Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-19

The manner in which it is ratified
indicates that it better represents
the principles Of pacifcation, union,
economy and reform than any
other which was possible to either
party.
If it shall not be elected, it will
be the first time in our history that
the party which had obtained a
majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives, two years earlier, failed
to win in the Presidential race.
The really unanimous nomination
of Tilden is due to the fact that to
him, more than to any other, ex-
cept perhaps Charles 0'Conor, is
due the cleansing Of the Augean
stables Of New York politics, both
in Tammany Hall and wherever
the great canal system permeates
the States. Even prominent Re-
publicans like Horace Greeley pre-
ferred to be on good terms with
Tammany Hall, because of the in
cidental favors it could confer.
The city government of New York,
in the years from 1850 to 1870,
disbursed annually more money
than all the State governments
combined, after deducting New
York State and California.
Its politics had been controlled
by the Tammany society, a secret
incorporated organization or club,
formed as early as 1915, and whose
sway for fifty years had been so
complete that no other Democratic
nominating conventions were held
for the city Or county than the Ca
balistic sessions of the Tammany
club. For half a century these
nominations had been ratified at the
polls substantially without an ex-
ception. This club nominated the
successful candidates for the bench,
and almost always chose the Gov
ernor. When a prominent Repub-
lican journal was asked to attack
it, it pointed to its 100000 a year
of advertising and printing, re-
ceived from Tammany and said,
"We cannot afford it."
For two Democratic politicians
like O'Conor and Tilden to attack
Tammany corruption was a very
honest, vigorous and manly reform
1t could not consist, like the Bris-
tow whisky reform, in giving i'm.
munity to the big scoundrels in or
der to capture the little ones. II
involved the sending to the peni-
tentiary and into exile of VIM. M
Tweed, and Peter B. Sweeney, and
Richard B. Connolly, men who, fol
twenty years, had, as controlling
sachems of Tammany, governed a
city of one million of people. They
had not done so without allying
thousands of persons to their inter
ests by their contracts, favors and
benefactions. 1t involved the
overthrow and prosecution Of A,
Oakley Hall, mayor, and the i'm
peachment and removal Of Judges
Barnard, Cardoza and McOunn.
Barnard became vendor of cigars
Oardoza resigned; McCunn died o.
chagrin. All this involved furious
charges against Tilden of disloyalty
to the Democracy on the part Of
those who held the sole object o.
Democracy to be plumber, as fol
some time indeed it had been, al
least in New York city. But it re.
deemed the State and restored it'
Democratic majority.
In this crusade, Tilden's success
was more complete, and the over
throw OF Tammany more condlgn
and ignominions than any Other
purely poIiticalreform ever achieved
in the country.
Turning his attention then to the
canal rings, where Republican anC
Democratic corruption had beer
fostering for a quarter of a century
where the thieves were more OBJ.
| scure, and the plunder only lesl
ample, Tilden was no less effective
Without distinction of party, the
prosecutions went on until at every
point they triumphed and the
/ guilty are now in the penitentiary
These were the preliminary events
whereby Tilden "organized victory
r in the st. Louis convention. Tht
= "barrels of money which did the
r work were the "barrels of money
d. which he had saved to the tax pay
; ers of New York.
r Twenty other men would repre-
: sent equally well with Tilden thu
: sentiment that the United State
: should be governed, not by sec
b ton merely, even though that b,
n our own section, but by the entir
o country. Twenty Others would rep
o resent equally well with Tilden tn
f sentiment that religion must be tn
e handmade of the State, and not tn
: Pope, and that q political part,
j! which is ruled chiefly by its clerg,
/" cannot be safely entrusted witt
J powers of coercive legislation, sine