New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-27


And ask, What is a Union worth
Which will not grind our Axes!
On! on! Like PharaOh's frogs and flies
We Otfce-hunters swarm.
And still the burden of our song
Is Tilden and Reform!
Owent0n, Kentucky.
Is Governor Tilden Perjurere
One of Mr.. TilGen's chief sources of
strength is the belief in his great wealth,
wealth which he has been lucky enough to
acquire himself, and chiefly within the last
fifteen years Mr.. Tilden ID anxious to have
it believed that he was an earnest uphOlder
of the government in ITS war with secession,
and did his full share in strengthening its
hands. Yet we find on inquiry in the
proper quarter that Mr.. Tilden, whose
voluntary contributions to the support OF
the nations lite do not appear where those
OF others are found, also took care not to
contribute his due share of the involuntary
contributions, which, in theory, all of US
we're compelled to make. In other words,
our great reforner, our defender of honesty,
our earHeEt supporter OF the government
cOntrived in very questionable ways to pay
lust a. little ss possible of the tax due from
him on the great wealth he was acquiring
during the ten years or more that TAX
was imposed upon incomes.
The first income tax law was passed IN
August, 1861, and imposed tax upon the
incomes of that year, to be collec ted ln the
spring of 1862. Amendments were made IN
July, 1862, and at various later periods. As
is well known, every one ls required 10 MAKE
o return of his income under oath and with
considerable detail. Mr.. Tilds1 made re-
turns for the years 1862 and 1853: but after
that time he seems to have come to the
conclusion that it was cheaper for him to
make no return, but to leave the assessor to
guess at his income, and then to pay tax
upon that sum 80 guessed at, with the PEN
alty of fifty per cent added, which the law
imposed for failure to make return. And
sO Mr., Tilden made no return OF his income
after that of 1868. for all the years during
which that tax continued, which was down
to 1872 We presume no one will suggest
that year after year he submitted to pay
penalty for not making return, and to pay
besides his Just share of the tax. The in
evitsble conclusion is, that he found 1t
cheaper not TO do az an honest citizen, az
sincere upholder of the government, would
have done-make out correct return OF
his income annually, and pay the tax upon
it. II any one has lingering doubt upon
| that subject it will vanish when We say
that during the entire period of the imposi-
| ton of the income tax Mr.. Tilden, mil.
age income, penalties included, OF about
eI5 900 year. This, be it remembered,
was during the years when he was receiv-
| ing that large income from his occupation
| az 3 railway wrecker, which has made his
enormous fortune.
It was during those We ars that ne was re-
organizing the St. Louis, Alton and Terre
Haute Railroad Company. from which,
alone. he admits, under oath, he received
| in one wear, $40, 900 in cash and . large
amount of bonds; that he was, as partner,
counsel and trustee, gobbling up the Ca
lena and Chicago Railroad Company, in
Illinois; that he was apprOpriatlng to him.
self the great profits of the Continental
Improvement Company. and the Grand
Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company,
and the Peninsuiar Railroad Company, in
Michigan 1t was during this period that,
| as counsel of Cakes Ames, he gave the add
vice which led to the Credit Mobilier, with
| it's crop of frauds and scandals. 1t was
during thi, period, too. that he stands
charged upon the books of the Erie Rail
way Company with $4,000, paid to him
for legal services, extending over two
months only. It was during this period
that he purchased his costly residence at
Gramercy Park. Yet, with ali these sources
and evidences of large income. this earn.
est supporter of the government contrived
to psy q tax on an average income of only
about $l5, 900 year. II the laws were en-
forced against our model reformer, we have
no hesitation in saying he would have to
disporge q large sum out of which he has
cheated the government. Why do not the
authorities take measures to compel him to
paw up! There is, We believe, no statute of
limitation against the government in civil
actions, SO that suit can be maintained,
and az criminal prosecution Is barred, Mr..
Tilden, if his evidence were needed, could
not refuse to testify on the ground of Grim.
mating himself.
II such suit is brought, we can suggest
to the government where i. will find some
conclusive testimony. On December 26,
1863, Mr.. Tilden swOre to return, under
oath. in which he said: II hereby certify
that the following is true and faithful
statement Of the gains, profits or income
of Samuel j. Tilden, of the city of New
York, county of New York and State Of
New York, whether derived from any kind
of property, rents, interest, dividends,
salary, or from any profession, trade, en-
pleyment or vocation, or from any other
source whatever, from the first dav of
January to the thirty first day Of Decem-
Der. 1862, both days inclusive, and subject
to an income tax under the excise laws OF
the United States. income from all
sources, $7llS"
In other words, in December, 1868, Mr..
Tilden swOre that his entire income liable
to tax during the year 1862 was $7ilS, and
upon that sum, and that sum alone, did he
nav any tax. But IN his answer to the
complaint in tho Circuit Court of the
United States in the suit of the ST. Louis,
Alton, and Terre Haute Railroad Company
against himself and others, which answer
was filed few days ago, MI. Tilden sw0re
under oath as follows:
THAT for such services the defendant,
Tilden, made a charge of $4,000 against
said second mortgage bondholders, and the
said charge was paid by or on behalf OF said
second mortgage bOndholders, on the
seventeenth of October, 1862; that
the defendant Tilden, for a part OF his ser
vices aforesaid, also made charge of the
like sum OF $4,000 on account of profess
sional services rendered to the first mort.
gage bondholders and the receivers, which
was paid to him by the said Azariah c.
Flagg, and which payment ap'
pears under date of November Z, 1862, in a
statement annexed to the first report afOre
said, as having been receipted for by the
said Tilden, 'On account Of professional scr.
vices.'"
In other words, having sworn. in 1868,
that his entire income for the year 1862
from all sources liable to taxatiOn-cOunsel
fees, dividends. rents, profts--was only
$7IIS, he, in 1876, swears that during the
same year, 1862, he received from two
sources alOne-his services to q single COM
pany-$2O, 900. By his own sworn admis-
sion, therefore, Mr.. Tilden stands indebted
to the government in q considerable sum
for unpaid income tax for 1852, and we have
two oaths by Mr.. Tilden, utterly moon.
sistent with each other. And yet this man
is the honest man, the retormer OF the
country!