The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-06-29
samuel j. Ttlslen
SKETCH ~ Hif LIFE OF THE NtNi rRi'
IDENTur THE UNITED STATES.

l
IDENTur THE UNITED STATES.
GovernorlTi!,lcn was born at New
| Lebanon. inihe county of Columbia and
| State of New York, in the year 1874
year which mined The fortunes of the
great Napoleon.
lie entered college in his eighteenth
year, completed his studies at the Uni
yersity of N,w York. and then entered
the law office OF the late John W. Ed
munds of New York city. Upon his al.
mission to the bar Nr 'rii'a" o""""a ."
v.uuv ui i'Int street.
From his father Mr.. Tilden inherited "A
taste for political inquiries. and from his
youth, he took an active interest in
political questions from time to time.
| agitating the public mind, and in
1874, in anticipation and preparation for
the election which resulted in making
James X. Polk president and Silas
Wright governor Of the State OF New
York, Mr.. Tilden, in connection with
John l.. O'Sullivan. founded the nevspa-
| per called the daily Ne,os.
In the fall OF 1915 he was sent to the As
| sembly from the City of New York. and
| while member of that body was cleo ted
to the convention tor the remodeling OF
the constitution of the State. which was
| to commence lis sessions few weeks
after the Legislature adjourned. IN both
OF these bodies Mr.. Tilden was con.
| spicuous authority, and left a permanent
impression upon. the legislation of the
year, and especially upon all the new
constitutional provisions affecting the
| finances OF the State and the manage
mcnt of its system OF canals.
From that time until the present, Mr.
Tilden has been connected, more or less
actively, with the public affairs of hi.
State, aud under all circumstances has
shown such penetration aud decision OF
character, and such thorough comprehcn-
sion OF the needs of the time, that his
name has bcconc one OF those known
throughout tic length and brc alth or
the nation. Mr.. Iilden was mainly in.
struncntal i'll breaking up the Tweed
ring, and for hi: holiness in
the prosecution OF that work
OF reform, he was called
on by the Democrats in the State of New
ork to become their candidate for gov
crnOr lie was nominated and elected.
and his plurality over John A. Dix, the
Republican candidate, was 53,3l5 Mr..
Dix had been elected two years before
by 4 plurality Of 53,4jl.
The main events in Mr.. Tilden's
career since he has occupied the guberna.
torial chair of the great State of New
York, are comprised in the following:
In furtherance OF his policy of admins
trative reform, he recommended a reri-
slon OF the laws intended TO provide
criminal punishment and civil remedies
tor frauds by public officers and by per-
sons acting in completely with them.
These recommendations, during the ses-
sion carefully wrought into the legisla-
ton OF the STATE, bore especially upon
those forms Of administrative abuse which
the exposure and arrest Of William NJ.
Tweed had recently revealed, and also
upon another and kindred class of abuses
IN the management Of the New York
state canals, with wlich the Governor
was already acquainted, but of which the
pubic as yet had only an imperfect reai-
ZatiOn.
But the featur, of his first
message which produced. per-
haps, the most profound impression
not only upon his own immediate con-
stitutents, but upon the whole nation,
was that which related 10 the financial
policy Of the Federal Government. A
generation had grow up who had never
| seen or used any other money than a
printed promise of the Government, and
1t had become Widespread conviction
among the aspiring politicians of both
the great parties that he current public
opinion In favor OF AL inflated and ire
deemable currency would overwhclm and
destroy any public man who would at
| tempt 10 stem il. No convention of
either party in any State of the Union
| had yentured the experiment: the active
leaders OF both had either avoided or
yielded to the current. Mr.. Tilden
deemed 1t his duty to lose no time in
| advocating the only financial policy
which ever had insured or can insure a
substantial and enduring national pros
| perity.
| On the 10th of March. aud as soon as
ne had secured from the legislature such
| additional rpmahias fo- 0GiUidi utlluQueD-
cies as were requisite for his PURPOSE.
the governor in special message invited
the attention OF the legislature to the
mismanagement Of the canals.
| The legislature, though containing in
both branches many of the most nOtOr-
GUS canal jobbers, and constituted largely
In that interest, was Obliged to yield to
the irresistible public sentiment which
the governors policy and message had
awakened, and granted him the author
ity TO name commission of inyestiua-
ton. The results of the Investigations.
communicated 10 him from time
to time during the summer of
1875 and to the succeeding legis-
lature OF 1876, arrested completely the
the system of fraudulent expenditure on
the canals which Inc had denounced at the
bar of public opinion.
| Through the adoption OF various other
| nnauclal measures upon his recOinmen-
dation. and by the discreet but vigorous
exercise OF the veto power, the governor
was fortunate enough to secure a reduc-
tion vi the state taX-the first wear IF
MS administration, about seventeen per
ceht.-and TO inaugurate "a financial pol
Icy by which the State tax, which was
seven and one-half mills on the dollar of
the assessed valuation when he came
INTO Office, will be reduced to four mills
~ least at the expiration OF his term OF
TWO years, and at the expiration of the