New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-26
roo1Iyc NTH 4 SERIOUS BUSINESS.

POOLING WITH SEhiOCo po"i'''
Gov. Tiden's Private Secretary Is creul'eu
with an explanation of his exhumed income
returns. This is the way he accounts tor the
Governors swearing to a taxable income Oh
only 81. 900 in the same year in which, III an
answer in certain railroad proceedings, he now
admits receiving n single fec OF S2O.OOo:
LAWYER might work for long timO before he got his
fec AMI conscientious man would OF course eohSuo
the work he had done from year to year as case pro-
crossed aud that the foe, though received In ono year.
was not his income for that year 1t had ooen III Iac
earned each year during the progress OF inc case in
was all there about tie mattr
Now we would be the last to impugn tDo
character of Gov. Tilden. We have regarded
the whole body of railroad accusations agalnsC
him with contempt We thought him good
man to elect Governor two years ago, are per-
fectly satisfied with the result of the expert
mcnt, and under similar circumstances would
be glad to try 1T over again. The question Oh
making him President, is OF very different
nature. ii might be IN admirable thinS III
State like New-YOrk to take Democrat 10
do a specific work for which he is peculiarly
qualified, and very dangerous thing 10
take the Same Democrat and lift him into
national position where his old time Demo-
cratic principles might lead to mischief. 1t
WAS not of the least consequence what UOV.
Tilden did at the outbreak OF the war, what
he believed about secession, or what he Thought
in 1864 about the wars being failure, 50
long as the question involved was only whether
he could break up the Canal Ring IN New
York, secure an economical State admins
tration, and reduce the tax levy. III
is of great consequence when 1T comes
TO deciding whether he shall be trusted
with the Executive relations to the
Southern States, with the possibilities OF
Southern war claims, Confederate tax claims,
cotton claims, the Confederate debt the pro-
lection of colored men mt the South, and the
like. It was Of very little consequence
whether his party meant what he meant III
State affairs OF not, because if they did not
support him in a crusade against the canal
thieves of his own side, there was no doubt
about his getting support from other quarters.
Ii is of great consequence whether his party
means what he means with reference to ma
tioual affairs or whether il would coerce him
into what it means, in general administration,
az it has already done about hard money
Considerations like these have seemed 10 us
quite sufficient to determine the course of SEN
sible men in this canvass without resort 10
wholesale defamation and personal vitupera-
ton. We have believed Gov. Illden
thoroughly honest man, and have witnessed
the ridiculous ovcrbauling of old railroad
transactions in which he was counsel, III the
effort TO prove him personally dishonest, with
n feeling of hearty disgust. But we beg to
say 10 tho Governors Private Secretary that
the above explanation of the extraordinary
statements about his income tax is too thin.
That sort of logic is merely plea for uni
ycrsal dishonesty. IL would enable the richest
man i'm the country To cipher down his income
i'm any particular year below the possibility of
Government taxation. The Private Secretary,
and the astute gentleman who keeps the Pr-
vate Secretary, ought to understand that this
is mere trfing with "a business, which little
more handling of that sort may easily make
very serious IL is the first thing which has
really touched Gov. Tildens character for in
tegr1ty. II the facts have been correctly re-
portcd-and we do not understand the Private
Secretary TO deny thcm-this does touch it
seems to touch it vtally-and the Private
Secrctary's explanation does not mend the
matter. We hope there il a better one, and
shall be glad to print it soon.