The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-24

Of print, I'VE have copy of il received soon
after it was issued and which we have care
fully preserved) and which ought to be i'm
mediately reproduced and circulated among
the people-we give some extracts that show
not only the early and active part taken by
Gov. Tilden in the war against the thieves,
but also the character of the man whom
the Democratic party has crowned with
its highest honor Gov. Tilden in the
pamphlet says:
IF one we're to attempt to correct every
ordinary error concerning himself which
appears in print, the occasions of contro-
versy would be inconveniently frequent for
the avocations of busy life. 1t is, there
fore, only in very exceptional case that |
should depart from my habit of leaving
such errors to answer themselves; or to be
retuted by my acts, or by the
general tenor of my life. But
articles in the Times for several weeks
past so falsify the history of the events
they discuss, by pervertlng some facts and
suppressing others, that it is a right. and
perhaps a duty, to vindicate the truth.
The ring became completely or
ganized aud matured on the lst of January
1869, when Mr. A. Oakley Hall became
mayor. Mr.. Connolly was comptroller two
years earlier. Its duration was through
1869, 1870 and 1871, until its overthrow in
the election of November, when it lost
most OF the senators and assemblymen
from this city, and was shaken in its hold
| on the legislative power of the state. 4
Even before the ring came into or
gauized existence, the antagonism between
those who afterward became its most lead
ing members and myself was sharply
defined and public 1t originated in no
motive Of personal nature on my part :;
but in the incompatibiity of their and
my ideas of public duty. | distrusted
them. They knew that they could not de-.
ceive or seduce me into any deyiatiou from
my principles of action. AS early as 1868
some of them became deeply embittered
because, being summoned by Gov. Sey-
mour to consultation about the Broadway
railroad bill, advised him to veto it.
Some years afterwards | accepted the lead
Of the Democratic state organization. |
did so with extreme reluctance, and only
.fter having in vain tried to place it in
hands in which l could have confidence.
had seen the fearful decay of civic
morals incident to the fluctuating values OF
paper money and civil war | had heard
aud believed that the influence of the Re-
publican party organization had been
habitually sold in the lobbies-sometimes
in the guise Of counsel fees and sometimes
without any affectation Of decency. | had
left the assembly and constitutional con
vention in 1916, when corruption, iu the
legislative bodies Of this state was totally
unknown, and now was convinced that il
had become almost universal. | desired
to save from degradation the great party
whose principles and traditions were mine
by inheritance and CONVICTION; and t
make it an instrument of a reaction in tn
community which alone could save fret
government. Holding YEARLY the end O
"A rope, because | feared where It might q
if dropped it, kept the state organiza
ton in absolute independence | neve
took a favor of any sort from these men, q,
from any man l distrusted. | had no
much power in the legislature on question.
which interested private cupidity; but il
a state convention, where the best men il
3. society aud business would go, because i
was but day or two, those with whom
0 acted generally had the majority.
D had no more knowledge or grounds c
L suspicion of the frauds of 1869, as the
: we're discovered three years atterward:
r than the Times or the general public
r But | had no faith in the men who becam
D known as the Ring, and they feared M
= | had no personal animosity; but | neye
e conciliated them, and | never turned frol
what | thought was right to avoid
n collision The first i'm pulsa of tba;r rrou
e ing ambition and increased power was
e get rid OF me and possess themselves
d the Democratic state organization. The
n intrigue for this purpose was conceive
b and agreed upon in the winter of 1869,
e Albany. knew it, but did nothing ii
August. Then | accepted the issue; al