Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-07-26

Mr.. Tilden skillfully availed himself o
this declaration OF his old neighbor ant
friend, and applied it to the Senator il
strain Of mastery sarcasm and irony
The effect was electric IL thrilled the
assembly and completely destroyed
the objects Of the meeting.
Mr.. Tilden, who had watched this
financial revolution of 1887 from the
beginning, and knew its merits az
thoroughly, perhaps, as any man Of
his time, undertook u defence Of the
Presidents scheme and TO overthrow
the sophistrics of his enemies in 0
speech which he delivered in New
Lebanon on the third day Of October,
1910 No one can read this speech
without marveling that men like Web
ster and Nicholas Biddle, to whose ar
guments Mr.. Tilden especially address
cd himself, could ever have become the
champions of system under which
the revenues of the nation were made
the basis of commercial discounts. II
is more marvellous, however, that in
so short time our people should have
forgotten, as to a very considerable ex-
tent they appear to have done, the
lessons taught in this speech, and
those still better taught by the war
then waged by the democratic party
with the policy Of imitation, irredeem-
able currency and irresponsible credits.
At the time this speech was delivered
the Wings were meditating the re-es-
tablshment of the United States bank
il they could succeed in dividing the
Democrats on the sub-treasury scheme.
This effort provoked Mr. Tilden to re-
view the history of the bank and ex-
pose its ill-iounded claims TO be regard
ed in any sense as what it claimed TO
be, "a regulation Of the currency"
What he says upon that subject pos.
sesses to the reader Of to-day not only
considerable historical interest, but is
pregnant with lessons which we fear
will never be out Of season.
Upon his admission to the bar, Mr..
Tilden opened an Office in Pine street,
in the city of New York.
In 1874, in anticipation and prepar-
alton for the election which resulted
in making James X. Polk President,
and Silas Wright Governor of the
State OF New York, Mr.. Tilden, in con-
nection with John l.. O'Sullivan,
founded the newspaper called the Daily
Nei0S.
In the fall of lS45, he was sent to
the Assembly from the city Of New
York, and while member Of that
body, was elected to the Convention
Tor the remodeling OF the Constitution
of the State, which was to commence
its sessions few weeks after the Leg.
islature adjourned. In both Of these
bodies Mr.. Tilden was a conspicuous
authority, and left q permanent i'm
preston upon the legislation of the
year, and especially upon all the new
constitutional provisions affecting the
finances of the State and the manage
ment of its system of canals.
The defeat OF Mr.. Wright in the fall
of 1916, and the coolncss which had
grown up between the friends of Pres
ident Polk and tho friends of the late
President Van Buren, resulted iortu.
nately for MIR. Tilden, If not for the
country, in Withdrawing his attention
from politics and concentrating IL upon
his profession. He inherited no for
tune, but depended upon his own ex-
ertions for a livelihood, Thus far his
labor for the State, or in his profession,
had not been lucrative, and despite his
strong tastes and pre-eminent qualif-
cations for political life, he was able to
discern at that early period the i'm
portance in this country, at least, of a
pecuniary Independence for the sue
cessful prosecution Of political career.
With an assiduity and concentration
of energy which have characterized all
the transactions OF his life, Mr.. Tilden
now gave himself up to his profession.
1t was not many years before he be-
came as well known ut tho bar as he
had before been known as a politician.
His business developed rapidly, and
though he continued to take more or
less interest in political matters, they
were not allowed after 1857 to inter
fere with his professional duties.
He built up reputation in few
years at the bar Of New York city,
which gave him q leading place in tho
profession. In the noted case OF the
Burdell-Cunningham contested will,
where apparently insupcrable proofs
of the marriage Of Mrs, Cunningham
to the murdered Burdell were present
cd, Mr. Tilden's resources as q lawyer
were brought into conspicuous notice.
He succeeded in defeating the claim OF
Mrs Cunningham and removed all
doubt OF her participation in the Bur
dell murder, Notwithstanding the pre-
vious acquittal.
His connection with tho celebrated
suits of the Pennsylvania coal compa-
ny against the Delaware and Hudson
canal company, the Cumberland coal
company against its directors, % Mary.
land case), and other difficult litiga-
ton connected with corporations gave
evidence OF such superior attainment
in this particular branch Of legal bust
ness that his clientage was greater
than II was possible for him to at
tend TO.
Since the year 1855 it is safe TO say
that more than half of the great rail
way corporations north Of tho Ohio
and between the Hudson and Missouri
rivers, have been at some time bis eli
cnts. The general misfortunes which
overlook many Of these roads between
1855 and 1860 called for some comprc-
honsivc plan for relief 1t was here
that his legal attainmcnts, his unsur.
passed skill ~ a financier, his unlimit-
cd capacity for concentrated labor, his
constantly increasing weight Of char.
acter and personal influence found full
activity, and resulted in the rcorgani.
zation OF the larger portion OF tho great
network of railways, by which the
rights Of all parties were equitably pro
tected, wasting litigation unavoided,
and condition of great depression
and dependency in railway property
replaced by an unexampled prosperi.
ty. His relations with these compa.
mics, his thorough comprehension Of
their history and requirements, and
his practical energy and decision have
given him such mastery over oil the
questions that arise in the organiza-
ton, administration and financial man
agemcnt Of canals, as well as railroads,
that his influence more than any other
man in the country seems inseparably
associated with their prosperity and
success, not only in his own country,