Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-22
Tildcn's Railroad RObbericS.

form candidate. They say he is just the
man to correct whatever is wrong in the
administration of the government. They
say the republicans are corrupt but Mr..
I'ilden and his party are honesty itself.
They admit that he is worth about EIGHT
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS although he
began life poor, yet they say he earned
every dollar of this vast sum of money
honestly.
Now as investigation is the order Of the
day let us inquire how Mr.. Tilden made
his vast wealth. Much is said about Mr..
Blaine's wealth in the democratic news
papers, but Samuel j. Tilden has flIRTY
TINES as much property as Mr.. blaine.
How did Mr.. 1ilden get this money?
There is no necessity of searching Mr..
Tlden's private letters or dragging the
country for evidence upon that point. He
has made his money, as they say in the
West, where his operations have chiefly
been, by railroad wrecking. He has been
in the Credit Mobilier business. His ex-
perience qualified him to be the adviser
of Oakes Ames. Other men gave money
and land to build railroads to develop the
West; he laid in wait to get such railroads
IN his meshes and suck the last drop from
them to swell his inordinite gains.
We will mention few cases illuStrat-
ing how Mr.. Tilden got his money
The Indiana Southern Railroad was a
concern that fell into Samuel j. Tilden's
net. The State and the farmers had done
a good deal for it in the way of ceding
lands to it and making stock subscriptions,
but the enterprise Jagged. At last the
road fell into the hands of Tiden and one
Swift rs trustees, who were thus intrusted
weth Sl0,O00,000 of bonds of the COM
panv. These bonds were taken to Eu-
rope to be negotiated. but the road reaped
nothing from them but succession OF
law suits, while the proceeds OF the bonds
and whatever else could be skinned from
the road went into the pockets OF Mr.. Til
den and his associates. The State and
the farmers were stripped but Mr.. Tilden
was enriched by the operation.
Another case is that of the St. Louis,
Alton and Terre Haute Railroad. This
case is now pending in the courts, the
company having sued Tlden and others
for bonds and stocks alleged to be unlaw-
fully held by the latter. This was kind
of q Credit Mobilier concern. Tiden and
some others were stockholders in an en-
barrassed company. They purchased the
road, and then having organized as a
company, sold it to themselves as COM
pany, for which they received a surplus
of bonds and stocks which they put in
their pockets. The property thus taken
by Tilden and his associates amounted to
abont $3.50, 900, to recover which suit
is now pending.
Still another case was that of the Grand
Rapids Railroad. in which property was
"gobbled up by Tilden and his partners
to the amount of 81, 289, 1865.
These examples will serve to show how
Mr.. Tilden made the immense wealth OF
which he is possessed. He has grown
rich from the spoils of the honest farmers
of the West. The bounty of States de-
signed to aid better transportation in the
| West and promote commerce in that Sec
ton of our Countrywide one thing most
needful TO its prosperity--has gone into
the greedy nav of Samuel j. Tilden.
| And yet with ali his wealth the demo
Gratis say that he is honest and great
Reformer He has THIRTY TIMES
more wealth than Mr.. Blaine. but they
say Mr.. Blaine cannot be honest because
he has got so much property He ad.
vised Cakes Ames into the Credit Mobilier
business, but while the democrats brand
Ames as a scoundrel they maintain that
Tilden is honest as an angel Mr.. Blaine
tried to help a needy Western railroad,
sinking money himself by the operation,
and for this lie has been hunted by the ex-
Confederates in Congress and slandered
by the democratic press; but Mr.. Tilden
who has amassed his millions by railroad
jobberies and railroad wrecking is now
the democratic candidate for President of
the United States!! To cap the climax,
while Tilden is presented in the columns
of the democratic papers as Reform can
didate, protesting to be enlisted in behalf
of purity in elections and the civil service,
John Morrissey and men of his character
are 1ilden's lieutenants and make no Sc
cret of declaring that Tilden's wealth will
be used to buy voters in Maine, Indiana
and New York, as it was used to buy his
nomination at St. Louis!l Honest voter,
do you want such man for President as
Samuel j. Tildenp
Robert II. Lee.