The Portland daily press., 1879-09-23
Our New York Letter.
Tilden's Political Insolvency-His Com
plicity in the Cipher Telegram Business
That Troublesome Income Tax-Tilden's
Presidential Prospects on the Wane.


For case of hopeless political insolvency 1
should say Mr.. Tildens was the worst I had ever
heard of, considering the amount of his capital
three years ago. He was then posing before
the country as veritable Hercules of reform,
who had only to be provided with suitable
broom to sweep every vestige OF corrup-
tion off the surface of the Republic. Reform
ers as general rule will bear good deal of
watching. The tribe is composed in part OF
charlatans and pretenders who are so utterly
destitute of integrity themselves that they can
never be brought to believe in the possession
of it by aIy of their fellow beings Then there
is another set who are merely poetic, impracti-
cable and fussy. They imagine that it is essen
tal to the growth of craftsmanship that men
in public life should be kept clear of associa-
ton or contact with the world; they would
have their lawgivers elevated on pedestals like
the lay figures in shop window, and labelled
'touch not, handle not" They hold that no
body is capable of understanding, or qualified
to discourse about the morals of politics, who
does not part his hair in the middle, and lisp,
and survey poor human nature through an
eye glass, and express his pity for it with
patronizing drawl. These precious innocents
derive their ideas principally from newspa-
per writer's who call themselves "indepen-
dent" and who acquire their chief claim to
that title from their proverbial habit of dis
playing their independence of any obligation
to tell the truth These fellows prattle garru-
lously about the machine" and defy party
treaehery as the acme of personal virtue.
There are not many Of them nowadays, and
the number is dwindling. A little breeze of
wholesome common sense is as destructive of
this breed of animals as a sharp autumn frost
is to yellow fever.
But Democratic Reformer springing up in
the somewhat malarious atmosphere of New
York, city that had witnessed more robberies
by Democrats in office within single year
than had been committed by federal officials
throughout the length and breadth of this
Union during the whole time the Republicans
have held power, was phenomenon which all
eyes were strained to look at. Mr.. Tilden did
his best to look and act the character; the per-
formance, if not a complete success, was not
altogether failure. The impression it made
on the spectators depended on the point of view
from which they saw it. To those who we're
remote from the stage, it was highly impress
sive and imposing. On the other hand, that
portion of the audience who were near enough
to descry the wig and the rouge were moved
t,,1>-.e,lLIJ ss.oOOoIa0 -rpf'car;tIrc0
hero of the piece. AS there were vastly more
of the latter than the former, the curtain fell
amid volley of applause, the actor was called
before the curtain and his admirers succeeded
in securing for him the st. Louis nomination
for the Presidency.
Since the catastrophe of the Electoral COM
mission, the tide of fortune with Mr.. Tilden
has been steadily ebbing. He made bold
push for a crown Of martyrdom, but somehow
Or other it wasn't a good season for martyrs.
BY way of keeping the story his suppositous
wrongssconstantly in the public view, he con-
trived to have Congressional committee set
at work to discover the methods by which his
rival won the seat he was SO anxious to obtain.
The outcome of that inquiry was fatal to his
reputation. He was so inextricably involved
in the net work of the cipher mysteries thai
there was no possible escape from the conclu-
sion that he endeavored to buy casting vote
in the Electoral College. was disposed, when
his denial of completely with Pelton's negotia-
tions first appeared, to attach some credence to
it. But parties much better informed in re-
spect Of the relations of uncle and nephew to
each other than 1 am, and perfectly reliable,
tell me that the one never moves in anything
without the sanction and guidance of the 9th
er; that Pelton wouldn't go anywhere or do
anything without instructions from his uncle
Samuel, and that the pretence that the South
Carolina negotiation was undertaken without
Mr. Tildens knowledge is one of the baldest
impostures ever attempted to be foisted upon
the popular ear. 1t was only week or SO ago
that 1 met gentleman who was formerly an
intimate friend of Mr.. Tilden's, and he sur
prised me by avowing his entire sympathy
with the Tammany detection. "WhatW
I exclaimed, ''you an opponent OF the
Gramercy Park millionaire?' "Yes, in
deed,' said he, 81 have had no
association with him since the cipher rev.
elations. When he disclaimed any knowledge
of the transactions which Pelton was carrying
on under his own roof / knew he was not tell
ing the truth. Why, Pelton never did any
thing in his life except what Tilden told him
to do'' Directors in the Elevated Railway
say that Mr.. Tilden urged his nephew upon
them as member of the Board and as Vice
President; owing to his importantly he was so
chosen. Very soon they found that Pelton
was selecting as employees OF the road political
roughs who were unfit for the places assigned
them. They remonstrated when expostula-
ton proved unavaling they insisted upon his
resigning; his uncle begged that he might be
retained, and that being refused, he asked that
Il ,nff fI,6n
even though some one else discharged the du-
ties. There has never been any indication IN
Mr. Tilden's treatment of Pelton since the ex-
posures that he was in the slightest degree in
censed at the manner in which he had compro-
missed him. In short, the opinion is widely
prevalent in this community that Mr.. Tllden
aided and abetted the scheme to corrupt some
of the members of the Electoral College, and
that the only reason why the proceedings halt
ed was that whenever a sum was named which
promised to effect the object, his propensity to
procrastinate led him to delay action IN the
hope of driving better bargain. The Demo
Gratis who still favor his denomination affect to
disbelieve these things. But that with them
is political necessity" The fact that large
and influential minority of his own party is
arrayed in opposition to him is proof positive
that he has been irretrievably damaged oy the
revelations before the Potter Committee.
The recent chapter which Mr. Cyrus W.
Field has contributed to current history 1ur-
nishes a clew to the methods by which Mr.
Tilden manages to put money in his purse.
People who are not particularly nice IN then
ideas about sharp practice may find something
to admire in the adroitness with which ne con.
trived to overreach q friend who uusleo
him. Still it is very questionable whether
money gained by duplicity, no matter no"
large the am punt may be, is ever worth the
sacrifice of reputation which the getti ng OIL II
by such means involves. However, dlspute'
between men having business relations VIII
each other are things which third parties cal
rarely understand or safely reach conclusions
about. Mr.. Field says Mr.. Tilden deceived MN
Mr. Tild an saws he didn't and denies not Cnl.