The Portland daily press., 1876-08-28

'rhe story Of Samuel j. Tildens alleged per-
jury in connection with the false returns of his
income during the war has travelled all over
the land, and although many days have elaps-
ed since it appeared in the Times, not one of
the watchful friends of Mr.. Tilden has at
tempted to deny its truth. All the facts were
taken from official records bearing the sigma
ture of Mr.. Tilden himself, aud these identical
records now present him in the pitiable light of
swearing to false statement for the purpose
of cheating the government. The proof against
him docs not admit of question. On Dec. 23d,
1868, Mr., Tilden, in makinga return of his in
come for the previous year, deliberately took
the following oath:
ST hereby certify that the following is true and
faithful statement of the gains profits, income of
County Of New York. State Of New York, whether
derived from any kind of property, rents interest
diydents, salary or from any profession trade. en-
ployment, or vocation, or from any other source
whatever, from LIST day OF January to 3lst day Of
December, 1862, both day inclusive and subject to
an income tax under the Excise laws of the United
States. Income from all sources. $7,l1S."
He paid the tax only upon this comparative
small sum. The year for which he made this
trifing return of his income witnessed the sue
cess Of his gigantic scheme to capture the
Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis railroad, and
to issue stock to the amount of hundreds of
thousands of dollars beyond its liabilities
stock of which he has never yet given an ac-
count, although it still stands like a nightmare
of debt on the books Of the organization.
When compelled, after the lapse of so many
years. in which he succeeded in evadag the
question at issue by means of legal techncali-
ties, to come into the United States Court of
this District aud account for his scandalous if
not criminal stewardship as a trustee of the
road, he swore that he was paid 500, 900 for his
services as such trustee in 1862, the very year
in which be stated under oath that his income
was only 81 Mr.. Tiden's oath on this
point appears in his recently filed answer to the
complaint of the unfortunate stockholders of
the Terre Haute, Alton aud St. Louis railroad
company, and reads:
"Ihat for such services the defendant Tilden
made charge of ten thousand dollars against said
second mortgage bondholders, and the SAID charge
was paid by or on behalf Of said second mortgage
bondholders, on the 18th of October, 1862, : =
that the defendant Ilden for part Of his services
ten thousand dollars on account of professional
services rendered to the first mortgage bondhoIders
ana ae vas PAID to him by the
ment appears under date of Nov 7, 1862 in state
ing annexed to the first report aforesaid as having
pCoh teCcAptOu iOA Ny tuo edlu lHueu, ON account
OF professional services"
If the criminal law now operated in a case
like this, To convict Mr.. Tilden it would perhaps
only be necessary to present his two affidavits
to jury
The evidence as to his large income in 1862 is
damagingly cumulative. He was connected as
counsel and trustee with a large number of rail
roads that year. He was the legal adviser of
the Northwestern Railroad, and was director
of the same. He was also counsel to the Chi
cago and Alton road, the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne and Chicago road, the Cumberland
Iron Company, and to other corporations. The
Northwestern alone, it appears. paid him an
nually fee varying from $4,000 to $4,000,
and as the other organizations were as wealthy
a. the Northwestern Mr. Tildens income from
all the corporations could hardly have been less
than $4,000 year.
In the same year, 1862, Mr.. Tilden was presi-
dent and trustee of the New York Balance
Dock Company, which then, according to a re-
port filed by him in the county clerks Office on
Jan. !, 1853, had a paid-up capital of $3.50 OO
The whole record is an ugly one for Mr.. Til
den. If reform consists in cheating the govern
ment as well as railroad corporations, then he
eau lay Claim to this title. He has, however,
placed himself within reach of the law, which
may be invoked by the proper authorities to
compel him to pay into court the amount he
withheld from the government during the war,