New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-06-04
TIE NIGHT EDITORv ANDERSON.


ful. TO be sure, to think that Secretary Sher-
man. at n casual interview with Mr.. James E.
Anderson in New-0rleans restaurant, in
November, 1876, did actually corrupt and
debauch that gmleless young person to
the commission of fraud ana perjury
by the promise of an office. But how can
we doubt il 7 Does not Mr.. Anderson him
self say so And say so, too, with such specl-
hcation and detail that no right-minded man
can doubt it without believing that Anderson
lied. And would Anderson Lief Let any
one answer who has read the materials for
an autobiography furnished by that ingenious
youth TO the Potter Committee on Saturday.
Read the letters which he put in evidence;
observe the vein of high political morality
which runs through them all; the simple and
straightforward manner in which he describes
the offer of $4,000 cash and an 81, 500 position
for four years from the Democrats; and the
earnestness with which he demands "speciiic
guarantees" that he shall be taken care
"ofp by the other side if he refuses the bride;
notice the pure and wholesome tone OF the
correspondence, and the unbending integrity
exhibited in the various documents contain
ing agreements and negotiations for sup
pressing returns, ETC., and say whether
such man could possibly tell n lie.
II is difficult to believe that he ever was guilty
of prevaricatiOn OF deception. And when we
are compelled, by the indisputable facts in the
case already recorded, to admit that If his
present statement is true he must have lied
like a trooper on previous occasions, we 90
back and read his letters over and say
no man can write in this pure and elevated
strain and enjoy the associations which he
evidently did in New-Orleans and be per-
sistent and unceasng liar. His is too beaud-
full a character to be open 20 any such
aspersion. If be was lying then, as he
frankly says he was, it must have
been mere spasm Of untru!hiulness.
He has since recovered his normal veracious-
ness under the spur Of a quickened con-
science, and now, with all the force OF
his high character, under the sanction
of one oath before the committee and
several hundred in the presence of Stanley
Matthews, he proposes to give the dsreputabe
scoundrels who debauched and didn't pay
him what he so frequently describes In his
correspondence by a letter and blank.
Let us admit then, as we are forced to by
Anderson's high character, his previous repu-
taton and his known record. that Mr.. Sher-
man did bride him. Indeed there are other
circumstances in the case equally powerful with
AndersOns high character tending to coTTObOr-
ate his statement. Consider the natural and
logical flow of all the events narrated.
What more natural, for instance, when
Anderson introduced himself to Mr..
Sherman, than that the latter should at
once begin to corrupt him in a low tone,
so that Mr.. StOughton, sitting at the table
reading newspaper, could not hear Does
not every one who is at all familiar with his
tory know that that is always the way in
which men who have been long in public life,
members Of Congress- Senators, etc., ap-
proach supervisors of registration Is it
not notorious that United States Senators
are in the habit of prowling around
the restaurants in large cities in search
of election officers to debauch and bribel
And then how natural for this United States
Senator who has been SO many years en-
gagged in active politics, and consequently
somewhat familiar with the uses to which let
tiers may be put, to sit down and put
bis "specifc guarantees" in writing. 1t is
one of the charms of this otherwise discOur-
aging narrative of political intrigue that it
holds so well together at all points is so con-
sistent and coherent throughout, and dOvetails
so admirably with all that we know of the hab-
its and practices of successful politicians Mr.
Andersons story in brief, is that Secretary
Sherman offered him bride to commit the
crime of perjury. 1t is fortunate for the credi-
biity of the narrative that the narrator is a
man of Anderson's unimpeachable yeracity and
high character, and that 1t is described as
having been done In the course of five min
utes' accidental interview in public restau-
rant, and that the Secretary, In accordance with
the invariable usage of experienced intriguers,
mon Andersons suggestion, put it in writing,
and handed it over to him. The case as
made I'D thus far is strong enough to con-
vince even Springer. 1t is 80 far strengthened
by subsequent developments that not even
Beebe could resist the conclusion Of guilt.
For IL appears that after Mr.. Sherman had
effected what 1t is not too much to call
his hellish purpose, and had secured Cabinet
position by the brlbing Of Anderson, he re-
fused to give the noble Anderson any salts
factory Office. That Is so natural thing for
a man in such situation to do, that every
Democrat on the committee who has made
mn his mind that the insidious Sher-
man did bride the ingenious Anderson,
Is strengthened by 1t In the conviction
of the Secretary's deep and damning guilt
The Secretary might at no cost to himself have
given Anderson his choice out of any number
of first-rate offices. He wouldn't do It, Does
not that show that he was conscious that he
had bribed Anderson and that Anderson had