Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-08


made the basis of commercial discounts.
1t is more marvellous, however. that in
so short time our people should have
forgotten, as to a very considerable ex-
tent they appear to have done, the les
sons taught in this speech. and those
still better taught by the war then waged
by the democratic party with the policy
of initiation, irredeemable currency and
irresponsible credits. At the time this
speech was delivered the wings were
meditating the re-estahishmsnt of the
United States bank if they could sue
ceed in dividing the democrats on the
sub-treasury scheme. This effort pro-
voked Mr.. Tilden to review the history
of the bank and expose its ll-fonnded
claims to be regarded IN any sense as
what it claimed to be, ga regulator of
the currency" What be says upon that
subject possesses to Thereafter Of to-day
not only considerable historical interest,
but is pregnant with lessons which we
fear will never bs out of season.
Upon his admission to the bar Mr..
Tilden opened an office in Pine street. in
The city of New York. ..e,-I a''l
In 1874, in anticipation and prepara-
ton for the election which resulted in
making James X. Polk president, and
Silas Wright governor of the st tte of
New York, Mr.. Tllden, in connection
with John L. O'Sullivan, founded the
newspaper called the Daily News.
In the tall of 1S45 he was sent to the
assembly from the city of New York, and
while member of that body was elected
to the convention for the remodeling of
the constitution of the state, which WAS
| to commence its sessions few weeks at
ter the legislature adjourned. In both
of these bodies Mr.. Tilden was a con-
spicuous authority, and left a permanent
impression upon the legislation of the
year, and especially upon all the new
constitutional provisions affecting the fl
nances OF the state and the management
OF its system OF canals. ..'-
The defeat of Mr.. Wright in the fall of
1916, and the GOODNESS which had grown
up between the friends of PresidentP ok
and the friends of the late President Van
Buren resulted fortunately for MIR. Til
den, if not for the country, in withdrew
ing his attention from politics and con.
centratlng it upon his profession. He
inherited no fortune, but depended upon
his own exertions for a livelihood. Thus
far his labor for the state, or in his pro.
fession, had not been lucrative, and de.
spite his strong tastes and pre-eminen1
qualifications for political life, he wat
able to discern at that early period, the
Importance in this country, at least, of s
pecuniary independence for the success
full prosecution OF a political career
With All assiduity and a concentration O
energy which have characterized all tht
transactions of his life, Mr.. Tilden nov
gave himself up to his profession. L
was not many years before he became
as we'll known at the bar as he had be
fore been known as a politician. Hi
business developed rapidly, and though
he continued to take more or less inter
est in political matters, they were no
allowed after 1857 to interfere with hi
professional duties. -
At the New York municipal election
held in November, 1855. a desperate at
|. tempt was made to defeat Azariah G
Flagg, one of the candidates for CIT,
comptroller Mr.. Flagg was of the sam,
school of politics as Mr. Tilden, and wa
renowned throughout the state, as wei
! as in the CITY. for his fidelity to- .publi
, trusts. The seekers after profitable job
from the public had nominated. as hi
t opponent, popular mechanic of gentl,
manners, by the name of Giles, whom
, they hoped to control by the usual per
suasives in case of his election. He ral
t upon what was then knownas the 'Knov
, Nothing OF Native American ticket
The returns gave Mr.. Flagg the office b,
: small plurality of 117-2O.313 agains
2 20, 1874 for Giles. His opponent was t
prosecute a quo q0a,TdntO, and MI
: Flagg's title to the office was tested at
: supreme court held before Judge Emot
1 and a special jury.
The claimants seemed to have mOnop
o ollzed all the proof attainable, and
Y have left little or nothing for the de
t fense. Add to this the original canvas
9 had been made, as usual. upon distint
i papers commonly called tallies. Th
If split1 tally comprised three foo!sca
/ sheets, which contained the origins
IS canvass of the split votes, and transfer
l. from the tally of the regular vote and th
d aggregate result, showing the numbt
e of votes that each candidate had recei,
it ed. The tally of the regular votes ha
disappeared, at least could not be pr
t, duced, and its loss was accounted for. .Th
S papers of split tallies, transfers and sun
,, | IlstIltS IlltU WOlC HlOuuCCu
is with the oral testimony, and confirme
ID the REALTORS theory of the alleged err,
lie in the return.
SC Such was apparently the desperate a
titude of the comptroller's case, whe
l. MIR. Tilden was called upon for the d
es tense. The defense, if any could
I'd made. had to be constructed upon Il
I'd basis of the testimony offered by the L
al lator, for other testimony there was non
H. The return showed, us the law require
lie the entire number of votes given in Il
lg district,and the regular varieties of VIII
;h are called regular votes appeared fro
&c the prosecutors own oral evidence.
ne this slight basis OF actual testimony, n
ne Tilden constructed an impregnable d
lg fense. In his opening, and after revie
it ing the weak points in the testimony
mt the relator, which he was enabled
IL discover by the light of his midnight ]
G searches. he, for the first tt; le. gives
e. intimation to his adversarleso of the wea
lis on he had improvised in night
lis their destruction!
at Before Mr. Tilden took his seat I
he case was won, and Mr. Flagg's seat W
he assured. Within fifteen minutes aft
ig the case was submitted to the jury. tn
20 returned with verdict in his favor.
N, Two years later MIR. Tilden achiev
,ly another, and in some respects, even
he more signal professional triumph. in
no Burdell-Cunningha contested will ca
he Soon after Mrs. Cunnlngham's acquit
to on the trial for the murder of DR.. B
el, dell, she applied to the surrogate
he letters of administration and wido,
he third, on the ground Of private M
riag- shortly before Burdell's dea
of Mr. Tilden was retained by the heirs
er- Dr. Burdell to contest the fact of the
ch, legged marriage In this, as in the c.
the of Mr.. Flagg, his adversaries had all
ile affirmative testimony, the marriage c
BY titicate. the positive oath OF the cler
IA man who solemiZed the marriage, OF
the daughter Augusta, the only living v
EN- ness OF the alleged ceremony, and
vas subscribing witness to the marriage {
the tlicate, and OF the two serving girls
lad ployed in the house. For the defe
BON there was no affirmative testim,
BILE whatever. Its only resource was
he evolution of sufficient internal and
ent ternal evidence on the cross.exami
ave tion. to overthrowthe compact and car
llry array OF the testimony OF the petit
his ers. Though satisfied in his own m
o' that Burdell had been murdered, and
OF Mrs. Cunningham, and never MARI
and MIR. Tilden found himself unable to I
in Il duce single witness who, from per:
my. al knowledge, could testify to any
the portant fact about either the murder
the the marriage lie had besides to ,