The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-10
Tilden the Republican Candidate.

Our generated contemporary. the Republi-
can, becomes positively youthful and en-
thusiastlc when it speaks about Mr.. Tilden.
This morning it draws the following highly
imaginative picture:
There is something in the picture of this
mature and illustrious statesman, at the
summit of an honorable and useful career,
persistently assailed on all sides, made the
victim of the greatest fraud in history and
followed in his every movement by boot
ing mob of petty critics, always stern, reso-
lutte and unreplying, underwriting
from his chosen path, that is at
once inspiring and melancholy-in-
spring as an exhibition of strong
manhood and heroic endurance and self
restraint, and melancholy because it is
his assailants a sad reflection on the tenden-
cies of party spirit in our country.
Such thing is national disgrace, and
illustrates the animus of party whose only
bond of cohesion is lust for office, and
which would willingly surrender the fame
and honor of their country to secure a
transient success"
Now, this may all be very beautiful, but it
is not true.
The severe criticisms of Mr.. Tildens char.
acter do not come from Republican jour-
mails and leaders at all. They ceased soon
after the cipher telegram exposures, which,
it was generally thought, disposed of Mr..
observer of the times can fail to perceive
that the entire current of Republican feel
ing Ia favorable to Mr.. Tilden's nomination
Intelligent readers of Republican newspa
pers will very soon observe that they have
suspended all abuse of Mr.. Tilden, and only
speak of his great power, shrewdness and
wealth, and the absolute certainty of his re-
nomination.
Why is this?
Because the wish is father to the thought.
And why do they wish it?
Because they feel certain OF their ability
to defeat Mr.. TIlden-feel certain that from
the moment of his nomination to the last
moment of the election they would be in
the offensive and drive the opposition into
the defensive-feel certain that the Demo
Gratis would be kept so busy defending the
character and record of their standard-bear-
er, cipher kilograms, railroad schemes. in
come tax suit ETC., ETC., that they would
have no chance to press their own issues OF
make people believe that Tilden would
really represent reform and purer methods
in politics.
On the other hand, why is it that nearly
the entire Democratic party is opposed 70
Mr.. Tilden's renominatlon?
Why is it that all the Democratic leaders
including such men as Eoratio Seymour
Herman, Bayard, Thurman, Hendricks
Hancock, Blackburn, Beck, Lamar, Gordon
PeDdleton, Wade Hampton, Vest, Morrison
in fact, nearly every solitary Democratic
member of Congress. all oppose. and most
bitterly oppose, the very thought of Mr.
Tildens nomination.
Now, it is not true that this opposition is
due to personal feeling. If we can judge
from our own case, this opposition is due &c
the feeling that Mr. Tilden is to-day not the
best representative of Democracy, and
next, that he can not be elected.
For our own part we exceedingly regret to
be compelled to use the plain Language
about Mr.. Tilden which we do use. If be
were not a candidate we should not say one
unkind word about him. If he were te
withdraw from the scheming for the nomi-
nation ne might even regain the ever gener-
GUS heart of the party. But as long as he il
In the field threatening to obtain q nomina-
ton which will lead the party to still
greater disaster than in 1876, we are forced
TO resist.
The fact is patent that Tilden is the unani
nous choice of the Republicans. And they
hope for his nomination because they tkinl
that he is the easiest person to be defeated