The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-07-24


Democrats had chaL1et. position, while
he himself had remained consistent. By
way Of testing the truth OF this declara-
ton, he turned to the Wings OIL the
platform and, pointing to each of them
in turn, asked il it WIS they or il it was
the senator who had opposed them in
the late contest for tho Presidency that
had changed. Finally, fixing his eye
upon the charm NJ. Glib It, Il veu-
erable farmer & lost an o. lgena.
rian, he said, in Jno Of mingled COM
I,pliment and eIpostnlation: "And you,
sir, have you changedl' By this di-
rect inquiry the honest Sid man was
thrown of his guard, and stoutly cried
out: "NoW Mr.. TildOn skilliully
availed himself Of this ieclarationyo yof
his old neighbor and friend, and mp.
piled it to the senator in n strain Of
mastery sarcaEm md irony. The effect
WAS rlectriS; it thrilled tue assembly
and completely destroyed the objects OF
the meeting.
Mr.. Tildcn, who had watched this
financial revolution OF 1887 from tho be.
ginning, and knew its merits as thcr-
oughly, perhaps, rs any man Of his time,
undertook o dofeusc OF the President 3
scheme and to overthrow the sop!iS.
tries Of his enemies in a speech which
he delivered in New LehaGou Gu the
third day OF October, 1910. No one
can read this speech without marvuliuG
that men like Webster aud Nicho.
las Biddle, TO whose arguments Mr..
Tilder especially addressed hiruss!f,
could never have become the champions
of u system under which the revenues
Of tho nation wGro madcthe basis cf
commercial discounts. 1t is more mar
vclous, however, that in so short time
chr people should have forgotten, rs to
very considerable extent they appear
to have done, the lessons taught in this
speech, and those still better taught by
the war then wased by tho Democratic
party with the policy OF iniiatiou, ire
ritemahle currency and irresponsible
credits. At tho time this speech was
delivered tho Wings wcre mcditating
tho rC.establishmcut OF the United
States bank il they could succeed in
dividing the Democrats on the sub
treasury scheme. This effort provoked
Mr.. Tillrn to review tho history OF the
tauk and expose its ill.founded claims
10 be regarded III any sense aS what it
claimed to I've, "a regulator OF the cur
rcncy," What he says upon that sub
iect possesses TO the reader Of to-day
not only considerable historical interest,
but it is pregnant with lessons which
We fear will never be ont Of season.
Upon his admission to tho bar Mr..
TIldun opcocd IN Office in Pine street,
in tho city OF New York.
In 1914, iu anticipation and prcpara'
ton for the election which resulted III
taking james X. Polk President, aud
SiIas Wright governor Of tho State
of New York, Mr.. Tilden, in connection
with John l.. 0'Snllivan, founded the
newspaper called the DaiyNcWs.
In the fall OF 1916 ho was sent to ths
Assembly from the city OF New York,
and while member OF TINT body was
rirc!cd to the convention for the remot.
lug Of the constitution Of the StNtc,
which wns to commence It's sessions Il
few weeks after the Legislature Nd'
jDurnrd. In both OF these bodies NJ.
i'iIicu was n conspicuous authority. and
left a permanent impression upon the
.rgi, AtioH Of tho year. and especially
upon all the new constitutional pr0vis'
ions affecting the finances OF the State
aud the arrangement OF its system OF
r.Iualh.
Ti.e defeat OF Mr.. Wright in the hil
0t 1916, and the couluG5s which had
grown mp between tho friends of Presi-
ideut Polk and tho friends of the ntc
President Van Burcn resulted fortunate
Is for Mr.. TllleN, il not for tho country,
ii withdrawing his attention from poll
tirI and concentrating it upon his pro.
irssicn. He inherited no fortune, but
t"prnGcd upon his own cxcrtions for
livelihood. Thus far his labor ior the
State, or in his profession, hna not been
lucrative, and, despite his strong tastes
and pre- eminent qualifications Tor p0llt-
icni life, he was able to discern Mt that
carly period the importance in this
country, ut least, Of pecuniary indie
pcndcnce for the successful prosecution
ut political cIrctr. With m nSsiduity
md concentration OF energy which
lave characterized all the transactions
OF hiI life, Mr.. TiIieu now gave himself
up to his profession. II was net many
wears before he became M well known
at tho har as Lo hAd before been known
Gg politician. His business developed
rapidly, mid though hc continued 10
take moro or less interest III political
matters, they were not allowed after
1857 to interfere with his professional
duties.
Among tho more important cases III
which MIR. Til1cn has been concerned,
ono in which his strictly professional
abilities appeared to special advantage
was the case of the Cumberland coal
company against its directors, hcirt III
tho STATE Of Maryland in tho year 1858.
III TINT case he applied for the first time
(, tho directors of corpoht!onS tho H.
lailiar doctrine that trustee cannot be
/. purchaser Of property couhdrd to hi1
for s,IIa, aud Il" successfully illustrated
mud settled the equitable principle on
which such sAles to directors hro set
aside, and also tho conditions to give
them validity. MIR. Tiiden's succesS in
rescuing corporations from unprodtAhlo
and embarrassing litigation, in rcorgGnlz-
ing their administration, i'll re'estah!iSh-
iuS their credit und in rendering their
resources available. soon gave him III
amount Of business which was limited
ouly by his physical ability to conduct
it.
Since tho year 1856 it is safe to say
that more thNu half Of the great rail.
wny rurporatious north Of tho Ohio and