The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-10-10
LETTER FROM GOVERNOR DIX.

NO. w tSI L W EN III hSl Sl.j
New YORK, Aug. 81, 1876.
MY Dear Sir: called to see you yes
terday, and regretted to find that you
were out Of town. You told me two
years ago that when you commenced the
attack on Tweed, which ended in his
overthrow, you went TO Mr.. Tilden, and
he advised you not to attempt il. You
did not take mis- advice, and had par
tial success. You then went to him u
second time, and he again attempted to
dissusde YOU from going on; said you had
no standing IN court. sc. You persisted,
nevertheless, and for your action the city
owes YOU debt Of gratitude, which, l
think, has never been repaid. You ii
tended the great meeting on the 18th -
September, 1871. which led - the 81
pointment of the Committee OF Sevent!
Mr. TiIden did not attend. Have yo"
any objection to giving me a statement
showing what you did, what Mr.. TiIden
said to you, and what were precisely your
legal measures and successes | will not
use your name without your consent, but
1t is important that | should have facts
which can be substantisted ifthey are de.
MED. Ny address is Seatield, West
Hampton. n. I.
An early answer will oblige, dear sir,
yours very truly, JOHN A. DIX.
John Foley, Esq.
REPLY OF JOHN FOLEY.
No. PASTOR House,
New YORK, Oct. 4, 1876.
TIE Hon. John 4. DiG:
NV Dear Governor: | should sooner
have replied to your letter, MS It's import
aace demanded, but tor my absence from
the city and press of business matters.
You are mistaken in your impression rs
to Governor Tilden's action in the Tam
many Ring prosecutions. | had several
interviews with him inilS7l, and gave
him a printed copy of my proposed IN
junction. After careful examination
Mr.. Tilden came to the same conclusion
that several other eminent lawyers ar
rived at-namely, that, as a taxpayer, !
had no standing in Court; and, as the law
then stood, could not procure an in
junction to stop the further stealing OF
the Ring. My own able counsel, Messrs.
John II. Strahan and Judge George Z.
Barrett, thought otherwise, and strongly
held that the injunction was my only
true remedy; but unfortunately for me
and for our plundered city, Tweed, Hal!
ana Sweeney thought that their only
safety was to throw all the blame upon
Connolly, and they arranged with Judge
Barnard to grant the injunction, and so
il was done. Mr. Tilden manifested no
desire to shield the Ring, but, on the con-
trsrv, quite bitter feeling existed be-
tween him and Tweed. You refer to
the circumstance that Mr.. Tilden did
not attend the great meeting of the ith
of September, 1871. Perhaps you are
not aware of the fact that he remained
AWAY because he was engaged IN pursu-
ing the same end by another route, and
that it was, on consultation (he being the
Chairman of the Democratic State Com
mittee). deemed best for the good cause
that he should not attend at that meet
ing. but should proceed separately.
You also forget that the first great
meeting he'd in our city to pat down
Tweed and his Tsmmsny Ring occurred
August !, 1871. You were invited, but
YOU failed to attend that or the 4th of
September meeting or any of the. early
meetings of the Committee Of Seventy;
neither do YOU refer to the fact that the
live, stirring speech delivered by Mr..
Havemeyer at the 4th of September
meeting WIS revised previous TO It's de-
livery by Mr.. rilden, who gave to 1t the
clearness and backbone by which It was
characterized.
lisa notorious fact that long before
this Mr.. Tilden had become one of the
most determined opponents OF the ring,
both here. in the Y Dung Democracy fight,
and in the State Convention.
In October, 1869, at the request of
several leading merchants, bankers and
taxpayers, l accepted the nomination for
the office of Supervisor, and promised
that would break up the corrupt Board
or put stop to the shameful traudsupon
the taxpayers 1 was elected. but the
ring managers, through their plant tool,
Msyo- Hall, appointed the late Henry
Smith to my place. and on the 9th OF
January. 1870, they introduced a bill IN
the Legislature to confirm their unIaw'
fpl action. Attorney General Chsmphn
refused twice to sllow me a quo irGrrGnto,
vet. with the powerful aid OF the indie.
pendent press OF our city-especislly the
Son compelled the Acknowledgement
to allow the writ. Ipushed the trial sue
cessfully through the courts, and got INTO
the Board and forced Tweed to abolish
the old Board of Supervisors. During
all this contest secured much Informs
ton as to the swindling tactics of Tweed
and his plunderers. and which sfterwsrd
led me to bring, wholly at my own cost
and responsibility, the famous Injunction
suit OF September !, 1871, which resulted
IN the perfect destruction of the Tweed
ring power, forced Comptroller Connolly
to resign and saved many millions of dol
lars to our overturned taxpayers, l also
isstituted other legal proceedings, push