Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1878 — Mr. Tilden’s Misfortunes. [ARTICLE]

Mr. Tilden’s Misfortunes.

If Mr. Tilden is not a dishonest manhe is certainly one of the most unfortunate men of his time and country, Never was a man of good intentions beset by associates and haunted by cir., cumstances so much Calculated to bring him Into disrepute. Some years ago The started'on fits "race for " the White House as a Reformer. It was a character likely to take with the people if honesly sustained. Mr. Tilden’s career had not been of r. nature to warrant the utmost confidence in bis new pretensions. He bad been known

•a a shrewd nod scheming politician; he had been associated with Boss Tweed and identified with Tammany Horace Greeley had charged him with personal responsibility for the frauds committed in New York in the election of 1668; he had the reputation of a rail-road-wrecker, and he had been generally regarded ns a cold-blooded, selfish, and somewhat unscrupulous intriguer. Nevertheless, he made tv good Governor of New York, and fought the Canal Ring, and it was thought that, perhaps, his wealth and ambition would thenceforth be guarantees for the Reform poljj icy, on the promise of which he sought election as President A large part of the people of this country, Including a great many Republicans who resented certain abuses in their own partv, were induced to put faith in Tilden as aißcformer, in spite of the grave and startling revelations that wore made as to his personal affairs during the campaign. For a long time after his defeat he continued to enjoy a considerable confidenoe among the people, which was based largely upon a sympathy created for him under the pretense that he had been cheated. But since the excitement ovor the count of tho Electoral votes has died out, Mr. Tilden, either through his own fault or by reason of having disreputable iand unscrupulous retainers, has so much fallen in the estimation of the country that his name will probably not even be mentioned in the next Democratic Convention, which, it was almost certain at one time, would tender him the nofflinatioii for President in recognition of his “wrongs,” Ivhich seemed to make him toJ.h9.Democrats Mr.Tilden’s latest “misfortune” was the employment as counsel to defend him in his Government suit a lawyer who is now under arrest in Detroit for being an accessory to the theft and suppression of certain account-books which were of importance in the suit. The case was an attempt to recover income tax alleged to be due the Government from Mr. Tilden on account of

fraudulent concealment. Mr. Tilden had & large interest in a Michigan mihe, and evidence was being taken before a Commissioner with the purpose of showing that his income from this business alone was more than the income actually returned during certain years. The books of the company were on hand, and Mr. Harland, Mr. Tilden’s lawyer, referred to them one after another, and then placed them at the side of his chair. During the progress of the examination, a man came into the room, .picked up these books, rushed out anddown stairs, and threw them into a carriage, in which they were hurriedly driven off. Afterward there was some pretense of a replevin, but the books were forcibly carried off before anything was stud about it. Harland was arrested io Detroit, and the evidence at his examination on Saturday would indicate that he was aware of the conspiracy for seizing the books, and that he had placed them where they could be conveniently grabbed. Now, Isn’t it unfortunate that Mr. Tilden, still in the attitude of a Reformer, should have selected an attorney who would get into such a scrape as this, and so seriously reflect upon his employer? Isn’t itunfortunate that the books seized are those which are expected to reveal the fact that Mr. Tilden falsified his in-come-returns with the purpose of de frauding the Government? Isn’t it unfortunate that there should be cipher dispatches in this case that tend to cast suspicion upon Mr. Tilden himself as a party to the transaction? Isn’t it unfortunate that all this should come out just upon the threatened exposure and verification of the “Gobble'’ dispatches? Isn’t Mr. Tilden, in fact, one of the most unfortunate men of the day—especially for a Reformer P —Chicago Tribune.