Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-14

falsehood and imp0sture, designed to perDetuate
his name as "the Hercules who slew the Tamma-
ny Hydra" Mr.. Tilden's share in the civil suits
for the recovery of the money stolen by the ring
| simply helped to delay their progress and defeat
their purpose-a result which his friends
charged upon the incaraciiy and corruption OF
the Court OF Appeals. His share in the criminal
| suits-carried through under tine direction of n
Republican District Attorney-merely amounted
to the production of the Broadway Bank state
ments, prepared under his orders by skilled
accountant.
1t must be remembered that the publication
of the Times figures in July, 1871, with which
Mr.. Tilden had as little to do AS the man in the
moon, not only proved the guilt of the Tweed
ring, but effected their rum. Their Punishment
from power and the subsequent punishment
were after that merely a question of time. 1t
will be observed that Mr.. Tilden's first pnblic
acrson against the ring came two months after
their exposure had been effected. The question
arises, therefore, what was Tilden doing be-
tween 1866, when he became Chairman OF
the Democratic State Committee. and Octo-
Der. 1871. when he, for the first time, at
tempted to induce his party TO throw off the
domination of the gang OF thieves who had been
for several preceding years its undisputed lead
ers. In general terms, the answer is that in
State politics he actively co-operated with them,
accepting their dciation, and seeing, without a
murmur, the gradual confirmation of their
power. He took their money, knowing that it
was stolen, to help in Democratic campaigns,
and he allowed mis- party to profit by their meth
DDS, knowing them to be carried out by repeat
ers, ballot-slufiers, and professional criminals.
for the purpose of electing Judges, Legislators,
and local officials, who were the abject slaves OF
the ring.
| To be more specific there were three periods
in the growth and exercise OF ring supremacy IN
| this city. The first saw the development OF
orgapized plumber among the members Of the
elective Board of Supervisors; the second wit
| messed the preparation, in pecuniary frauds on a
more ambitious scale, and electoral cheating by
forged naturalization papers, personation, and
false counting, for the ring triumph OF 1868; and
the third was marked by the reign Of legisla-
tive and official corruption during the first
| three years of Gov. Hofmans occupancy
| of the Executive chair. In all three period;
Mr.. Tilden was the nominal head of the
Democratic party in the State, and was di.
rectly responsible for tolerating and promoting
| the corruption which distinguished them. His
campaign biography, to which wa have fire.
quently referred, lays special stress on the
mixed political character OF the elective Board
of Supervisors, for the purpose Of relieving the
party over which he presided Of its response
| biliry for their acts. Let US concede Mr.. Til
deus claim that the Board was composed in
equal parts of Republican and Democratic
thieves, and then let him explain why it is thai
the only three of its surviving members who are
known in politics are reckoned among his ow u
supporters. They are John Fox, Jame.
Hayes, AID Smith Ely, jrn member OF Congress
from the Seventh District. In justice to The
| latter gentleman, we ought to say that he stead
lastly opposed the swindling operations Of
Tweed, Fox, and Hayes, though Mr.. Tilden'i
theory of political history excludes from consid
Grafton any such minor qualification as that
By 1866 Tweed had already amassed consider
able wealth out of the spoils of the county, and
| had become quite prominent figure in politics
| The following letter shows that at this tim,
Mr. Tilden regarded him as friend and valued
| fellow-worker;
| No. Is GRAMKRcY PARK,
Aug. IL, lS66--ll A. NJ.
DEAR srs-I decided to go to Philadelphia II
the morning. and shall not be able to see before
| leave. Mr.. Richmond is at the 81. Nicholas some
what ILL., II well enough, he will come on the p. M
train. Whether he is there to-day or not, hope yo
| wall not fail 10 be in Philadelphia.
Very truly your friend. -. TiLDxS.
Hon. WM NJ. TWEED.
| Mr.. Tilden's share in the gigantic electors
| frauds OF 1868 is matter of history. He predicted
the certain triumph of Seymour and Blair il
that yeas because he believed I'm the people, il
| God and in the destiny of the country" H.
took measures to give New York ITS place il
the vanguard of the great Democratic column
OF America" by calling upon the Democratic
managers in the interior of the State to suppl,
the data on which Tweed and his confederate
in the city were to fill in their fraudulen
majorities. He saw Hoffman sign tn,
Erie Classification act Tor the bene6
of Fisk, Gould, and Lane in 1863, ant
made no protest; be saw the ring TAX levies
with all their items OF wholesale plumber, pu
through, and be continued to work side by sid
with the men who drafted them, and to gree
with fullsome compliment the pliable instrumen
of the ring Who signed them. He made q speecl
before Legislative Committee against the char
ter OF 1870, but lie made no protest against tn
far more dangerous legislation which gave tn
thieves unlimited power to concoct bogu
claims and to. issue bonds having thirty year
to run He talked by the hour at Rocheste
in 1870 about GENERALIZATION" and the militar,
despotisms of Europe, but said no word of tn
thieviug gang who dictated the course OF tn
Convention, and made the Chairman of tn
State Committee a mere puppet in their hands
He remained silent under the daily appeals o
the Times to withdraw bis name and Intuenc
from the support Of organized robbery, and b
allowed his absence from the first public dem
onstration against the ring, early in 1871, TO b
used as q reproach against the Independent
Democrats who participated in it. ii
made no sign when the Times completed il
warfare against the ring by the publication O
the crushing evidences of their guilt, and wher
nearly six weeks after that publication, III
great Indignation meeting, out of which gre,
the Committee Of Seventy, was held in Coope
Institute, Mr.. TIlden was still undecided as {
the part he was to play, and fatty refused t
make u public stand against Tweed. Yet this
the man who is said to have taken Tweed i
the plentitude Of his power, and sent him
the penitentiary."
observation-disclosures