The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-30
THE SLANDERERS or MR.. TILDEN.
Vermont suppoitrr o. iiavrs and Wheeler
Hgfutr. ThCm

q.
MY DEAR sra: I hive written this letter
simuly for the pIruosc Of presenting what re-
gtd us thc Jutt views OF GOV. IIien's relations,
SO far as 'tuuv them. with n1nErnpt railroads.
Nru wei know n IN ReuuJlic II. have
boon stlrh since The formation tnat ptrtV since
ls72 Iihernl Republican. ON the issues uendiug
III the preseht mpaicu | adopt the views at
the Hon tirl SChuiz m his recent lettef ana
inicnd to vote IN November for Hayes and
One 4 the correspondents OF the NcU York
~ f!nne 81 Aug. IL uses this LANGUAGE of Gov.
ridden; we must Law bare his true record
call II ersonal attack II YOU pie so-but ahove
ami neyOud all. let he truth he known. though
the heavens and poiiucal PARTIES iall In conse-
Ia this spirit the Nsc York Times and other
pairrs attack the railroad record Of Gov. ltlden.
charging " that lie has grown rich out Of the
spo'ls of bankrupt roads - that be has levied
upon them enormous and eXtortioustc fees -
tnat he has swiudled and IMPOVERISHED many
small stock hniders Of the Gaena aud Chicago
WIN IT, n,n 'r,Si wetern road I'm t5.t he has has
stolen ~ .., NJ from the rcrrc Ilaute. Alton aud
- LODI ~ s'.d COMPANY" A recent Boston
Jomn = In,, 'ois question; III mn woo
much ninsi man steal to be sont to the State
A Republican meeting held in burlington
on the 10Th inst. the Hon. +. W. stoughton Of
New York charged Gov. tiden with dishOnor-
ahlc .ilroad practice generally during the war.
As reported by thc Free I'ftsS OF the lltb, he
said " ilden III that time continued the prdc-
tice 81 his profession, and they were practices
OF very peculiar KIND. such as many reputable
members OF my profession dcclned to enter ON
-wrecktng railroads" "a process which Mr..
Stoughton described at some Tenth, "rilden
III dc himself rich"
To those who know the two men, It seems
quite In keering with the self-conceit and arro-
gance of MI. Stoughton that he should, as he
Did during his speech assume for himself
higher level OF character than Gov. Iilden. !
cannot flncy to myself Charles OConor or VIII
liam NJ EvHtts thus plumIDg themselves. With
respect To integrity and delicate sense of pro-
fcssiOnal honuf. Gov. Iildcr, In the Judgment
of the bar OF New York. probably ranks as hign,
u not higher, than the Hon MI. StouRhton.
Neither that bar nor tue public has forgotten
that while Mr.. lilden. "a one Of the prosecutors
Of TN eed, b. his mastery ANALYSIS of the oonRs
OF the broadway Bank, secured evidence for his
convection, the Hon. Nr. st"ughton was found
among the defer der- oil A. Oakley Hall. a coad-
jutor Il Tweed, ana stated To the jury that he
volunteered that defence on account OF bis
warm friendship for the man. This sp ech of
Mr.. Stoushton. and his announcement that he
should stump ~ continually during the cam
ai-n. have induced me to reconsider my refusal
a. exercised To YOU on the 2ith ult.. Of your
earnest request that should write you my views
OF Mr. Iidcn's ilruad practice.
fsnm $50 10 lS5S resided ~ New York city,
rs Nicc-frcsidcnt uf a Western railroad, and
I held stock or bonds of three Others during the
period when they were all OF them reformed ana
reoraanlzcd under the advice aud counsel OF Mr.
Iilden. lhus became aCquftnted With hun ~
such Wav a. to know pretty tho oughiy his per
sonal and professional character. and to get N
insight into what MIR. Stoughton calls his pecu-
lar practice OF wrccking railroads.
The financial crisis of 1857 Is well rememb cred
for its great severity Tuere was a general sus-
pension oil specie payments 10y the banks, and
Western raiiro d corporations. mostly built cor
partly built) not for cash. but bN 81 le Of .ock
and bonds a. discount almost every one Of
them west Of the state OF New York went TO
protest. and very many of them were, ~ fact, 10y
sale under mortgage, reconstructed upon a re-
duced cauit.l.
