The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-07-20
SAMUEL ]. TILDEN.
A Few Leaves from the Great
RefOrmer'S Record.
Tilden and Tweed the Twin
Leaders of the New York
Democracy.
Tilden as Secessionist, a
Railroad Wrecker and
BaIIot-Box Suffer.
TILDEN AND TWEED.

TILDEN AND TWEED.
SOME HIGLHLY-INTEREsTING "REMINISCENCES.
From the New York Times]
We have demonstrated many times before,
and we expect to have occasion to repeat the
proof at frequent intervals during the next
four months, that Samuel J. Tilden was per-
sonally responsible for the rise and success
of the Tweed ring, and that he did nothln g
whatever to break their power until their ruin
had been accomplished. The majority of our
readers certainly need no instruction on this
subject, but there IS a large section of the
American people who do. That is, they are
not sufficiently informed of the facts to be
able to recognize as palpable falsehoods the
claims which Democratic newspapers and
speakers are making on Mr.. Iilden's behalf
For instance, Democratic stump-speaker
said in New Hampshire the other night, . it
was Tilden who took Tweed in the pleDitude
of his power and convicted him and sent HIM
to the penitentiary," while we have the re-
freshing intelligence from Boston that to
Tildep. more than TO any other individual or
agency, was the Times indebted for its facts
and figures published against Tweed and
Tammany."
At the risk of rehearsing to most of our
readers thrice-told tale, we must try to
furnish an antidote to gross and shameless
misrepresentation like these. Mr.. Tilden
made two, and only two. effective contribu-
tions to the punishment of Tweed and his
confederates-their downfall was accom-
plished while he was yet in their camp.
The first was in the middle of September,
1871, when he helped to induce Connolly
to appoint Mr.. Andrew Ell. Green as his
deputy, and so assisted i'll placing the Con-
troller's Office and all the records Of fraud
which were left after the voucher robbery
in safe and resOlute hands. Mr.. Tilden's
recent biographies do not claim any credit
for this act, and his recent panegyrists are
silent on the subject, so that we concede
to him this amount of credit unasked.
We need only remark that in this negotia-
ton, Mr.. Tilden was as horribly afraid as
Connolly himself of the power of the
men whose wrath he had secretly braved.
and that he was at that time even less dis
posed to refer to the subject than he is to-day.
His second service to the cause of public JUS
tice against Tweed was his publication of the
analysis OF the private accounts of the lead
ing thieves in the Broadway Bank. This
appeared about the last week of October, 1871,
and is the basis on which Mr.. Tilden has
attempted to raise vast fabric of falsehood
and lmpOsture, designed to perpetuate his
name as The Hercules who slew the Tam
many Hydra" Mr. TIlden's share in the civil
suits for the recovery of the money stolen by
the ring simply helped to delay their progress
and defeat their purpose result which his
friends charged upon the incapacity and
share in the criminal suits-carried through
under the direction of a Republican District
Attorney-merely amounted to the production
of the Broadway Bank statements, prepared
under his orders by skilled accountant.
1t must be remembered that the publication
OF the Times figures in July, 1871, with which
Mr.. Iiden had as little to do as the man in the
moon, not only proved the guilt of the Tweed
ring, but effected their ruin. Their Danish
ment from power and their subsequent punish
ment were after that merely a question of
time. 1t will be observed that Mr.. Tilden's
first public action against the ring came two
months after their exposure had been effected.
The question arises, therefore, what was Mr..
Iilden doing between 1866, when he became
Chairman of the Democratic State Committee,
and October, 1871, when he, for the first time,
attempted to induce his party to throw off the
domination of the gang of thieves who had
been for several preceding years it's undisputed
leaders. In general terms, the answer is that in
State politics be actively co-operated with them,
accepting their dictation, and seeing
without murmur the gradual confirmation
OF their power. He took their money, know
ing chat it was stolen, to help in Democratic
campaigns, and he allowed his party to profit
by their methods, knowing them to be carried
out by repeaters, ballot-stuffers and profess
slonal criminals, for the purpose of electing
Judges, legislators, and local officials who
were the abject slaves of the ring.
10 be more specific, there were three
periods in the growth and exercise of ring
supremacy in this city. The first saw the
development of organized plumber among
the members of the elective Board of Super
visors; the second witnessed the prepara-
ton, IN pecuniary frauds on a more am
bilious scale, and electoral cheating by forged
naturalization papers, personatlon and false
counting, for the ring triumph of 1862 and
the third was marked by the reign Of legisla-
tive and official corruption during the first
three years of Gov. Hoffman's occupancy
OF the executive chair. In all three periods
Mr.. Illden was the nominal head of the
Democratic party in the State, an0 was dir
ectly responsible for tolerating and premot-
ing the corruption which distinguished them.
Ills campaign biography, to which we have
frequently referred, lays special stress on the
mixed political character OF the elective Board
OF Supervisors, for the purpose of relieving
the party over which he presided Of its res
possibility for their acts. Let us concede Mr..
IlldenS claim that the board was composed
in equal parts of Republican and Democratic
thieves, and then let him explain why it is
that the only three of its surviving members
who are known in politics are reckoned among
his own supporters. They are John Fox,
James Hayes, and Smith Ely, Jr., member of
Congress from the Seventh District. In JUS
tlce to the latter gentleman, we ought to say
that he steadfastly opposed the swindling
oPeraUons OF Tweed, Fox, and Hayes, though
Mr.. Illden's theory of political history ex-
cludes from consideration any such minor
qualification as that. By 1866, Tweed had
already amassed considerable wealth out of
the spoils of the county, and had become
quite prominent figure IN politics. The
following letter shows that at this time Mr..
Tilden regarded him as a friend and valued
fellow-worker
No. Is GRAdERCY PARK, !
Aug. IL, 1861 a. m.
MY DEAR SIR: decided to go to Philadelphia in
the morning, and shall not be able to you before
L leave Mr.. Richmond is at the st. Nicholas,
somewhat i'll. If well enough, he will come on the
2 p. M. train. Whether he is there to-day or not
hope you will not fail to be in Philadelphia.
Very truly your friend, S. j. 11LDEN.
Hon. WILLIAM NJ TWEED.
Mr.. Tilden's share III the gigantic electoral
frauds Of 1868 is matter of history. He pre-,
dlcted the certain triumph of Seymour and
Blair III that year because he believed lin the
people, i'll God, and in the destiny of the coun-
En