The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-18
THE TILpEN CIRCULAR OF 1868.

Niattt ipi BiSoOCut VI tuC I ulttu
States, just as another of her "favorite
"sons"-Samuel j. Tilden-is now the can
didate Of the same party for the same
office. The New York democracy were, of
course. exceedingly anxious that the vote
of the state should be given for her "fsvor-
site SON. cost what it might-and In this
they succeeded. Upon the official canvass
to the surprise of all, democrats and repub-
lcans alike, except those who were in the
secret-t was found that Horatio Seymour
vas returned as having majority of ten
thousand votes in the state. 1t was claim
ed,.and we think it will be conceded, that
the result was brought about by fraud; but
whether 1t is conceded or not, actual frauds
were proven, and 10 the course of the in
vestigation into these frauds, the following
circular was brought TO light
Private and strictly confidential
Rooms OF DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE,
October 81, 1863
Ny Dear Sir. Please at once to com.
nunlcate with some reliable person in three
" four principal towns, and in each city of
your county, and request him expense
July arranged for this end) to telegraph to
Nm. M. Tweed, Tammany Hall, at the
minute of closing the polls--not waiting
for the connt-such persons estimate of
The vote. Let the telegram be as follows
This town will show = democratic gain
Cor loss over last year of---.' Or this
one, if sufficiently certain. "This town
will give republican ordemocratic major
Try OF -
There IS, Of course, an important object
10 be attained. By simultaneous trans
mission at the hour of closing the poll, but
aot longer waiting, opportunity can be
taken OF the usual half hour lul in tele-
graphic communication over lines before
,ctual results begin to be declared, and be-
fore the Associated Press absorb the tele-
graph with returns and interfere with in
dividual messages; and give orders to watch
carefully the count.
Very truly, yours,
SAMUEL j. TILDEN, Chairman.
This circular was sent to the chairman of
the democratic county committee in every
county in the state, and the important
object to be attained" thereby will, per-
haps, sufficiently appear from the facts
Extensive preparations had been made to
poll large democratic vote in the CITY,
md TO this end thousands of aliens had
oeea frauduleutly naturalized hundreds
ii certificates Of naturalization had been
granted in the name of fictitious persons
and, on the day of election, many hundreds
Of persons voted from two to forty times
Zach under assumed names, fraudulently
registered for that purpose
But 1t was feared that this would not
produce the desired result: and accord
ngly, the circular was issued; and, as ap-
pears from the testimony of A. Oakley
Hall, secret meeting of the democratic
canvassers of the city was called to meet
With the "Tammany Hall general CON-
"mittee'-samue J. Tiden, William NJ.
Tweed, Hall and others being members
hereof-on the Sunday previous to the
election. 1t that meeting, the democratic
canvassers were instructed to tread over
the name of every elector on every
ticket" the object being "to prolong
the count as far as possible" SO that The
vote of the country should be ascertained
,efore the vote of the city. Remember
hat this is the testimony of A. Oakley
Hall, secretary of the committee of which
samuel j. 1ilden was chairman.
The instructions were followed. Re
urns were received from the country before
he city vote was announced, and what
vas the result ? We quote from the report
If the committee which investigated the
lection frauds " Extensive fraud, were
committed in canvassing tickets, and
names of voters were entered on the poll
lists, and democratic tickets counted as
If voters representing them voted, when
. no such person voted at ALL All of the
proof was to this end, and it has never been
lenied On disputed.
The testimony further shows that at least
twenty-five thousand votes were added to
The democratic majority in New York city
" these means; and here we see why the
cular was issued, why the vote of the
country was wanted before that of the city
vas announced, and what was the sin
portant object to be dttdined." The state
# New York, outside of the city, gave up
wards Of fifty thousind-50, 57S -repubi-
,an ajority, but the vote in New York
,iiy, as returned, ovcrcame this and gave
he state to the democracy by ten thousand
majority the returned democratic major
y being GO 57S, or exactly ten thousand in
excess of the republican majority In the re-
nainder of The state.
The fraudulent nature of this returned
democratic majority in New ork city fur
-her appears from the votes and majorities
Of that party in New York city for the
years prior to and succeeding 1868. The
democratic vote of the city, as returned, in
1868, was 108,3l6, while it was only
S0,671 in 1866; 49, 700 in 1854 SO, 06S in
1870; 1854 in 1872; and s7,436 in 1874
being more than twenty thousand votes
larger in 1868 than In any of the years
| prior or subsequent thereto So with the
najorlties. The democratic majority in
the city, as returned in 1868. was, in round
| numbers, sixty thousand while in 1864,
It was twenty-seven thousand in 1866,
for,y-seven thousand; in 1872, twenty
hree thousand; and in 1874, forty-two
thousand. So it appears that had the vote
and majority in New York city been the
zane In 1868 as in prior and subsequent
| years-and we may say but for the circu-
ar--the republicans would have carried the
state by from I've TO twenty-five thousand
majority.
| A word as to the authenticity OF the cir
rular. 1t is proper to say that Samuel j..
rilden denied, under oath, that he wrote or
signed the circular, and that A. Oakley