The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-09-22
Isenviu tiIe unenaer

sight, but the conflicting afIidavits
remained TO confirm the ugly
facts that Tilden did, on the Goth
of December, 1863 swear falsely,
and did by that act of false swear
ing defraud the government.
Then IN effort was made to eX-
explain by stating that the rail
way fee of $4,000 received in
1862 was the price of services rem
dered during four Or five years.
But again Tilden's sworn state
mcnt, that he undertook the ser
vice charged for in 1861, contra
dicted the explanation. A coun-
ter-assault was made upon Gov
ernor Hayes, charging him with
having made false returns to the
State tax assessor, as if guilt
charged upon Hayes could weak
en- the force Of guilt proven upon
Tilden! But this last stroke re-
coils upon the party that deliver
ed it, since it is proven hat the
charge against Hayes has not the
shadow of foundation in fact.
Meantime the perjury case pre-
sents new features. 1t seems
that the one act of perjury in
1863 constituted the basis Of a Sc
ries Of frauds upon the govern
ment extending over the whole
period while the income tax was
in force. Thus in December, 1868,
Tilden swore that his income from
all sources for the year 1862 was
$7,118, and no more. But the next
year he declined to make any
sworn return, throwing the re-
sp~onsibility entirely upon the as
SCISSOR. This responsibility was
assumed by the assessor. He at
first relied upon the sworn return
Of Mr.. Tilden for 1862, but inves-
tigation caused him to change
that opinion, and he doubled the as
sessment. Mr. 2ilden GAGE his check for
the amount, without ~interpOsing the
least demurrer. 1t is plain that the
assessor had good reason to be-
lieve, and did believe, that Mr..
Tilden had sworn falsely the year
before. Had he done his whole
duty then the matter would have
been reported to the department,
and investigation would have
been instituted, Tilden's perjury
would have been discovered, he
would have been prosecuted.
tried, convicted, and sent to the
penitentiary. 1t is believed that
through the misleading character
Of the one false income return of
1862 Governor Tilden defrauded
the government out of at least
100000. 1t is scarcely to be re-
GREETED, perhaps, that the statute
Of limitations save this great Of
fender from prosecution and pun
ishment for perjury. No punish
ment could possibly be greater
than the remorse which undoubt-
eddy harrows the soul of Mr.. Til
den in view of the exposure of his
crime. He is Governor of the
chief State Of the Union, and a
candidate for the highest office in
the gift of the people, and thus
conspicuously posted in the eyes
of the world his crime "has found
him Quit" While his friends
claim for him the honor of expos
ing and bringing to punishment
his old associate, Tweed, it ap-
pears that that association was
eminently fit, since long before
his acquaintance with Tweed his
sense Of honor and his regard for
the sanctity of an oath had been
so dulled that he had actually
committed a crime punishable by
imprisonment in the penitentiary
without a seeming twinge of con-
science. 1t is plain that Tilden's
life must henceforth be a burden
to him. In association with his
old friends Of the better class he
cannot but feel that they regard
him with aversion and disgust. In
the company of Morrissey and
the lesser lights Of the Tammany
gang the conviction must force
itself upon him that he is no more
than their peer, and that they re-
gard his degradation to their
level with ill-concealed satisfac-
ton. Mr.. Tilden's offense is
it smells to heaven!" It's
perjury! Perjury committed to
lefraud the government when it
WAS in deadlv neril from the mn.