Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-07-22
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JULY %, 1876


As everything relating to the nomi-
nees of the respective parties for Presi-
dent in the approaching campaign is
of absorbing interest to the public, we
condense from an extended article in
the New York Herald, the following i'll
cidents in the life of the Democratic
candidate.
Samuel J. Tilden, was born in New
Lebanon, Columbia county, New York,
in 1914. He was of English extraction
and some of his family held the Office
of mayor of Tenderden, Kent, England,
about the close of the sixteenth cen
turv, while one of these subsequently
settled in Massachusetts Bay, and
another assisted in fitting out the May
flower. His grandfather, John Tilden,
chose Columbia county as his home,
and this branch of the family has re-
sided there ever since. Governor Til
denis father, Elan Tilden, was mer-
chant and farmer at New Lebanon, and
is described as man of notable judg-
ment and great practical sense On
his mothers side Mr.. Tilden IS de-
scended from Colonel John Jones, who
married sister of Oliver Cromwell.
From his father Governor Tilden in
herited strong political tastes, and rs
the elder Tilden was among the &C.
copied personal friends of Mr.. Van
Buren,, the son was early offered an OPP
portunity for their display. His first
success as a political writer is story
which has something like romance in
it. He was only eighteen years old at
the time, but, boy as he was, be was
already match for the astute politi-
clans of that day. This wasin the year
1892, when an effort was made to de-
feat the reelection of General Jackson
by coalition between the national re-
publicans and the anti-Masons. The
4 success of the Democracy depended
s upon the defeat of that coalition.
Hearing this question freely discussed
in his fathers house, young Tilden
wrote out the views he had heard upon
the subject, and showed the paper to
his father. The older Tilden was so
: highly pleased with his sons effort that
he took the lad to see Mr. Van Buren,,
who was then at Lebanon Springs, and
!. the latter found so much merit in the
III performance that be caused it to be
81 printed, with number of distinguished
names attached, in the Albany argus,
IS an address to the Democracy of the
State. Four years later Mr.. Tilder
again distinguished himself by writing
series of papers of Mr.. Van Buren's
financial policy. This was in 1887
when occurred the severest financial re-
j vulsion which had yet happened in oul
history. During that summer thu
President called special session O
Congress-, and recommended the sep
,raticn Of the Government from thu
hanks and the establishment of the in
dependent treasury. In his papers ad
vocating the Presidents policy, Mr..
Tilden not only showed the vigor and
maturity of thought which has since
characterized all his efforts, but took 6
position in favor of the redeemability
I of the Government currency in specie
/ which is almost identical with the finan
cial policy of which he is now the re-
1 preventative.
( Mr. Tilden's education was not of tn.
usual scholastic order. In 1882 he en-
tered Yale College, but his health sool
failed and he was obliged to 'ssave. Two
years later he entered the sof .
prominent barrister of New York city
! and in due course Of time came to thu
bar. In 1915 he was elected to the As
sembly and the next year was chosen {
member of the State G Constitutional Con
vention. In both bodies he distin
guished himself, but his biographers
tell us that at that early period he wal
able to discern the importance in THU
country, at least. of q pecuniary indie
pendence for the prosecution of sue
cessful political career. After 1847 Mr.
Tilden gave himself up to his profession
and it was not many years until he be
came as we'll known at tho bar as he had
before been known Is politician. Hi
business developed rapidly, and some
of his cases are the most notable in thu
history of the New York bar. In 1856
he successfully defended Azarian T.
FIagg, elected one Of the city comptrol
4 lers at the previous municipal election
Two years later Mr.. Tilden achieved
another and, in some respects, even q
more signal triumph in the famous Bur
dell Cunningham contested will case
Subsequently,, through his conduct o
the defence of the Pennsylvania Goa.
Company in its suit with the Delaware