Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-04-15
THE POLITICAL CAULDRON,
In Which There is Much Hot
Water.
Special to Pittsburg Post.l
FINLEY's BULLDOZING LETTER.

1INNA ~ a 49, NhNtA
FINLEY's BULLDOZING LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 1O.-The effort
to connect Mr.. Tilden with the bull
doing letter written by one H. II.
Finley to Mr.. Springer, in the interest
of Mr.. Donnelly, has signally and ig-
ANONYMOUSLY failed. Mr.. Tilden's own
statement brands Finley's claim to
represent him as a lie. But there is
plenty of corroborative evidence to
show the falsity of Finley's preten
sions, which is thoroughly understood
here upon the ground and where Fin,
ley's measure has been taken. 1t is
well known that Nh. Tilden speaks
the truth when he says he had abund-
ant opportunity to communicate with
Springer In person, since the latter
has visited New York almost weekly
during the session, and during these
trips frequently called upon Tilden,
as is known from Springer himself
Iilden is charged with every evil that
visits the country, and it is just as
easy and as plausible for Donnelly's
friends to charge that Tilden infu-
enced Springer to oppose the seating
of Donnelly as it is for anybody to as
sumo that Tilden wanted Donnelly
seated.
THE FACTS ABOUT THE CASE.
Now the fact is thai this very
charge was made. A member of the
Manning sub committee hlving the
Donnelly case in charge, who advo-
Gated the seating of Donnelly, said 10
your correspondent about the time
Finley's threatening letter was writ
ten, Springer is getting weak on the
Donneliy case and in answer to the
question how he accounted for it re.
piled, "Tiiden says it won't do" This
was the belief at the time, founded
upon %Sprlngers reported visits to New
York and numerous conferences with
Tilden. That it ever had any iounda
ton except in the i~maginations of
those who started the story is not like
ly, but it has been sufficiently demon
strated that it rests upon as solid a
foundation as the counter charge. In
regard to Finley, it is true that he
was recognized as a faithful worker
at national democratic headquarters
in 1876, but since then he has fallen
from grace and has been discarded by
Tilden, as he himself admitted in a
letter addressed to Hon. Abram S.
Hewitt, while the Donnelly Springer
controversy was going on. That he
regarded as an efficient and trust
worthy mar in 1876, argues nothing
in favor Of his intimacy with Tilden.
Lucifer was once an angel in Heaven.
and yet no one would claim that he
now has authority to speak for the
Almighty. But Finley, in his capac.
ity of a cheap lobbyist, has been ira
ding upon Mr.. Tilden's name.
IT WAS HIS STOCK IN TRADE.
1t enabled him to ply his vocation
With congressman. Members when
told By him that he wa Tilden's
agent, naturally regarded him as a man
of some consequence. People never
question such statements. The career
of Eugene Fairfax Williamson is a
sufficient instance and he is just about
as much related to the Fairfax family
ct Virginia as be falsely claimed, and
no mere than Finley is the trusted
agent of the de jure president of the
United States. Finley is about as
much the agent of Tilden as the &C.
centric John Mckee, of Pittsburgh.
and his mesHa Of obtaining a liveli-
hood are about as precarious. The
idea that Finley represents Tilden is
secuted here in the light o%frecent de-
velopments, and never was entertain
ed except by backwoods members of
congress who never go to the hotels,
and consequently never recognized
Finley in his true capacity-that of a
hotel hummer and petty politician un-
worthy to unloose the latchet of Mr..
Tilden's SHOES. Now that he has
been thoroughly exposed and shown
by his own admissions to be an inn
poster, or as the Sun styles him an
'unmitigated fraud" his occupation
OF a lobbyist is gone, it having rested
on no other basis than his fraudulent
pretensions of political Importance.
LITTLE ALEoK STEPHENS.
Little Aleck Stephens, who has be
trayed every cause that he espoused.
and bolted almost every nomination
that was ever made both while he pro.
feSsed to be a wing and while he has
pretended to be a democrat, gets
himself interviewed regularly every
fortnight so that he cen counsel the
democracy not to nominate Tilden
and avoid his own purpose to vote for
This of itself is a matter of
small concern, like the source from
which it emanates, but when Mr..
Stephens processes TO speak for the
democracy Of Georgia, aud say they
are opposed to Tilden, aud that he
could not carry the state if he were
nominated, the language Sparks ap-
Piled to Clymer will fit his small an
The fact is, that the Atlanta
Constitution within the past month,
sent reliable reporters all over the
Of Georgia, and got the expires
Of the rank and file of the
democracy upon their presidential
preferences with great care. and in
great number, and the result showed
that Tilden had three friends to
one for any other candidate. This
was published at length, and
came stO the notice of Mr..
without doubt. as is to be
reasonably supposed. The demoeratic
press of Georgia, is almost a unit for
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