Middletown transcript., 1876-07-01
Samuel j. Tilden.

The Democratic nominee for the Pre-
sidency was born in 1914 at New Leba
non, Columbia county, New York. :.
His ancestry is traced back to 1888
when John Tilden was mayor of Zen
terden, England. A branch of tbs
family moved to Scituate, Massachu.
setts, in 1884, and a Joseph Tilder
was one of the London merchants who
fitted out the Mayfower. Gov. Tilden's
mother was descended Of VIM. Jones
Lieutenant Governor of the colony o.
New Haven, who is said to have been
son of Col. John Jones. a regicide
judge Of Charles 1, who married Oliver
Cromwells sister. The Governors
father was a farmer and merchant,
much esteemed for his judgment and
strong common sense, and who was an
intimate and cherished friend of Presi-
dent Van Buren.
Gov. Tilden entered Yale College
when he was eighteen years old, after
at that early age having written dis
QUESTION on the effort to make coali-
ton between the national republicans
and the anti-Masons, the defeat OF
which was necessary to democratic sue
cess This diseuisition was shown to
Van Buren, who highly approved it,
and caused it to be published as cam
paign document. After his collegiate
course he studied law in the office OF
the late John W. Edmunds, New York
city, and while there published series
of papers in advocacy of Van Buren's
recommendation Of separation of the
government from the banks, the estab-
lishment Of an independent treasury and
the redeemability Of government cur
rency in specie.
Upon his admission to the bar he
opened an Office in Pine street, New
York. In 1874, in connection with
John L. O'Sullivan, he founded the
Daily News newspaper. In 1S45 he
was elected a member of the Assembly
for New York city, and member Of
the convention to remodel the State
constitution. In both of those bodies
he was conspicuous authority.
In this and similar efforts he proved
himself pre-eminert in the work of re-
form of reform in its fundamental
principles and radical value. And on
this recognition of his ability in that
direction be was elected Governor Of
New York-the position he now occu-
pies-by a large majority. In that high
office he at once inaugurated cleans
ing of the Augean stables of New York
The immense frauds per-
petrated by mismanagement of the
canals, and similar fraudulent jobberies,
were fully unearthed by him, and have
been scorched, if not killed.
In 1916 he withdrew from active
politics and devoted himself to his pro-
fession, and soon became as pre-emi
nent therein as he had been in the
political arena. One of his most not
able legal triumphs was as counsel for
the heirs of DR.. Burdell. who was MUIR
dered, and whose property was claimed
by Mrs. Cunning ham, who was charged
with his murder and acquitted. but who
claimed DR.. BurdelPs property as his
alleged wife. The case passed into
legal history as most notable trial,
and the defeat Of the iniquitous claim
was due mainly to Mr.. Tilden's able
handling of the case.
Among his other prominent successes
at the bar was his defense of the Penn
sylvania Coal Company in its suit with
the Delaware & Hudson Canal Com
pany, in which immense interests were
involved. Another was that Of the
Cumberland Coal Company against its
directors, tried in Maryland in 1858
In that case he applied for the first time
to the directors Of corporations the
familiar doctrine that trustee cannot
be purchaser Of property confined to
him for sale, and he successfully illus
trated and settled the equitable princi-
pie on which such sales to directors are
set aside, and also the conditions to
give them validity These cases brought
hin into great prominence as success
full resuscitator Of embarrassed corpora
tions, and gave him lucrative practice.
He urged that the war should be con-
Quoted upon a system of sound finance,
SO as to prevent mon netary complications
which he foresaw. And when invited
by the government at Washington to
to give his opinion as to the conduct of
the war. he said: You have no right
to expect great military genius to
come to your assistance. They only
appear once in two or three centuries.
You will probably have to depend
upon the average military talent Of the
country. Under such circumstances
your only course is to avail yourself Of
your numerical strength and your
superior military resources resulting
from your greater progress in industrial
arts and your greater producing capaci-
ties. You must have reserves and
concentrate your forces on decisive
points, and overwhelm your adversaries
by disproportionate numbers and re-
serves"
Gov. Tilden made every effort in his
power to avert the late civil war But
failing in this he made no secret that
his convictions were in favor Of the in
tegrity of the Union and supremacy of
the constituted authorities. Therefore
he urged the North to be conciliatory
and forbearing, and advised the South
to defer to the will Of the majority, and
to respect that federal constitution under
whose @gis was assurance of full pro-
lection for person and property When
the blast Of war came, and Lincoln
called out the famous 1000, Mr.. Til
den maintained that the call should
have been for 500. 900 men, becaue he
believed great war was imminent, ,and
large force necessary in the very inter-
ests Of humanity In the lig1t Of sub
eaouopt ovonte II &c oy;Jort tbot tbe