The New York herald., 1879-02-08
4 PrOdigious Washing OF Political
Dirty Linen.


come topic in the press of Europe or. at
least, in that of England. Americans trav-
elling or residing abroad who have any SEN
sitiveness for the national honor are likely
to be annoyed aud humilated by what Will
be said Of their country and its institutions
in connection with this large washing OF
dirty linen in public. We do not see how
this disgusting investigation could have been
avoided after the publication Of the cipher
kilograms, but it would obviously have
been better for the credit of the Republic If
the dispatches had not been stolen and
published.
Considering the use which viii be made
of these disclosures by the European ene-
mics of our institutions it seems to us the
clear duty of that part of the American
press which is actuated by sound patriot
ism and true American feeling to guard
against misrepresentation of the facts
brought out in the pending inquiry
The editorial comments of our journals
are more likely to be read abroad
than the tedious details of the testi-
mony, and foreign readers and journalists
are not likely to make allowance for the
extreme partisan bias of our newspapers.
1t is the foregone purpose OF the republican
journals to damage and blacken Mr. Illden,
and a large portion of the democratic press
are not unwilling that he should be dis
graced if their party can be exonerated at his
expense, since he has formidable body OF
political rivals who are willing to destroy his
chances for another Presidential nomina-
ton. The HERALD has no share either in
the republican malignity toward Mr.. Til
den or in the democratic jealousy OF his fur
ther pretensions. In the interest of the
him vindicated, but not at the expense Of
truth. We are following the evidence with
vigilant scrutiny, with view to find what Is
really proved or disproved, in the hope
that our total separation from party aims
and passions will secure the attention of
candid people to what we may say. There
is, perhaps, no safer rule on such occasions
than to act as if we were writing for the.in-
formation of impartial people on the other
side of the Atlantic, for the errors into
which they are liable to fall by the repre-
sentations OF our party press are precisely
the errors by which our own people are
likely to be misled.
II it be true that an eminent citizen who
received upward of quarter of million
more votes for the Presidency than his sue
cessful rival resorted to bribery as a means
of getting his claims acknowledged We
must submit to this humiliation, if his
guilt is established by evidence but no
real lover of his country would wish to see
Mr.. Tilden thus exposed 10 universal
odium by strained differences prompted by
the political passion of his enemies. If
he is guilty let him be made an example
and warning but candor and justice
would alike be violated by going beyond
the actual evidence for grounds of condem-
nation. We would by no means SO far
stretch the sentiment of patriotism as to
shield any man, however distinguished,
against the proper force of evidence; but
the national character for justice and fair
play is even more important than the protec-
ton or the condemnation of any individual.
So far as the investigation has yet gone
there is no evidence that Mr.. Tilden in
spired or countenanced or connived at
any attempt to secure an acknowledgment
of his election by the payment of a brbe
There is, to be sure, the ugly and compro-
missing fact that q man standing in the most
intimate and confidential relations with
him, his nephew, member of his
own household. secretary who had for
years acted for him with his knowledge
and approval, countenanced and abetted
two schemes of bribery. This is unques-
tionably a most bitter and humiliating fact
for Mr.. Tilden. 1t is made infinitely annoy
ing by the delicacy of his relations with
this erring nephew who is the son of his
favorite widowed sister, who has for many
years presided over Mr.. Tilden's house.
hold who was the honored lady of the Gov
ernor's mansion at Albany and would have
held similar position at Washington had
Mr.. Tilden been declared President. We
have only to credit Mr.. Tilden with average
domestic and fraternal tenderness to appre-
ciate the severe trial to which he has been
subjected by the escapades of this nephew,
whom ho attempted to redeem from bad
courses in considerate tenderness for the
widowed sister who was the centre of
his domestic life. His failure to turn
this scapegrace nephew out of his house
when he discovered what he had been
doing should be judged with indulgent
leniency under the circumstances. But the
intimacy of the relation gives plausible
color to the inference that whatever Pelton
did was done with Mr.. Tilden's connivance.
But this inference is supported by no facts
which have as yet been brought out in
the sworn testimony.
On this point, which is the great point
of all, Mr.. Marbles evidence yesterday
supports and corroborates that OF the pre-
vious witnesses. Mr. Marble swears that
he went to Florida without even consult