10 any railroad corporation in such a condi-
ton Ol insolvency. a vital necessity Is to ma a
man OF sucn legal attalnments, sound psactich
wisdom, aud Integrity Of char. cier that the
great mass Of diss itisned and discurdant secur
NV holders Will unite In accepting his counssls
and following his leadership In saving the COM
mon property and putting II IN sound financial
IL was the good fortune OF many Of these cor
poratiOns that they secured MIR. liidens ser
vices and were wisc enough to follow hts adv ce.
Iuree prominent ones -COrpprtttpns IN which |
was personally Interested the Chicago
and Nor,hwestetn. the It. Louis. Alton and
istre Haute. a d the Chicago and Alton Rail
roads. The nrst Of them nov represents capt
tal OF about sJ5,OuO,cO, the second about sl,NO,-
90. and the Chicago aud Alton "a cauituI OF
about $l60OO,OoO, wi:h it, common siocN al this
date IN d. mand In New Y ork At l0l.. Al Ina
mensc addition to the value Of tn. ... corporate
properties resulted from their r.organiza tion,
lfouably not less ,han nveinld Ia either case.
and their successful rcer for the past twelve
years Is well known To financial men all over the
country. The wurN wuicn NJ. nideu did Tor
these grea; corporations was - lit them out Of
the slough Of b.nNrapicv aud place their prop
ettN. greatly enhanced ia value. In Ios session
ot tncir -t1chhuldrts. aud upon sta ni' basis o.
prospvritY. Aud Tor many other corporal DPS,
a. an lui,fucd, MI liluen dil saving work Of
Now.It 20 b. ca rye 4 tina, he grow iIch out OF
rspiy WIN futh that for every 5000 Dee has re-
/ CtNei nom the corp Ir.ttpns u~ na- ADDED "a
| milliNn iu N..lr t. tn'ir properly. Tho ,n.rge
/ THAT Mr. liidrn nnu thc four other gent .emtn
! Who rtutg .ni4-d the err, llA.te nud Al.oa
ROAD have rilltu SjlluOu or more ~ iis stock
and bonds falls 60 toe ground before the clear
and decisive answer e those gen lemeu. ihis
{ was Wnit WAS "a Ycrttd los tnu5e WIN knew
/ tn IA. Mr. lilutns tutctJas 90 this BUSH ess
werr ulAinll auN.-Drl. the a'tt,~ H. naetuueut of
! the new cnfp'ratiun toli cifth, uiinu SIR ms
] II tier " no rs inr uaus year President 90 tne
/ ruad. and DIR. kuhclt hay RI. futn Of New York
! cit}' gentlemen whose characters IRE above
/ suspir ION ur feproarh. Mr. Chas. liu ltr l. one
/ Of the nOtlost OF men. lie would suH,r ms
! Right band 10 DE burned TO cinder before he
would touch stolen bond or stock certificate
! tdintod with fraud.
A. to tue couaoiidation OF the Cialena aud chi
! ~ Railroad into hat Is now the Chicago and
/ Northwestern Railroad, the facts IN brief are
these: Parties IN the interest OF the latter 70 Il
/ buusut a HJOriN OF the Galeni stock. IIumi.
! mem among them was william Is. osden If
| New TX, Tor many ears Pre.ident Of tire chi
ctgo and NOrl hwe~tern Railroad COMPANY this
name alone Is sufficient guarantee hat the r.,
! WAS no fraud or swindle actual or intenit a.
upon anybody. Under the laNS OF Illinois, "A
consolidation ~ the IN properties was effected,
md uuJn tquiilbie terms. II tAclo were ans
| parties wno Suffered loss, they we're the persons
| VINO, No great expense, contested the validity u
the consolidation for the purpose Of gettirg IN
extra rice Tor their own stock. They failed ut
| terlv, however; the " rk n consolidate n.
under the guidance OF Mr. Tidcn. had been too
| Thoroughly done 10 be disturbed.
| II there are any other all. cation. ahpat In
reference to fraud committed by ir. idon "a
tneN viii not pe based upon any evidence that is
/ tangible, and such allegations you may safely
..et down as c.mpalgn lies
| With much esteem, au very truly yours.
J. ". III, hOk.
i