Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-26
The Tilden Chairman of the DEM
ocratic State Committee on the
RTwced Ring in 1S71-His De-
fence of the Robbers.

The chairman Of the democratic State
committee. Ebeu F. Pillsbury, in his little
speeches in various parts of the State,
claims that Mr.. Tlden was the chief ill.,
strnmcpt in the overthrow of Tweed, and
is therefore entitled to the credit OF being
great reformer.
Now it is well known that Mr.. Tiden
took no part in the proceedings against
Tweed until the exposure of his robberies
by the New York Times was complete,
when, considering it polite thing Tor
him to Join the hunt against his old friend
Tweed he did so. There were great
many democrats who pursued a course
similar to that adopted by Tiden. Pills
bury was one of that kind. One would
think to hear the denunciatory remarks he
makes now about Tweed that he, too, is
entitled to great credit for the exposure OF
the vilainies of the greatest thief OF mod
ern times. The truth is it was not always
thus. When the exposure OF Tweed 5
robberies was made. Pillsbury defended
him and denounced those who brought the
accusations against him. He did not be-
come reformer until the proof OF Iweeds
quilt was overwhelming. Then he chang
ed his tune as Sam Tildtn did and as
sumed the character of a reformer. we
regret very much to spoil Piilsoury 5 nice
little speeches which he has made in this
campaign concerning Tweed and Illden,
delivered with such seeming candor, hon
esty and sanctity as he is wont to put on
while laborng in the pretended cause of
reform aud publication in politics, but we
feel it our duty to show up PiIlsbury 5
record in this matter, which accord3 well
with that of Samuel j. Tilden.
In August, 1871, the New York Times
having published the evidence OF the i'm
mense robberies perpetrated on the New
York City treasury by Tweed and his ac-
completes, the Maine Standard, of which
Pillsbury was then as now editor. had an
editorial. from which the followng is an
extract
The NEW Ohk INES, WHICH long ago edI ucu
the right to the appellation of the 'disreputable
Times and has quite rightfully had that descrlp
tive term applied to it to this day by certain of ITS
contemporaries, has lately added to its unenvisbe
notoriety By publishing a series OF COARSE,
GROSSLY FALSE and MALICIOUS CHARGES
AGAINST THE MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CITY
GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK. The charges are,
in brief, Mdt tie members Of tie city government,
Mayor Hall and Comptroller Connolly IN psrticn-
lar, have been guilty ofSTCPENDOUSFR FRAUDS
A upt in
the aggregate to something like eight or ten mil
lions of dol lars. The Times publishes long col
umns of figures to show that the city authorities
have made ont exorbtant charges for keeping the
city armories and for work done on the new court
house and asks the public to infer that they pock
eted the difference between these sums and what
they really had to paw. 1t alleges that the city
was required to pay SOL 900 Tor keeping the ten
armories in repair for nine months time, and that
similar frauds were practised in the matter OF car
pets furniture ETC., for the court house.
These charges of the Times We're natur ally
caught up by all the radical papers of the country,
daily, weekly and monthly, and the changes have
been rung upon them with all the vim and venom
which the whole herd of "mean, lnsectiverous
creatures could bring to their command. The
democratic administration of the city of New York
has. been, or will be before the month expires,
denounced forfraud corruption and extravaganza,
in the most unmeasured terms, by the whole radi-
cal press of the country, AND UPON THE SOLE Az
THoRITY OF THE NAKED ASSERTION OF DIS
REPUTABLE, DISHONEST. DISAPPOINTED NEWS
PAPER, pittout a SCINTILLA OF GOOD EVIL
DENCE in its support. The animus of these
lackeys, who imagine themselves to be particu-
larly obliged to give strong, vociferous sneeze
whenever one of their leaders takes pinch OF
snuff, is evidently of political nature they seek
to distract attention from the hideous corruption
that pervaaes every department. of the federal
government, as administered by their party, by
charging similar crimes upon the democratic ad-
ministration of the leading city in the Union
Their exposures and foundations are simply tn
old stop thief cry
In the same article Pillsbury speaks OF
Boss Tweed as that GREAT LEADER
in the democratic ranks, WILLIAM NJ.
TWEED, and praises him for what he
has done to promote honesty in the City
Government. 1t also states that "a new
era of reform and economy" had been in
augurated by the democratic City Gov
ernment, and the city taxes reduced mil
lions of dollars. In the meantime the
Maine Farmer had denounced, in an
editorial. the great frauds in New York
! At this Pillsbury defended the robbers and
Indignantly denounced the Farmer in a
long article published Aug. II, 1871, the
article commencing as follows:
"The Maine Farmer, with zeal that cannot be
accounted for in neutral paper, makes haste to
publish half column article embodying all the
MALICIOUS ISLANDERS Of the N. Y. TIMES,
upon the democratic city governmenment Of New
York We hardly know whether to characterize
the statements of the Farmer in this matter as
piAful malicious lies or give it the more charita-
Bile judgment Of utter ignorance upon the subject
which it treats. Certain that its article is
totally false in more than five important instances.
Apparently it not only believes the FALSE
HOODS Of the disappointed TINES, burning and
ranking under the smarts and stings of wicked
schemes thwarted, but it even copies those OUT
RAGEOUS ISLANDERS and gives them an en-
bellishment well calculated to cast odious dis
grace upon the democratic party in that city, and
by implication, upon the democrats of the whole
county"
1t will be seen by the foregoing extract
from the columns of his paper that Pills
bury entered warmly into the defence of
the Tweed robberies when they were first
exposed. He not only denounced the
New York Times for publishing the vii
lainies to the world, but let his wrath