Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-10-06

last ditch-making its last strugge-re-
eeiying its last thrust and going into its
death agony. He and Hendricks were
there. trying to rescue it from the jaws Of
death, by declaring the war failure, and
that the useless expenditure Of traasufe and
the shedding of blood should be stopped at
once; that the army should be with drawn
and disbanded; and that President Lincoln
was smutty old tyrant, and ought to be
hurled out of political existence; ant that
they would lend no assistance in the prose
e6Iion Of such an unholy war. If be was
in favor Of more rigorous prOsecutl ion of
the war he had, at least, queer way Of
showing If. ..44l-..--
Il is claimed that Mr.. Tilden is a thor
oughIy upright and honest man. Is he?
Let US investigate a Iittle and see Was
Mr.. Tilden's connection with the Chicago
& Northwestern railroad, in which he
swindled the stockholders out of the road,
and appropriated the greater portion Of it
to himself, the account of which was given
in the New York ErPrsss-a Democratic
paper-in May, 1876, that of an upright
and honest man?
Was the issuing of illegal currency in
Michigan, by which he defrauded the gov
ernment and cheated his employers, the
act of an honest and upright man? If Mr..
Tilden was an honest man in 1862 would
he have sworn to false report of his in
come, by which the government was de-
frauded? II Mr.. Tilden is an honest man,
do you think there would have been cause
to render judgment against him for his
land tax due the State of Michigan, in
1873; if Mr.. Tilden is an honest AMI up
right man, do you think it would have been
necessary to pass his congressional relief
bill from penalties and fines? ! think not.
Was his action in securing the passage of a
bill in violation of the constitution of the
State of New York, of which he was Gov
ernor, and approved as such, June 16,
1875. for the extension of street railway,
in which he was interested, that of an hon
est and upright man? ,.
The New York Forld-Democratic-
said of it: at is an eternal disgrace to the
State of New York. that such dishonest
practices are allowed. Members are bought
upon these bills, as you would buy pound
OF beef" Nevertheless. Tilden signed the
bill--honest and upright man that he is!
1t is further claimed that Tilden prose
cuted the chief of the Tammany thieves
Tweed. The reason which led to such
prosecution was not unlike that which in
duced the Mormons to give up Lee to his
fate. He was foremost, and unless he was
made the seapegoat, the whole church
might be involved. The Tammany ring,
Of which Tilden and Tweed were the head
by regular partnership, saw their game
was up-that the fact of their enormous
thefts was bound to come out, for the Times
of July and September 1871, gave publicity
to them. An Indignation meeting was
held, which Mr.. Tilden did not see fit to
attend. On the following day the NewYork
World said Of this meeting that sit was a
failure, because eminent citizens like Sam
uel J. Tilden, stood aloof from it." On
the 18th day of Sept, Tilden and the ring
held a conference to decide upon what to
do with the partnership papers, and it was
decided to destroy them at once. Mr.. Con
molly, in whose hands the papers were,
found all of a sudden that he had impor-
tant business in Europe-thither he went.
The moment Mr.. Connolly and the papers
were well out of the way, Mr. Tilden began
earnestly to talk about reform, and as
Tweed was the foremost Of the gang of
thieves, they decided to make him scape-
goat, and saerihee him for the good of the
ring-Tilden & Co. 1t was so arranged and
understood, that after the prosecution, con-
yiction and imprisonment, he oould.be got
out and off, and the escape was only part
of the programme.
1t is well known fact, that Tilden op-
posed the execution of the laws and reform
in every locality where ring men controlled
party machinery and presidential delega-
tions; and it is also a known fact. that
these same men have been delegates to
each State convention since the time the
compact was entered into. So much for
Tilden and Reforms!
Yours, &C., A. DIENsT
Ashtabula,i Oct. 8, 1876. slE.4il