Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-11-09
Tilden Bewildered.

Tilden Bewildered.
Mr.. Tilden illustrates the difficulty
with which some men can be kept dis.
Greet He has come at last to that state
in which he cannotopen his mouth with
out putting his foot in it," Ever since
the election of 1876 Tilden has been kept
still. His advisers have been influential
enough with him to persuade him to pre-
serve a silence which seemed dignifed.
During the summer which followed the
Inauguration of new national Admins
tration he was in foreign parts. AS
defeated candidate for the Presidency
has no special claim upon the courtesy
OF other Governments, and the crowned
heads of Europe are not consumed with
eagerness to learn all about "the great
outrage" MIR. Tilden had no opportunity
to affiict the air with hi. personal griefs
There is every reason to make us believe
that the illustrious sufferer had promised
that he would not "talk politics" when
the Democratic club serenaded him in
Gramercy Park. His speech shows
that. 1t was a carefully prepared pro.
duction, as 1t was originally planned
Following in the footsteps of Senator
Conkling, who wasted his eloquence on
rapid transit in London and the condi-
tion of the poor in France, Mr.. Tilden
laid himself out elaborately on equally
practical and safe topics. He must have
written six or eight pages of foolscap to
show that we do not ship enough corn to
Europe. Think of that! A Young
Mems Democratic Club demand a speech
from the Great Reformer, and he gives
them corn-corn in the ear" as Dun
dredry would put it. Not corn in the
huid state, SO dear to Democratic pal
ates, but corn by the bushel, corn by the
i, 500, 900 bushels; and, as if to exasper-
ate still further his listeners, he insists
that corn can be cooked, by those who
consent to learn how, into many deli
cious forms of human food" This sort
OF oratory could not be more out of place
in Southern district, where the people
affect no other diet than the hog and
heminy of their ancestors. Still this
was safe ground, and if the crowd had
gone away fed with corn and European
politics all would have been well, though
the Young Mems Democratic Club might
have been dissatisfied. assn
But the Great Defeated seems to have
been loaded in such way that a single
spark would fire him Off The beginning
and the ending of the speech were each
as cold as the orator is reputed to
be. In the middle was interjected howl.
The neat exordium about cookery,
transportation rates, and the wants of
humanity flowed on to an exceeding able
peroration, in which the late French En-
pire and Napoleon III. figured largely,
and the blessings of our free and happy
land were to round off the closing periods
But chance word from the crowd be-
low threw all his nicely pro-
gramme into confusion. AS some of the
following said: "The old man got mad :"
He suddenly dropped Jefferson, Madi
son, and the FederaIist, and, throwing
dignity to the winds, jumped into the
ring with wild hurrah. There was no
reason to complain of the old mans cold
ness then. He jumped up and down
like a manikin on wires, and his cele-
brated pump-handle gesture was repeat
ed so rapidly as to excite burst after
burst of uncomfortable laughter. As if
intoxicated with the distinction of hav-
ing been candidate, he talked precise
ly as if he were a very powerful person,
making and executing laws, and guard
ing the interests of the country as a reg
ular business. He shrieked at the TOP
of his voice: " / am unalterably opposed
to any increase ofcthe army. a will
never consent to it-never-no, never
rneVerFS Precisely what the consent
of Samuel j.. Tilden, Esq, de-
feated- candidate and a discarded
leader of his own party, has to do
with any proposed increase of the army,
is not at all clear. .r Tilden is not Con-
gresham with vote ON this important
subject; and it is by no means clear that
he could control even Hewitt's vote, if
the question should come up in Congress.
We take it that the increase of the army
is not a party measure, since Gen. Nc.
Clellan, Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor of New Jersey, favors an increase,
while Tilden, who has only private citi-
zen's influence in the matter, says he is
unalterably opposed" to enlarging the
force, No wonder the crowd, always ap.
preciating good Joke, greeted this
egotistical sally with great laughter
There was another outburst when, after
some intricate platitudes, the orator
screamed "Fraudl fraud ~ and demanded
You won't condone i'll You won't con-
done iii" And when shrill female
voice replied in the negative, the effect
was what is sometimes called electrical.
Tilden, crying out for revenge upon his
adversaries, received only this response.
And he swore that whatever happened
he would maintain the free institutions
of this country as they have been handed
dowr from our fathers. s." swearr ]
swear will" he cried in frenzied ac-
!certs. "Say that you will" he shrieked
to the audience in the manner of the
Sowery theatrical person. pThere was
much laughter, and solitary voice, re-
piled You betp
This was broad farce. The man has
worked himself into the belief that he
was not only elected President of the
United States, but that he is actually at
the head of the nation. Daniel Webster
once, when he had, been |" dining" hear
ing some one deplore the size of the ma
tiOnm debt, drew out his usually empty
wallet and said: "The national debit il
must be paid I'll pay il myself How
much is ity" TildeD, with equal conf
dence, declares that he viii forever OPP
pose an increase of the army, maintain
the Republic, and never condone the
aforesaid outrage" by which he was
kept out ofplace and power. These are
mighty fine words from a man who can
not carry convention OF his own party
against John Kelly, and who has been
quietly shelyed by the Democratic poll,
ticians in and out Of the State as tire
some nuisance. These are big words
from shuffiing politician who evaded
his obligations to support the Republic