Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-04
New York Tribune Sept. q, 1873.
AN ExPkANAlTI!4H THAT DOES

AT last Gov. Tilden appears, to cx-
plain the income business. We say
Gov. Tilden appears, for the letter
signed by the law clerk is evidently
dictated by the master. 1t betrays all
Gov. Tilden's peculiar dcxterity, and
is formidably elaborate and precise
on the points of least consequence,
The essential points il slurs.
Gov. Tilden was found to have paid
tax in 1862 on a sworn income of only
about $1,000. In an answer to an
equity suit long afterward, he swore
to the receipt in that year Of two fees
amounting to $4,000, and it was
reasonable to suppose that he must
also have received large sums in the
same year from his other legal bust
ness. 1t was found that subsequently
he made no returns, but preferred
to let the Government, guided by his
low return Of 1862, estimate his in
come, and fix its tax on that. II thus
came about that he paid OH an income
of less than $4,000 per year during
the whole time the tax was levied. 1t
is known that in some of these years
his income must have been over a
quarter of a million, and that through
out the whole period it must have
averaged over 100000. These are
the naked facts. Gov. Tilden does
not deny one of them and on these
the American people must decide
whether he will do for Reform can
didate, 10 collect the taxes honestly
from other people. We say this with
profound regret. The TRIBUNE made
Mr.. Tilden Governor of New York,
as he has again and again acknowl-
edged. He has given us in many re-
spects model administration, and
has done all, and more than all that
we promised for him. We believed
his character to be spotless, and when
this income charge was first presented
we confidently expected him to make
All instant and conclusive reply. His
reply has been fatally delay ed, and
on the main point, as above stated. 1t
is fatally inconclusive.
We have never charged Gov. Til
den with committing perjury about
his income. We have never even held
that there could be no plausible ex.
PLANTATION of the meager return fol
1862. We have insisted that the cir.
cumstance demanded an explanation
and that if it were SO easy to make, il
would not have been SO long in com.
ing. We think so still. The expla.
nation as to 1862 is technical and hard
strained, but if it stood alone, per.
haps it might pass. When that return
comes to he used steadily, for years
as the basis for escaping taxation or
everything over fifteen thousand dol
lars, at time when his income wa
steadily hundred thousand or more
per year, the situation becomes mon
strous. Governor Tilden may, in
deed have kept within the letter o
the law, but it is plain that he cvade'
its spirit. lie could not be sent t
the penitentiary, as he is trying /
send Jarvis Lord, for defrauding tn
Government, but he contrived to kee
the Government from getting out q
| him the money to which it was Ell
titled. lie did not tell the horse-ca
conductor he had paid his fare, bu
he kept his hands in his pockets an,
looked unconcernedly at the conduc
/, tor, as If he had; and the effect wa
the same. When the conductor de
tects such a passenger, he general
puts him off the car. When the Amer
lean people find him running as re
form candidate for the Presidency
they are going to vote for the othe
| man.