The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-06
Governor TUden's Income in 1862

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The New York Financial Chronicle, which
is not Democratic paper, comes up to the
defence of Governor TILDEN, whom the
New York Times charges with perjury be-
cause in 1862 he returned an income OF only
little over seven thousand dollars. 1t
says:
What are the facts? 1t seems that in De-
cember, 1868, Governor Tilden, like all the
rest of us, made 4 return under oath of his
| income for the year 1862. That return
showed that nc received in 1862, subject to
taxation under the law, little over seven
thousand dollars. In a suit now pending
on behalf Of the st. Louis, Alton and Terre
Haute railroad the Governor swore that he
received in 1862 twenty thousand dollars
for services which were commenced prior
to the year 1859, and were rendered from
time to time during period of three years."
These are simple facts, and the whole OF
them, and on them the charge is made OF
perjury, assuming or jumping over entirely
the one further premise necessary for con-
clusion; and that is whether, under The
law, the twenty thousand dollars received
from the railroad should be included in the
return. Assuming, we say, that this twenty
thousand dollars should be included, while
the instructions Of acknowledgements Com
missioner Lewis, issued ut that time, state
clearly and positively that it should not be
included. For the benefit Of those who may
have forgotten these instructions, we insert
the following extract taken from them, as
published IN our Hunts NerchantS' laga-
zine for August, 1868, page 1870: u
"a merchants return of income should
cover the business Of the year 1862, erctud-
ing precious gears. Uncollected accounts
must be estimated. Physicians and lawyers
should include actual receipts for services
rendered in 1862, together with an estimate
on unrealized or contingent income due to
that year."
Here we have it positively stated that the
"actual receipts for services rendered in
1862" excluding previous years." with
an estimate OF unsolicited accounts" or
"unrealiZed income" from the business or
services OF 1862, are the items to be in
Guided. . t,sa"-
This same idea was enforced in the Com
missioner's subsequent instructions of that
year, and more infinitely to revenue collec-
tors. In fact, the commissioners made this
SO clear that no one had a doubt MS to the
SO all Of us in preparing our re-
turns OF income from our business, in
cluded what we had earned, and not what
we had collected in 1862 and II Governor
Tilden injured himself in making his return
in that way, every honest man in the coun-
try did the same. Our city newspapers con-
Cured in this view, as may be seen from
their remarks published at that time in FUR
Their explanation Of what the Commissioner
said. ..t =. /: :, go
! Now, turning to this $4,000 item, we
find the answer states that it was received
in 1862, but for services which were com
menced prior to the year 1850" and were
rendered from time to time during period
Of three years. Tn other words, according
to this statement, no portion OF the amount
was earned in 1852, but all OF it during the
three years, 1859, 1860, and 1861. Could
anything be clearer, therefore, than that the
amount in question was not to be included ?
And yet we lind some OF the best newspapers
and speakers concluding upon these facts,
and boldly stating that Governor Tilden is
guilty OF perjury