The daily gazette., 1876-09-22
TILDEN'S INCOME TAX
A CRUSHING REPLY TO HIS DE-
FAMERS.
ACCESS TO OFFICIAL RECORDS DENIED
TILDFN, MOST OF THE ALLEGED RE-
CEIPTS WHOLLY YFICTICIOUsAND
FALsE-EvERY CHARGE
BOLDLY ANSWERED.
IN DETAVT


BOLDLY ANSWERED.
IN DETAIL.
Special Dispatch to the Gazette.
New YORK, September 20.
The following statement, embracing |
Governor TIlden's answer to the charges |
of the New York Times touching his in
come-tax returns, is given for publication |
by the Hon, Abram 5. Hewitt, chairman
of the national Democratic committee:
To the Public:
The New York Times which for years
prior to 1875 had been the eulogist of
Governor Tilden, Immediately after he
became a formidable candidate for the
Presidency began a series of assaults upon
his private character. At length these as
saults eliminated in the charge of max
ing false statement of his income in
1852. BY dint of reiteration and fabrica-
ted specifications of items and details,
having the semblence of actual accounts
some well meaning persons were disturb
ed. 1t therefore occurred to me to apply
to the Secretary of the Treasury for certi-
fed copies of the income returns of Gov
ernOr Tilden and of Governor Hayes, and
on the second day of September made
such an application. The copies applied
for have not been furnished, nor indeed
has my letter received the poor courtesy
4, OF an acknowledgment. Meanwhile the
| adversaries of Governor Tilden have ap-
parently had free access to these returns,
and have even been permitted to photo
lithograph so much of them as suited their
purposes. submit this fact to the Ameri-
| can people without comment. Meanwhile
receiving no reply from the public autho-
rites, who seem to regard the documents
In their custody as held in trust for the
Republican party, and not for the whole
people, | addressed note to Judge Jas.
p. Sinnott, who was the confidential law
clerk of Gov. Tilden during the whole
peroid in which the law imposing an in
come tax was in force, asking to examine
the pretended account of Gov. Tilden's
income during the year 1862, published
by the Times and furnish me with such
explanations in regard thereto as his ne
cessary familiarity with the details would
enable him to supply. l have this day
received his reply, presenting full and
entirely satisfactory reputation OF the
charges of the Times.
His answer, herewith submitted to the
public show that out of thirteen pretended
eleven items amounting to $4,000 are
wholly fictitious, while of the other two
only one of 81 900 is entirely true and the
second of S25, 900 is only partially true.
There is therefore no ground for the as
sertion that the sworn returns were not a
just and accurate statement of the net in.
come of Governor Tilden. after making
such deductions for losses, interest paid
and other charges as the law authorized
him to make.
Ii exception be taken to Judge Sinnott's
letter on the ground that it does not con-
tain detailed statement of the several
items upon which the retrlrntO 1862 was
made, it is proper to state that the regula-
} tions of the department did not re-
quire such detailed statements, and very
few professional men made such state
ments, or could now recall the items OF
have kept the memoranda upon which
their returns were made.
Ii Governor Tilden were not in nomi-
nation for the Presidency, do not know
of any man in this community whose
mere statement of fact would have beer
more generally accepted as the truth, and
fail to see why the eminent position inwhicl
he has been placed by large body Of his
fellow citizens should be held to detraci
from the sanctity of his oath.
ADRIAN s. HEWITT.
Chairman National Democratic Com.
New YORK, September 20, 1876.