New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-29
Tilden's Perjury.

A Saratoga writer In the New York Times
says:
The terrible expose of Samuel J. TiIden
| fraudulent and illegal practices in connec.
ton with the income tax, which was made
| in the article published in this morning
| Times, and headed "Is Governor Tiiden a
Periurer," has created q very marked SEN
sation here and during the afternoon and
| evening has been the principal topic of con-
| versation in political circles. For time it
| attracted such earnest attention as to leave
| the question, "Who shall be Governor
q 1ite in the shade. Early this morning a
number of prominent New York politicians
received kilograms from the city telling
| them to look out for the Times, and durin z
| the forenoon the arrival of the train with
| the metropolitan papers was waited for
with no little anxiety. By degrees it be-
came noised about the town that Tilden
was shown up in the Times just as he was;
| that the Times contained statement which
killed Tllder, etc, and when the train
arrived score or more OF people
| were at the depot waiting to get q
copy of the paper. Half an hour after
ward it was selling at twenty-five cents a
copy. and people thought y; themselves lucky :
article which it contained had been read,
and it became apparent that Mr.. Tilden had
sworn to lie, either in 1862 or 1876, the
general opinion expressed on every hand
was that if he were Republican candidate
he would be withdrawn by his party. SEN
atOr Woodin exclaimed, after reading the
article, Jim Blaine, even at the worst, was
an angel to this old rascal, and still we re.
fused to nominate him." Even Democrats
admitted that the story. if it could be
proved, was very damaging one; but they
doubted that it could be substantiated. One
we'll known anti-Tammany Democrat went
30 far ss to say, IF the Times can furnish
conclusive proof of what it charges, Tilden
should withdraw from the canvass. l for
one could not and would not vote for him. y
Similar expressions were heard on every
side.
Shortly after the arrival of the paper l
drew United States Attorney Bliss atten-
ton TO the article which it contained, and
asked him to give his views upon the
the following language: II am mere
on my vacation, having taken none
this summer, and with my mind wholly es-
tranged from official matters l can not say
anything very definite as to the matter of
Mr.. Tilden's income tax referred to in the
Times cf this morning. The difficulty is
that if l should, as the Times suggeste,
commence suit against Mr.. Tilden for un-
paid income tax, 1t would be alleged to be
~
how Mr.. Tlden can explain the matter
which the Times states, and If, on my re-
tarn to New York, should find on inquiry
that the facts are as stated by the Times, it
seems to me it will be my duty to COM
mence suit against Mr.. Tilden to recover
the unpaid tax. If such q suit is COM
menced. Mr.. Tilden will be liable to be ex.
amined and testify for the government.
Were it not that more than five years have
al daIn rnfu no
project himself from testifying on the
ground that he might thereby criminate
himself. But as no criminal proceedings
will be possible, he must testify, if called
upon, for the Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that no lapse of time
prevents an action by the United States
for q tax, and l am constantly bringing
such actions. 1t is possible that Mr.. Tilden
may have some explanation of the dis.
crepancies pointed out by the Times, but
they do not occur to me. He was, of
course, entitled to make certain deductions
from his gross income, but l can not at this
moment see how it is possible for him to
explain the matter. Why, just look at it,"
continued Colonel Bliss, 'he paid taxes on
about $1,000 in 1862, yet he himself has re-
Gently sworn that in that very year he re-
oeived $4,000 of income from single
company"
After propounding this hard question,
the district attorney continued: There is
another striking feature in the case. After
1868 he made no income tax return, but al
lowed himself to be assessed and paid the
tax upon the sum so assessed, with pen
atty of fifty per cent added. OF course no
one believes that he did this unless thereby
he thought he was going to save money.
No man who means to pay his just dues to
the government does such q thing. A man
may by accident fail to make return one
year, and thereby subject himself to PEN
atty; but no man does this by accident year
after year. As to the taxes for years in which
Mr.. Tllden made no return, there is legal
quibble under which he may seek to
shelter himself, though l do not think it
would be of any avail. At any rate, the
Solicitor of Internal Revenue has given his
opinion upon that subject, and has author
lied me to commence test case, though, Of
course, in giving such authority he had no
idea, any more than had, that it could ap-
ply to the Governor of this State. Then.
again, l can not see that Mr.. Tilden has
ever paid an income on the bonds and
stocks he admits he received from the Terre
Haute Railroad Company. 1t does not ap-
pear in what year these bonds and shares
were received, but if the Times is correct in
saying that Mr.. Tilden only paid a tax on
an average income of $4,000, he could
never have paid any tax upon these bonds