Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-01-09
Mr.. Tilden as Witness.

Mr.. TiIden as " illness.
1t is reported from Washington, on the
strength of what is said by the friends of Mr.
Tilden, that just so soon as the House in
structs the Potter Committee TO investigate
the cipher telegrams, the Gramercy Park
statesman will skip on to Washington with
Large. sized mems cOnSciG recti in his carpet
bag. On the day appointed to hear his testi-
mohy on this exciting topic he win unfurl his
me7s cOnseia recti, as Sergeant Bates used to
his flag, and march in procession under its
folds, with the escort of fife and drum, the
entire length of Pennsylvania Avenue The
spectacle will be much more impressive and
more inspiring than the Carnival perform
ances with which the completion of the
wooden pavement on the avenue was cele-
brated. A Washington special dispatch to
the Boston Herald says that she fully ex-
poets to be exonerated from all charges Of
wrong doing in connection with the electoral
count in 1S76-'77." The same authority has
it 'that his friends in Washington will do all
tlSl Cdll W doSlSI III HIS CAOuCldllOuy duu luC
Democrats who are opposed to him, and wish
to see him punished still further, are being
appealed to by Mr.. Tildcn's friends not to
press him too hard, on the ground that New
York is essential to Democratic success in
1880, and that if the Democrats persi in try
ing to slaughter and disgrace Mr.. Tilden he
may make Democratic ''success impossible in
the next campaign" 1t is said, too, that the
ble, and that prominent Democrats think it
can be completed in two weeks. The pro-
gramme as here laid out seems so reasonable
and proper that we are quite inclined to think
there may be something in it.
And yet how strangely it reads-this state
ment that ''he expects to be wholly exoner.
ated," and that Democrats who swish to see
him punished still further are being appealed
to not to press him too hard" Why, isn't
this the statesman who was running for the
Presidency while ago on the platform of
''Reform," and whom the entire Democratic
party were sitting up nights trying to elect to
that Office, just because they saw the neeessi-
ty of putting corrupt and dishonest Republi
cans out of Office and putting this immaculate
Reformer in ? 1t was only little while ago
that this gentleman was standing bareheaded
on his doorstep at Gramercy Park, waving
his hands wildly and crying that "Fraud
should never be cendoned." Exonerated, in
deed It's queer state of affairs when such
a man, so uncompromising in his hostility to
Fraud, and SO devoted to Reform, needs to
be exonerated himself. And queerer still that
his own political friends and associates, the
men who were lately culogizing him as the
model Reformer of the age, should have to be
labored with not to press him too hard or
punish him further. This looks very much
like. taking man who comes into court howl
ing that he has been defrauded, and swearing
in several languages that he never will con-
done it, and showing him into the prisoners
box to answer similar charge himself, the
evidence of which is found upon his person.
Not only that, but there's suggestion of
tampering with the jury and inducing them
''not to press him too hard" because he has
been enough already, and if they make him
mad he will give them trouble hereafter. 1t
is upon the whole, the most remarkable up
setting of things that has been seen in recent
politics, to have this lately uncompromising
and implacable foe of fraud turn up so sud-
denly as a candidate for exoneration and vin-
dication.
1t is to be hoped, of course, that it is true.
No doubt many Democrats-though it is said
he has few friends in the party-would really
Ike to see Mr.. Tilden indicated. They will
read the statement that he undoubtedly can
60 upon the witness stand and exonerate
himself completely, with much the same feel
ing that the worldly minded person had upon
hearing the doctrine universal salvation
preached. sits darned good doctrine" said
he "Id give five dollars if twas true" The
only difficulty in the way of complete vindi-
cation is that some ridiculous person on the
committee may take it into his head to ask
Mr.. Tilden questions about his subscriptions
and payments TO the committee funds, and
his expenditures outside of the committee for
election purposes, and as 10 his relations with
Pelton and Smith Weed and Marble and the
rest; and it might not be convenient for him
to remember some things the committee
would like to know. 1t would never do for
him to appear on the witness stand with so
short and unsatisfactory memory as Pelton
has. People wouldn't call it a perfect vindica-
tion. Bnt if the committee will Just let him
hold up his right hand and swear-as they
dc, for instance, in making income returns
and after he has said he knew nothing about
ciphers, let him go without cross examination,
we have no doubt he would be vindicated.
And then he could take the remainder of the
two weeks allowed the inquiry by prominent
Democrats to give his views of the great fraud
practiced on him by. the Republicans. He is
quite liable to take up that subject by way of
depression. The last letter he wrote on the
cipher business was chiefly devoted to the
elucidation of his notions about the great
fraud But whatever he says or does not
say the country will watch with interest his
coming upon the witness stand.-CN. Y.
Tribune.