The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-07-21
Samuel y. TiIdets.


IS the means at hand will allow,
;4pd We propose to give some
thing to our readers by way of
AN insight into some of the points
in the reputation of the man
whom the Democracy are follow
ing so indu%striously. The points
are not new ones to many, bat
will do to reiterate.
Mr.. Tilden is held up to us as a
great "reformer," and we are told
he caused the downfall of Tam
mary Hall, and was the chief mo-
ver in bringing the Tweed Ring
TO Justice, but the facts are just
to the contrary.
In the year 1870, the New York
Times began its celebrated attack
on the Tammany Ring. On Sept.
23rd of that year, it spoke of Mr..
Tilden and his connection with
the corrupt government Of the
city and state of New York, as
managed by the Ring, il this Ian
.guage!
He "probably knows o of its
horrors than any of us. He knows
that they cheat, and lie, and steal;
.and he knows that they rely for
THE perpetuation of their power
ION the fidelity and exeftiQns of
Jail birds-and on the perpetual
ton Of frauds, such as, until late
,ly, Only jail birdswere guilty Of"
And the Times futher charged
him at the same date with hay
ing taken the money which the
Ring, had stolen from the city OF
New York, and use. it to uphold
Tammany, he being Chairman of
the State Democratic Committee.
On Sept. 23d 1870, the Times again
attacked Mr.. Tilden, and among
other things it says, speaking of
his officiating as Chairman of the
Democratic State Convention
which met at Rochester:
\ "He knows he sat there simply
as a cover for fraud and robbery
'of the worst kind. He ought not,
after having done it, to be able
TO drive past Tweed's new house
and garden of fifth avenue with
'out blushing and hanging his
head. He knowswhere the ex-
:chairm&kef aot'the means of pay
ing fQY that mansion; and know
iingit how could he dare to sit in
"a Convention the sole object OF
which was to put fresh plundcr IN
the recent mechanic pochets, and pro
4tecl the reign Of a pack Of cheats .ger
his .fellom citizens"
: Again on Sept. 30, the Times
accused Mr.. Tilden of being
equally guilty with the ring,
from the fact of his continually
associating with them and partic-
ipating in their political dishon-
esty. And to all the above, Mr.,
Tilden could say not a word, but,
on the contrary, he refused tojoin
in the crusade against Tammany
and Tweed in the spring of II,
and he was one with Judge Cor
dozo, Andrew j. Garvey, and
"Tom; Fields as Che committee of
arrangements for Tammapy's ami
versary Fourth of July eelebra-
ton of II.
On Goth of July, N the Times dem
bnstrated by its figures the terri
BILE corruption Of the city gov
eminent, and We all remember
the sensation It caused through
our land and the relief we felt
when we knew the Ring was
broken, and one of the national
wrongs shown in it, true light.
And we also know that to the
Times was freely accorded the
great honor of the victory, which
was purely Journalistic.
1t was nearly tao months later
than this that Mr.. Tilden changed
faces and begun 70 help fight his
old tr4ends. He waited till the
hard work was all done. He
stayed with the Ring as long as
he possibly could. He helped
them all through the months the
Times was fighting them, and now
bis friends come to the public
with the bare faced tale that he
caused the downfall ofthe Tweed
Ring. The above quotations from
the Times show the pressure Of
public opinion that was brought
to bear on him, and yet he lent
his great influence continually to