The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-05


the Reform Candidate for president.
CENTENNIAL DIX SMELLING AROUND.
3 WEST TwENTY-FIRsT sTHEET.
NEW YORK. Aug. 81, 1915.
Ny DEAR SIR: | called TO see you yester-
day. and regretted to end that you were out oil
town. You told me two vesrs that when you
commenced the attack on Tweed; when enSsu
advised you not to attempt II. You did not
take bis advice, and had partial success.
You then went to him a second tune, and he
aeain attem pied to dissuade you from going on
said you had no standing IN court &c. You per
city owes YOU delt OF gratitude, which, 1
think. has never been repaid. You attended the
which led 10 the appointment of the Committee
lof Seventy. Mr.. 1ilden did not attend Have
showing what you did What Mr.. 1iiden said to
you. and what were precisely your legal mess
wsso arc your consent. but IL is imporSnt th"t
should have facts, which can be suhstantlated
4 they are denied; Ny address is seaneld'
An early answer will oblise. dear air, yours
VI. JOHN Foley, ESQ. 'o"' ~ DN
Mr.. FOLEY ANSWERS MS VENERABLE CoRRE-
sPoNDENT.
No. 9 AsroR House.
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 1876
1hs Hon. John A. DIR
MY DEAR GOVERNOR: 1 should have sooner
replied to your letter, as Its Importance de-
handed. but for my absence from the city and
apress Of business matters.
You are mistaken in your impression as to
Governor Tilden's action In the Tammany Ring
prosecutions.
had several interviews with him in 1871, aud
pave him printed copy Of nv proposed njunc-
tion. After a careful examination, Mr.. 1ilden
came to the same conclusion that several other
eminent lawyers arrived at. namely, that. as
taxpayer. had no standing In court, and, as
the law then stood, could not procure on in
1uucttan 10 at ha furfher ataalnu of the
Ring. My own able counsel, Messrs. John II.
Strahan and Judge George c. Barrett, thought
otherwise, and strongly held that the Injunction
was my only true remedy, but, fortunately for
me ana for our plundered city, Tweed, Hall,
and Sweeny thought that their only safety was
20 throw all the blame upon Connolly, and they
arranged with Judge Barnard to grant the in
junction, and go Il was done. Mr.. TiIden mani
Tested no desire to shield the Ring, but. on the
contrary, quite a bitter feeling existed between
him and Tweed
You refer to the circumstance that Mr.. TIL
den did not attend the great meeting Of the 4th
Of September, 1871. Perhaps you are not aware
of the fact that he remataed away because he
was engaged In pursuing the Same end by
another route, and that II was, on consultation
Che being the Chairman OF the Democratic State
Committee) deemed best for the good Cause
that ne should not attend at that meeting, but
should proceed separately.
You also forget that the first great public
meeting held IN our city to put down Tweed
aud his Tammanv Ring occurred Aug. :, 1871
You were invited, but you failed to attend that
or the Attn OF september meeting or any Of the
early m, etines OF the COMMITTEES of Seventy
neither do YOU refer TO the fact that the live,
stirring speech delivered by MIR. Havemeyer at
the 4th OF September meeting was revised pre-
vious to Its delivery by MIR. Iilden, who gave to
IT. tue clearness and backbone by which 1t was
characterized.
1t 10 a notorious fact that long before this Mr..
TiIden h d become one oil the m ost determined
DnpOnauts inunl
Democracy light. and in the state Convention.
In October, 1869. at he request OF several
leading merchants, bankers, md taxpa, ers.
accepted the nomination for the ofiice OF Super
VISOR and proni-ed that would break up the
corrupt board or tut ston TO the shameful
frauds upon the taxpayers. | was elected but
the Ring managers, through their plant tool,
NY place. and on the D h OF JanuHrt, 1870, they
introduced blll In tue Legislature To confirm
er,l. 'hsr. lin, refused twice to allow me
quo wtf1dHto vet. with the powerful aid of the
sun controlled the Attorney e eueial 10 allow
the writ. lpushed the tri success tullv through
tue courts and gut INTO the BOARD. and 70 ced
Tweed to abolish the OLD Board Oi Supervisors.
During al this contest secured much ufurna-
lion ~ 30 ine sMihul,n1 tlCtIcs Il Tweed aud bis
p!underers' "nd WHICH aittr"ard led me To bring
wuOliN at my oAn cost anu res pon-lulnty, the
tamou. iJuntti u SUIT Of sept. :. ISL which re-
suited in me perfect obstruction Of the Tweed
Ring power. forced COMPTROLLER Connolly To re-
sign aud saved many millions OF dollars 70 our
overnurdened ta1plyers. also instituted
other legal proceedings pushing thin-s % city
lVely-0Igafiizeu several putlic III eetngs-krep-
ing up the nght ending In tue COMPLETE rOut "
lhc thieves.
In 1872, took an active part In your nomna-
tiUn anu election H. Governor Of this state. Al
though Democrat and you a Republican,
felt that you were the best anu most conn etent
man In our State TO aia aud sustain the great
reform movement anu IL Is but Just to say that
although you IN, de some serious mistakes, on
the whole you made good Governor, aud
when nominated i'r second term, two years
ago, toid you curly in the canvass that your
defeat was certain, and that the people owed 50
much To Mr. iiden FOR his powerful aid IN the
prosecauon OF lweed and the hing. And now,
wnen We come 10 contest Two Neais OF Gov.
1ilden's management OF our State with yours,
1t proves The wisdom aud good judgment OF the
peoI In making the change. No other man
could or would attack and put down the power
iui Canal ting as Gov. lildeh has done; anu 10.
his good Work tue people OF our state will
ever ieel grateful to hun; under his wise
and able man cement our state taxes
have been reduced une-half; and this Is
lust the KIND OF management our whole coun-
try Is now In so much need ~ For tnese rea-
sons may say u YOU that i mean to support
Gov liiden lOr President, and TO do my utmost
To secure his eitctiun. but This is not ali. Wuen
consider .uo Tact that one half the number Of
business men ana traders IN this county have
gone through bankru tcy and that a large pro
porion Of the other naif ought to become bank
rults, although many of them don't know II (;
and when reflect III. this widespread ruin Is
tue Fesult Of tue extravaganza anu the cOIrup-
Ton OF The dominant party, feel that there y a
necessity su'h as IN al our history never before
fxisted Tor a change and for reform.
Can TINS chanIc anu TINS reform De expected
from the election Of ha,es ana heeleTI WHAT
evidence Lave they ever gwen tn they are re-
formers, or tnat tney uOll any other principles
OF contemplate any otner policy tnan the prin-
rlples ana puNct Of this rotten AIu ruinOus lee
publican parYf Have they ever raised their
voices In project W. met tue evils which have
teen brought upon usf Has auy RepuUllc an
sverdOhe ihst liaye you even, cen. DIX. spoken
out boldly, nke a man. anu " rued tue pvOpl, OF
tue mischief tnnt was coming uIsvh Them
througn Tue corruption VI their rulersf Hence
the greet necessity Tor Thorough aud radical
change, which can only be secured by the elec-
tIOu OF MIR. ll.ueu.
these the considerations which have de-
tcrnIlneu me TO support GOV lilueu. / should
be glad II a veteran ana man m tudeueudeni
ciTCuu stances linc YouIsit would adopt the same
dett. animation; Out, however tndt may he, pray
you 10 believe that remain
Very sincerely yours, JOHN FOLEY.
LIP EpURII IL a A ,IIITInN LID 4 ItnS