New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-11
F0R PRESIDhNL SAMUEL j. TILDEN.

cusations be tested.
TOR PRESIDhNT. SAMUEL j. TILDEN
We rejoice to see SO general a disposition
on the part of the Democratic press of the
country to accept the testimony of Mr.. Iilden
as hi, final yiudication. Doubtless that in
nocent but farseeing statesman is himself
also pleased with this aspect Of the
situation. The logic of it leads, as
THE TRIBUNE has always insisted his
yindication would. with irresistible force
10 his denomination. For, if we are
to hold him a. vIudicatcd by the testimony of
the copaIccHeIs and himself, we must accept
bis entire statement as true, including his
"bciief," which he SD strenuOusly asserted
"belore God and his country" that he was
defraudcd of the office to which be had been
fairly and honestly elected. This being so, his
party cannot refuse him 50 plain an act of jus
tee as second nomination. 1t was the
cry of the whole party, until TIE TRIB-
UXE's displacement Of the dispatches,
now famous, shut their mouths upon the
subject. that Mr.. Tilden had been defrauded
and President Hayes been installed in Office
by corrupt and dishonest means. In the
as the most practicable and almost the only
issue for the next campaign. The Southern
question had become, Ivy the headlong
haste Of Southern Democrats to reach
power by means of intimidation and fraud,
and to secure Immediately the fruits of
their victory in the payment of Southern
subsidies and Southern claims, source Of
weakness, instead of being, as in 1876. an
element of strength The financial question
was no longer available as an issue, the party
having been demoralized and weakened upon
it by the success of resumption and the divided
cOunscls of leaders. And as to the reform of the
Civil Service, upon which they had made so many
and so loud professions, their own miserable
failure either to discover anything to b. re-
formed in the administration of their oppo-
nents or to show any ability or disposition to
administer affairs honestly or decently them
selves, estopped them from the attempt to
make further capital in that direction. Moth
ing was left but the Fraud cry.
1t was the knowledge of this desperate state
of affairs that forced the Democratic majority
i'm the present Congress to set on foot the in
vestigatiou which has so largely occupied the
attention of Congress and the country for
many months past. The public is familiar
with the early history of this enterprise with
the eager cIedulity with which charges Of the
most loose and irresponsible character against
Cabinet officer were taken up and
pursued with the vast arrav of lies
and long procession of liars of all grades and
varieties with which the Committee disguised
the country with proceedings, in short, which
disclosed systematic plan and persistent de-
termination to biacken the reputation of hon
est men 10y the testimony of confessed per
iurers and suborners. These efforts aud their
failure are still fresh in the public mind
In to the time of the first publication
Of THE TRBUSE's cipher TRANSACTIONS, the
only thing accomplished by an investigation
which was intended 10 smirch Secretary Sher-
man and the Administration, was TO show
that the charges rested on pcLurcd test
mouv. The Committee had bcSmlrchcd itself
and removed every cloud Of suspicion from
those who had been accused of corruption
Not only had they taken nothing 10y their
motion, but they were now at a point
where public opinion forced them to an in
yc,tigaton they had no stomach for. The
hunt, rs mad in turn become the hunted. The
cipher exposures drove them TO an inquiry
winch they delayed rs long as possible, took
up suddenly ana with reluctance, and fastened
TO conclude ald dismiss. This inquiry
once more focused Mr.. Tilden under the
public eye For HIM there were but two
alternatives: be must either be yindicatcd
or sacrificed. The testimony is i'll. We
do not need to consider here whether there Is
enough in 1t to Justify the claim made by his
Democratic friends tnat it is his perfect and
absolute vindicltion. 1t is enough that upon
hi, own denial Of any completely IN the con-
-plracy which his intimate and confidential
friends confess, the entire Democratic press
OF the country fully cXoncrate him.
Here then the hunt ends. II began months
ago w,th The avowcd purpose of impeachinS
Secretary Sherman and fixing the brand of
Fraud on the Administration" 1t ended
with Nj. IIldcn on the wItBc,s-stand confess
ing that he did have knowledge of an at
t, mpt on the part Of some of his most inti
mate and trusted friends to purchase electoral