The daily gazette., 1876-08-07
SAM J, Ti|den a Reformer :?
Testimony Of the New York Times.

The newspaper from which the SUBJ
Joined articles are copied, is the iden-
tlcal "New York Times that is now
published in the city of New York un-
der that name and title. The Samuel
j. Tilden referred to in the following
extracts is the Samuel J. Tilden who
is the Democratic candidate for Pres
ident. This explanation is deemed es-
sential, because, without it, the read
ers of the "Times would fail to recog.
pize in the present great apostle of
sham reform, the very Samuel ]. Til
den who but four years ago was called
"an honest and high toned Democrat
and "a gallant. conscientious and effis
cient foe to corruption" And lest it
might be presumed, as the only ration
al solution to a transition so phenome-
nal, that the ''Times" has become the
property either of the late Canal Ring
or of William NJ. Tweed or of Peter B,
Sweeny, or of George G.. Barnard, the
impeached and disfranchised judge
one and all, the immortal enemies of
MIR. Tilden not without cause lit is
but proper to state, incredible though
the assertion may appear, that the per-
sons who at present OWE and control
the New York Times" are the same
parties who owned and controlled it at
the various times when the articles
that follow were published. After pe>
rusing these pages and comparing the
panegyrics on Mr.. Tilden that the
"Times" sung so loudly and persists
emily four years ago, with the harsh
diatribes with which its columns are
at present teeming, the question that
Will naturally suggest itself to the read
er is, "Did the "rimes" speak falsly
four years ago, or does it speak falsly
now?"
The position assumed by the Times
toward Mr.. Tilden during the present
campaign is not leas absurd aud rldic>
ulous than if simultaneously with its
denunciatory articles against Mr.. Til
den--it were to publish leading edit
orials lauding to the skies the honesty
and integrity of William NJ. Tweed or
Peter B. Sweeny, The "Times is as
consistent in its attacks on Mr., Tilden
as it would be in praising the thieves
OF the late Tammany Ring.
The following extracts from the
Times" published in that journal at
a period when Mr.. Tilden was a pri-
vate citizen; when there existed not
even the remotest probability of his
holding any p ublic office whatever;
when If any person bad prophesied
that Mr.. Tilden was destined to be the
Governor of New York. and, the Dem
ocratic candidate for President of the
United States, he would have been
pronounced an idiot; and when no
motive nor incentive was offered to
distort the facts. or prejudice honest
convictions-these extracts published
at such time and under those condi-
tions, in leading Republican, news
paper, are, beyond all question, enti
tied to the most implicit belief by all
fair minded men.
DID MR., TILDEN Assist TWEED AND
swEENY IN PASSING THE "RING CHAR
TER, )" THROUGH THE LEGisLATURE?
In 1870 the Tammany Ring by cor,
rupting the Legislature, secured the
passage of what is now called the
"Ring Charter" by which they were
enabled to obtain undisputed control
OF the municipal government. 1t has
been asserted, since the beginning of
the present campaign, that although
Mr. Tilden was fully aware of the
nefarious scheme, he held his peace,
stood aloof and permitted its consum-
nation without demonstrating against
it, Hearken to the Times of August
II. 1871, in an editorial on the sub.
| ject:
| There We'e a JeW indignant against the sch,me
uttered by such high-foned Democrats as SAMUEL
j. TILDEN, and Others of his cha, acter, but thew
were without effect, for Tweed and Sweeny
nad the voters already bought up. OF all the
| Republican Senators. Senator Thayer alone is
on record as voting against it.
DID MR.. TILDEN OBEY TwEED's ORDERS?
On October 5, 1871, the Democratic
State Convention assembled at Roches-
ter to nominate State officers. There
were two contending delegations from
New York city:-the Tweed and
Sweeny delegation or Tammany, and
the anti-Tammany, As this Conven.
ton was held in the midst of the great
excitement that succeeded tie expo.
sures of the enormous frauds perpetra.
ted by the Ring, it was currently re-
ported that the Tammany delegation
would not ha admitted 80 ,.... =: a. i.