The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-09-07
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF
SAM'L j. TILDEN,
Governor of the State of New
York, and Democratic Cam
didate for the Presidency
of the United States.

The ancestry OF Mr.. Tilden was
Puritanic. Joseph Tilden, Of Ten
derden, County Kent, England, was
one OF tie merchant adventurers"
who fitted out the May Flower,
which brought the Pilgrims to Ply
mouth. From the same county, in
1854, Nathaniel Tilden, brother of
Joseph, came owe in the good
"shippe Anne and settled in the
town of Scituate. The family was
well connected in England, and by
marriage related to Oliver Crom-
well, the Protector The name
of Tilden is still an honorable one
in the old colony. His grandfather
moved to Columbia county, N. Y,
when it was a wilderness. His ia
ther, Elan Tilden, was a staunch
Democrat of the old school. Sam'l
Jones Tilden, the youngest of the
sons of Elan Tilden, was born in
New Lebanon, Columbia county, n.
Y, Feb. 8, 1914, consequently he is
in the sixty-third year of his age.
His father, firmly believing in the
Democratic doctrines of Jefferson,
Jackson and Van Buren, early i'm
pressed them upon his son Samuel.
In 1882 a coalition was about to
be formed between the Anti-Masons
and Wings to defeat the Democrats.
This subject was talked over in the
family, and Samuel, then only eigh
teen years of age, wrote an article
showing the absurdity of such an
amalgamation, couched in such
strong and logical terms that its
authorship was ascribed to Mr.. Van
Buren, and it was published as a
campaign document.
When eighteen years Of age, he
entered the Sophomore class il
Yale College, but was soon com
PEELED to leave on account of the
failure of his health. He afterwards
completed his education under
Chancellor Mathews, and graduated
at the University of New York
Soon after his graduation, Mr.. Til
den commenced the study of the
law in the office Of the late JOIN
Edmunds, in the city of New York
where he had peculiar facilities botl
for the study of law and politics
Upon admission to the bar, he
opened law Office onPine street
in the city of New York. Politics
ragged high in those days, and ht
soon wrote a series of articles, whicl
were highly praised by the Democ
racy. He then embarked with 1
Mr.. O'Sullivan in starting the New
York News, but he soon left the ed
itorial fraternity and was elected (
member of the Assembly from tn
city of New York. Though youn.
man, he took very conspicuou
part in the legislature, and was con
sidered one of the leaders in tha
body. During the session of tn
! Assembly he was elected membe
of the convention which was chosel
that year to remodel the constitu
ton of the State of New York. L
this body also, Mr.. Tilden was yer
prominent, and many of the amend
, ments and improvements in the nel
constitution emanated from him.
Mr.. Tilden, however, soon foun
: that neither politics nor editing
E paper paid, and that to occupy
= prominent position in the commU
Aity, money was an essential articl,
; and that the way to accumulate thi
: was to apply himself to the dutie
t of his profession. He now measut
ably withdrew from the politics
arena, and applied himself wit
t great zeal and energy to the pra
= tlce of the law, IN which he soon b
0 came as eminent as he had been
e politics. He was retained as couI
+ sci in many Of the most importaI
/
cases that came before the court
o and was generally successful in O
: tanning a verdict for his clients.
But the great work in which
: pre-eminently shone IS q reform
d was in eneountering and overthro'
e ing the so-ealled "Ring'' of Ne
It York. This was one of the mo
gigantic frauds ever foisted upc