The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-09-23
from Toledo and Wabash Railroad
Company, $1,000" a,.g,, =,


Company, $1,000" -..,g -.....-
= The recklessness of this fslshehood will
appear when it is known that the Toledo
and Wabash Railroad Company, never.
at any time, was client of Mr.. Tllden's,
and that he never In the year 1862, or at
any other time, received any fees from
that company, nor rendered them any
professional service whatever.
Iioelfh Hem-"Share of bonds re-
tanned for services during the year con-
nectea with the reconstruction of the
Chicago and Alton Railroad Company,
$25,OOO."
E. No bonds were retained or received for
such services in 1862, nor was so large an
amount ever received, including eXpen-
ses and disbursements. Services were
rendered and no doubt taken into &C
count in computing the gross earnings OF
that year. ... .I-l-.
Thirteenth and last Hem-"Salary as
Trustee and President of the Balance
Dock Company, 81 ,OOO."
/ This item of $1,000 is correct except as
to the date, and is the only one OF the
\ At the outset OF these attacks on
Governor Tilden in regard to his taxable
income for 1862, still another allegation
was made, as if on positive knowledge,
namely, that he had received from the
st. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute Rail-
road Company $4,000 In first mortgage
bonds during that year
nha K, oil fol Il
now that 1t has been pointed out IN the
public journals that the complaint itself
in the st. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute
suit, showed these bonds not used up to
the year 1864, the charge appears to
have been abandoned ever by the Times,
which newspaper, after asserting the fact
in positive terms, subsequently published
report OF u committee of that com
pany, also antagonistic to Mr.. Tilden, but
which showed that IN 1870 these bonds
were still in the hands OF the purchasing
committee, and so could not have formed
any part OF his income in 1862.
1t seems proper to say that return
made under oath, must be assumed to be
correct unless it can be shown 10 be false.
This attempt has been made by tn e
Times, and growing: bolder from day to
day, its efforts have finally eliminated
in specification of thirteen items,
twelve of which are wholly or manly
Fictitious. While the Times was
thus making excursions into the
regions of fiction 1t seems to
have found il convenient to over
look the possibilities of lawful de-
ductions such Ms expenses, rent, interest
and losses. The simple fact is, the
amounts returned were the net result of
income after taking ont the lawful de-
ductions. For me II osly remains to as
ser: that every fact within my know
ledge confirms the good faith and aie-
quacy Of the returns which were verified
by the affidavit Of one who for more
than generation had lived life so pure
and blamelcss that the breath of calumny
had failed To touch him, until by the
general voice OF II great party he had
become their candidate for the highest
office in the gift of the people.
In respect to the allegation that after
two years OF income tax Mr.. Tllden made
no return, but left that portion of his tax
which WAS in excess OF the payments for
his account made by the corporations,
whose bonds and stocks he held, to be as
sessed under the laws by the estimate of
the public officers, the answer is simple.
The statute gave the Taxpayer the
option 10 take that course and good
and honorable reasons existed why
scrupulous man should accept that
option. Mr.. Tilden received no favor
from the Government officers. and sought
none. lie did nothing but pay all they
imposed on him. Nearly all his income
from investments paid the tax through
the corporations, whose bonds and stocks
he held without allowance for the law
full deductions. On this residue, after
the lawful deductions are made, he be-
lieved at the time, that instead
cf paying less, he ottener paid
more than would have been
the result of full, bat troublesome &C.
counting. He preferred in that way to
be exempted from the difficulties incident
to attempting h specific statement of the
affairs in which he was interested, and Of
the corporations and business in which
he was an investor; and also to be ex
empted from the responsibility of sdju.
dicating on the facts and
The law applicable to uncertain
and fuctusting elements during
rapid and violent changes OF fictitious
values. The law was unsettled; ques-
tloas of real difficult existed. Construc-
tions were set up by officials which were
often conflicting, unintelligible or inca.
pable of just or safe application, and it
was not agreeable to make return on a
doubtful or disputed theory, or in con-
tradiction to even unmeritorious claims
made in behalf of the government.
Respectfully yours,
I.upo - SrNCorT