The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-10-12
Tildep.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM A BRooKJYN
DEMOCRATIC EDITOR.

OemdS barHcs, Esq
DEAR SIR: Inclosed please find q
slip containing an article purporting
to be a letter from yourself TO the
editor of the Ohio State Journal.
1t has been read by many Demo
Gratis of this section, and by large
majority of them is pronounced Q
campaign fraud, for the reason that 1t
has been published generally through
the Republican press of the State and
not at all in the Democratic.
There are many honest Democrats
in this section of the State, and in this
particular section, who expect to vote
for Tilden, but would not do 30 could
they be convinced that the charges in
this article were true; and several Of
them have requested me to write you
and ask the following questions. an
answer to which would greatly OBJ
lige all of lis:
l. Are you tho author of the in
closed article, and did you write 1t to
the editor of the Ohio State Journal
for publication?
2. Do yous know positively that
these charges against Tilden are true?
Hoping that you will take the time
to answer these questions in the inter
est of true reform, I remain yours, re-
spectfully,
LEWIS c. MEAD.
Mr.. BARNES REPLY.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 2l, 1875.
Lewis G. Mead, Chairman, etc.
DEAR SIR: Your letter Of tho 18TH
inst, making certain political in
quiries, was duly received. Moet Of
the facts in relation to Governor Til
dep's public career have been set forth
in the Brooklyn Argus, and some Of
them were repeated in my letter to
the Ohio State Journal, OF which you
make mention. l have spoken in tho
interest of the country, and in the in
terest of the Democrotic party.
l supported Mr.. Tilden for Governor
two years ago, his record then being
unknown. His majority in the State
was little over $4,000. Over one
third of this majority wss given in
this city, where the Argus is pub.
lished.
The Democratic party is in tho
minority in the county. To succeed
it has to earn the confidence of the
people and secure Republican votes.
With Mcclellan as a military candi-
date in 1864, we were beaten by 4I1,-
900 majority. In 1868 we nominated
our ablest statesman, Horatio Sey-
mOur Again we were beaten by 400,
600 majority. In 1872 our leaders de-
cided to nominate Presidential can
didate from within the Republican
ranks. But with Mr.. Greeley and an
inconsistent platform We Jared worse
than before, and came out 702, 900
votes behind our opponents.
With these results staring us in the
face, it behooved the Democrats at
this time to have consistent platform
and nominate men whose integrity of
character would recommend them to
the conscience of the people. Mr.. Til
den's character had become we'll
known to the leaders prior to the ST.
Louis Convention. Ho was repudia-
ted by Charles O'Conor, Horatio Sey-
mour, Chief Justice Church, Judge
Parker, Augustus Schell, and the best
men of his party in this State. But
he made his arrangements with the
plunderers of our State. He packed
the State Convention by the use of
Executive influence and throug exten.
sive advertising in the Southern
States he succeeded in securing the
nomination.
The Democrats could have carried
all but six of the States, and would
have swept Grantism out of existence
with almost any other candidate than
Tilden. An aspirant for the high
position of President must always face
his antecedents. Mr. Tilden's ante
cedents are now spread before the
world. 1 regret to say that they are
worse than those of Aron Burr, or
those of any man who ever before
sought high Office in this country.
He is corrupt, ambitious, unscrupu-
lous and despotic. He virtually op.
posed feeding our soldiers during the
war by making false returns of his In
come and refusing to pay his taxes.
He was member of the committee on
resolutions at the Chicago Convention
in 1854, which reported the resolution
1--WE demand cessation Of hostili-
ties" He defrauded the Government
by issuing illegal currency on the Up
per Michigan peninsula, and secured
exemption from his penalties and
taxes by smuggling . ''relief" bill
through Congress. BE was the head
of the great Northwestern Railroad
ring, which led to the granger rebel
lion, and was compelled by decision
of the United States Supreme Court
to restore over $4,000, 900 of stock
wrongfully taken from Julius Wads-
worth and other owners of the Galena
e. Chicago Railroad. He was asso-
ciated with Tweed's ringi in New York
City, and received compensation by
under assessments of his property, etc.
These are few of the transactions
in the career of our candidate, which,
if endorsed by a majority of the