The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-10-28
A CANDID OPINION.
What The s'ChicagO Tribune" Said of Tildcn
Five Months Ago.

What The 'ChicagO Tribune" Said of Tildcn
Five Months Ago.
From the Chicago Tribune, May .. 1876.
Mr. Tilden is man of acknowledged in
tellectual ability; he has a fair personal repu.
tation and, owing to his services in prosecut-
ing the Tweed ring, was elected Governor of
New York by grateful people. Since he
has been Governor he has broken up the
great canal ring, and has become known to
the whole country as reformer, and as a
vigorous prosecutor OF official fraud He, as
Democrat, stands before the people in some
what the same popular light that Bristow
does as a Republican. AS against Bristow,
his reputation as an honest executive would
avail him nothing, because the present Sc.
cretary of the Treasury has record which
throws IN the shade that OF any other man in
the country. The great moral sentiment OF
the people is in favor OF eectlng to the Presl-
dency not only q man with clean hands and
free of all participation in the past corruption,
but also a man who has a record as a practl-
cal reformcr OF government, a weeder ont OF
the rotten and criminal from the public ser
vice, and they will elect such man, no mat
ter by what party he may be nominated. Ii
the one party will not nominate such man
and the other does, then the reformer will
carry with him the support of the aroused
and determined public. The Republican
party can make no Issue with Tilden on the
currency question. The diluted greenback''
deluslon has been badly demOralized by the
visible appearance of the metallic currency
The candidate who tolerates the ragamutlin
doctrine will go down under disastrous de-
feat. The only doubtful states, those in which
the decisive contest must take place, are the
hard money states, and the candidate who OPP.
poses Tilden must stand fairly and squarely
on the same platform with him on that ques-
ton. In case the Republican party shall, at
Cincinnati, nominate man of questionable
record, a candidate suggested by the machine
politicians, one whose record Is Of bitter OPP
position to reform in the civil service, or in
favor of further continuance of the war which
closed eleven years ago, the great financial
and commercial interests of the country, who
so earnestly desire peace and an honest adj
ministratlon of the government, will not
have the slightest hesitation in giving their
confidence and support to a man like TIlden.
We confess that Tilden will be the most
formidable opponent Of the Republicans that
the Democratic party can nominate at this
time. He will make a great battle in states
that would otherwise go Republican. He
will furnish an acceptable candidate to that
multitude of people who will not support any
man for President who represent, and is
himself part of the machine politics OF the
country.
The probable nomination of Tl!dcn at St.
Louis is, therefore, of such importance TO the
Republican party that is should be accepted
as u portentous warning against the nomira-
ton of any candidate who expects TO be elect
ed by mere party machinery, The iudepen-
dent voter is numerous, and the voters who
are determined there shall be u reform in the
whole administration of the government will
find the man whose own record gives the best
assurance on that point, and will elect him,
no matter by what convention he may be
nnmipafpl