The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-10-24
ON TILDEN's LETTER.

LeaulnB hepuDllCAn JOufhhGB views upon IL
His Past Career In Fighting KuaVery harkl
the Man.
From the New York Evening Post.tRep) Of octo
Der 17tb.l
II was difficult for any one acquainted with Mr.
Tllden personally, or who had observed his pub
lie life to suppose that he had been at all concern
ed In these nefahous intrigues. His reputation
for sagacIty, to say nothing Of his integrity, IA
which many Of our best citizens bore willing wit
ness, rendered 1t extremely improbable that he
should engage In an enterprise which was at once
30 wicked and so bungingly conducted. II the
electors Of Florida or South Carolina were pur
Chasable, as It was commonly believed they were
man Of the slightest prudence would not have
trusted the negotiations with them to the uncer
tain and hazardous method Of telegraphic dis
patches-dispatches too that were to pass thro
the hands Of his political enemies and which
however disguised they may have been by the
intrcacies Of cipher were yet, with little inge.
nuity and diligence, as the event has proved,
tranBatable. He would have sent single adrolt
agent To treat with the scoundres in person, with
the requisite money IN his pocket and without a
third party to overlook and perhaps betray the
oiious bargain. None but fools as well as knaves
would have undertaken this thing in the way 1t
was done, and fools as we'll as knayes they show
themselves to have been.
But Mr.. Tilden was never regarded as q fool I;
aud his career up to this time has not shown him
to be kuaVe, In private he was always scrupu'
lousy upright and 80 far as his public life had
been marked he had associated with the best ele
ments of his party. He had struggled against cor.
ruptlon, In this city and State, with zeal and
vigoT that won him the praise OF herce polltlcal
opponents His fight against Tweed, and subse.
Quently against the banded robbers OF the canal,
was an houest, open, manly fight to the end and
the courage and skill displayed In II were gladly
recognized by all who desired an honest govern
ment Now, that one who had gained 80 honor
able fame In such exalted fields of eXeruon,
should be willing to hazard 1t, and bis good name
for life, in final act Of gigantic dishonor and
Time-gigantic in Its ends though petty In It's
means-was only to be credited on the most direct
positive and unimpeachable testimony No such
testimony has been given, and OF that when mas
been adduced, and which only c0nstruclVely re-
fleets upon him. Mr.. Tilden now soemnly ayers,
In the brOadest and most unqualified terms he
knew absolutely nothing. Whatever was done in
his behalfwas done without hissuggeston priVity
or consent. He would not have approved It, he
adds, If he had known oft but on the contrary
arrested aud rebuked 1t on the spot.
We are glad that Mr.. Tiden is able to make this
denial in phrases so comprehensive and positive
not for his own sake only, but for the sake of pub
lie morality. The charges preferred against him.
If sustained were almost as disgraceiul 10 the ma
tion as to himself They would have demonstrate
eC a degree of corruption in the very highest as
well as the lowest quarters that would have every
man Of patriotic feelings hang his head with
shame. They would have shown that in the very
year-the huudredth anniversary of ber existence
in which the Republic had invited the world to
display Of her progress, her growth In material
wealth and the arts of civilization was accompan.
led by q more prOdigious growth in venality and
corruption. A people claiming to be among the
foremost on the globe In intelligence culture and
the sense of justice and superior to all others in
their political AM eoClal theories, would have
been convictt In practice Of baseness only par
aleled by that Of the degenerate Romans who
sold the empire to the highest bidder,