The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-14
The Model "Reformer. =

The Model 'Reformer."
The following statement is published in
the New York Times. showing what Judge
Blatchford thinks of Mr.. Tilden's case. We
ask our Conservative friends to carefully
read and think over it. Many of them. we
know. are honest in their belief that Mr..
Tilden is the good and great man he is rep
resented to be by his party organs. Had
they the personal knowledge that the charg-
es against Tilden were true. they would
scorn to mention his name even, much
less embrace him as the sum of all per
lection in government purity and integrity
1t will be stated by the inscriptions parti
IAN writers and speakers that the Times
is a partizan paper and is governed solely by
a purpose to promote the interests of the Re-
publican party. and is not therefore sincere
in its attacks upon Tlden. We will remind
them that the same charge was made against
that paper when it commemorate great work
of exposing and bringing to punishment
Tweed and Tammany. 1t was denounced
by the democratic dependents and adhe-
rents of the boss thief as guilty OF the yilcst
SANDER, and that there was no truth in the
charges. The reply of the Times was to pile
up the evidence. just as 1t is doing against
Tilden in the case of his income tax, stating
that it would make no charge that it could
not support before legal tribunal The
Times cody informs the friends OF Tilden
that such is its position now. The evidence
upon which it bases its allegations is indis-
putablc, and that the matter should be, and
doubtless will be tested in the Courts.
If the people really want honesty and pu-
rity in government, it seems clear that they
cannot support TiIden. If they are sincere
in their desires for ''refcrm" they will not
take as their leader 'perjurer and swim
rler.' :such as the Times declares it can and
will prove Tilden to be.
Judge Batchford says:
That a man who might have been Il con
Wet in the State Prison, if the United States
laws against willful perjury had been exc
cuted in time, should aspire to be the ruler
of great nation. surpasses everything III
modern audacity 1t is almost calculated te
and to degrade the Republic in the eyes Of
the world. Mr. Tilden in swearing to a false
return of his income for 1862 and 1868. ant
consenting to false assessment i'll silbse
auent wears. committed Il duplex crime of the
degree OF felony. He deliberately took a
false oath for the purpose of enabling him
to swindle the Government, just as he swim.
died the Terrc Haute and other unfortunate
railroad corporations while pretending te
act as an honest 'sTrustce" in their behalf
If he had been indicted, tried, and founl
guilty of perjury, within the period when the
criminal law was operative, he would have
been sentenced to term of five years in the
State Prison, with hard labor. There coull
have been no escape for him, evidence coul(
have been produced showing that he received
one fee of $4,000 for his Services to the
Terre IIaute, Alton and st. Louis Railroad
in 1S62-thc very year for which he made &
return of only $7,lls, and swore to the trutl
of the return. He also received large fees
from other railroad corporations, but h,
fraudulently withheld any account of the
same from the assessors. At the sane pc
Rod he was President and 'sTrustee'' of The
New York Balance Dock Company. which
according to statement made by him il
January, 1868, and now on file in the Coun
ty Clerks office, had a paid up capital O
$2500O0. If the same disgraceful facts abou
Tilden's perjury that are now read with won
der and Indignation all over the land haf
been known to the Federal authorities il
1868 or subsequent years within the statute
Mr.. Tiden would have been tried and con
victed of perjury under the following provi
sion OF the internal Revenue law passed il
July, 1862: -
SEC. 80. Ard be it further enacted that il
any person in any case, matter. hearing, Oh
<,fl in or. n
alton shall be required to be taken or adj
+ ministered under and by virtue Of this act,
shall, upon the taking of such oath or af-
firmation, knowingly and willingly swear OF
affirm falsely, every person SO offending shall
be deemed guilty of perjury, and shall, on
conviction thereof, be subject to like punish
ment and penalties now provided ty the laws
of the United States for the crime OF perjury.
The law, as before stated, provided that
any person found guilty of perjury should
be punished by a fine of not more than 81. 600
and an Imprisonment at hard labor Of not
more than fue gears, according to the aggra-
walton of the offense. $50
And this is the mana Self-cOnvicted per-
jurer by his own two contradictory Oaths,
one reciting that his income was only 81, lis
i'm 1862. and the other that he received $40, 900
in that year-who aspires to fill the chair
of Washington.
One eminent lawyer, who was L.. 5. At
tOrney for this district during the Lincoln
Administration-wh he had charge of In
ternal Revenue cases-recently said to the
writer that while he was indisLosed to say
anything against Mr.. Tlden he believed he
was quite clear as to what was the law in
the case.
THE CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUTH.-It has
leaked out that a strong and carefully pre-
pared circular has been issued by the Nation
al Executive Democratic Committee st New
York under the direction of Governor Til
den himself, and addressed in strict conf
dence to the Democratic leaders in every
county of the Southern States, in relation
to the management of the campaign. The
substance of the circular has been ascertain
ed. 1t urges in direct and unqualified terms
the necessity of a united, vigorous and de-
termined action on the part of every Demo
crat in the Southern States. It notifies them
that these States must be carried for Tilden
or success is hopeless; warns them that the
Government will probably station troops at
different points to guard the interests of a
free ballot, but insists still that the election
must be carried. 1t does not directly urge
the employment of unlawful means or con-
template resistance to the military authori-
ties, but plainly intlmates that at all haz-
ards success must be assured. At the same
time it solemnly warns the hot bloods OF the
party that no more negroes be Killed until
after the election; that disturbances of all
kinds between the whites and blacks must
be discountenanced AND prevented. 1t speaks
OF the feeling at the North on this subject,
and appeals finally to the Democracy to be
cautious, yet firm. 1t is bold, dangerous,
treacherous document, and the authorities
in all the Southern States should be placed
on their guard that the right Of every citizen
To vote may be sacured freed f,nm iutim-