles Francis Adams lend
his name to help candidate who consents to
win if nc can by means of Tcpeatcrsf VIII
Mr.. Parke Goodwin contemplate with pride the
fact that the most rascaly scOundrels in New
York are the chosen instruments III that work
of "reform" which he advocates7 Such men
are not responsible for what Mr.. 1ilden has
done, as he may not have been responsible at
the first for what his friends have done. But,
as one word from him would have stopped
periured registration, one word from them
would have stopped his liberation of such work.
| 1t is not too late for Mr.. Tilden's respectable
supporters to expostulate, or, at least, to rid
themselves of responsibility. The people of
New-York want an honest election. AT least,
if they are to be swindled, they do not want
to see decent citizens calling it "reform," and
praying that the swindle may succeed. If this
piece of infamy is carried TO the end, or is
arrested only by Federal officials, and not by
Gov. Tilden or his respectable supporters, why
should plain people hereafter put more trust
in such so-called reformers than in unblushing
knaves who profess nothingi In that case, re-