The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-09-23
Taaen's Mastery yindioatiOu.


Ff0m tie Philadelphia Times, Ind Rep.
At last, and none too soon, we have the
answer Of Governor Tilden to the grave accu-
sations made against the integrity Of his
income return for 1862; and the dispassionate
reader will be amazed, after perusing il at the
mendacity that has characterized his accusers.
Coming from journal of assumed and hith-
erto acknowledge respectability, the country
paused to consider the charge, and had it not
been conclusively answered It must have cost
Mr.. Tilden tens Of thousands Of votes hut
we now have the answer, item by item, with
a minufeness Of detail that forbids the posi-
bility of evasion or coneealmeRt, and no I'M
biased mind will fail to regard the Democratic
candidate for President as fully indicated.
Not only does the letter of Judge Sinnott
clear the skirts Of Governor Hden Of all
reasonable suspicion Of classifying his income
returns, but, in connection with the pretacto-
ry letter Of Mr.. Hewitt, it places the national
authorities as well as the New York Times
in most pitiful position before the country.
While Mr.. Hewittis formal applications to
the Treasury Department were not only I'M
answered, but unnoticed in any way, and all
access to the records practically denied him,
those who were fabricating the falsehoods
were permitted 10 garble the official ac-
counts and photograph such as served their
studied efforts to defame an honest citizen.
Taken all in all, the assault upon Governor
Tiiden has been the most systematic, mali
cious and atrocious ever invented in the des-
peration Of political campaign, and it will
cost a Journal like the New York Times many
years to recover the character for candor and
manliness it has lost by its mad partisan de-
famation. That the Grant dependents at
Washington should lend themselves to any
fraud to defeat Mr.. Tilden's election, will
surprise no one; and the consciousness that,
with all the searching and garbling of the
official records, the charge could not be made
even plausible in the face Of anticipated ex.
planations, is doubtless the reason for the
rumor from Washington that the government
has abandoned the purpose of instituting
legal proceedings against Mr.. Tilden for
arrears Of income tax. Had he been guilty
of actual fraud, as his reckless accusers have
charged, the information necessary to sustain
prosecution would have been within reach
ofthe government long since; but now, after
flooding the country with this scandal, and
persisting in it with relentless malignity for
weeks, ii perishes before the sober, search
ing truth like the mists Of the morning
before the genial rays of the sun. 1t il
TO be regretted that the answer could not
have been given at an earlier day, but it
has doubtless required patient and protracted
labor to review the large and complicated
professional and business operations of Mr..
Tlden from fourteen to twenty years ago,
and it was evidently his purpose that no point,
however trivial, should be left in doubt. Its
delay had given birth TO grave apprehension
among the better classes OF both parties that
there might be some substance IN the charges
SO earnestly preferred and 50 obstinately
maintained; but the answer is q crashing
overthrow Of Mr.. Tilden's accusers, and the
scandal must recoil upon the cause Of the
desperate leaders who invented it, with posi-
tive effect. Governor Tilden has not only
saved his own honor, jewel far above the
Presidency in price, but he has done more
he has made deliverance that will stagger
Ohio and make Democratic defeat IN Indiana
next TO impossible. A