Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-09
PARKE GOODWIN ON TILDEN

In u long letter TO the New York
Tribune, Mr.. Parkc Goodwin, son.in.law
OF William G. Bryant, and all his life
workerin and for tho Republican party,
until its corruption forced him to seek
new political alliances, thus speaks of
tho Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency
Who, then, is Samuel ], Tilden2
In reply, good friends Of the Con
ference, let me speak TO you from per-
sonal knowledge. | have been init
mately acquainted with Mr., Tilden for
nearly forty years, and though | have
often differed with him politically,
sometimes even lamenting his strong
reliance on party agencies, have never
had the slightest occasion to suspect
his absolute integrity of purpose and
sincerity of conviction. In oil the re-
lations of private life he is purity itself
At the same time he has always been
q public-spiritcd citizen, taking an ac-
tive part in whatever concerned the
welfare and progress of the community
in which he lived. His devotion, in
deed, to public affairs began while he
was still youth, and bis early dis
cussions ofintricatc questions Of finance
attracted the attention of maturer
minds by their singular penetration
and judgment. Professionally, he bas
taken rank with Van Buren, Brady,
O'Conor, Graham, Evarts, Kirkland,
and other foremost lawyers, and in a
peculiar class of cases-heavy and com
plicatcd raiIroad litigations-hc is ad-
mittcd to be Jacile princeps. His coun-
sci, when important and decisive action
was involved, has been deemed inval-
liable. In still higher relations Mr..
Tildcn seems TO me to combine, more
than any other man now before the
public, hardly excepting Mr.. Adams of
Massachusetts, the two great kinds of
quality, theoretic and practical, which
form the true statesmen profound un-
derstanding of the philosophic grounds
Of political opinion, and the sagaeious
tact and energy of the man of business.
This union Of theoretic insight with
practical capacity has been singularly
shown in his administration Of the at-
fairs OF this State. New York is the
largest Commonwealth Of the Union,
the largest in population, in Agricul-
tural products, in manufacturing enter
prise, in commercial capital-in a word,
in the diversity and importance of its
business relations; and the Governor.
ship here is not mere clerical func-
tion, confined to the appointment of
notaries and the signing Of commis-
slons, as in many of the newer western
States, but an onerous, intricate, and
responsible trust The Governor is in
vested with the veto, which makes
him part of the legislative power,
while his executive connection with
the complicated business of the quaran.
tine, the salt works, the State prisons
and charities, and an immense system
Of canals, imposes upon him the most
varied and difficult duties. Mr.. Tilden
in his short tenure OF the place has
evinced mastery fitness for all its
duties. He has defeated multitude
of ill-considcred and improper bills,
rectifed many minor errors OF Admin
istration, overthrown fraudulent and
gigantic conspiracy, and reduced taxa
ton from over SIT, 100000 in 1875 to
less than ss,O00,OOO in 1876, with an
assurance that If the changes he has
suggested are followed, the decrease
will be two or three millions more in
1877