New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-19
TILDEN AND ADAMS.

7ILDEN md ADAMS
Ordinarily proposal to nominate Mr. Charles
Francis Adams for the Pr sidency would be
received with roars of Homeric. inextlDguisl-
able laughter Mr. Adams il exactly the stun
of which Presidential candidates are not made.
If there is any man in the country of whom 1t
can be safely and unhesitatingly asserted that
he cannot possibly be elected to the Presi-
dency, that man is Charles Francis Adams.
But the circumstances are peculiar. Inc
Democratic party is in such prec1cameht
that many of its members would even vote
for Mr. Adams or for any other imp0sslDlllty.
There is story that, after himself. Mr. III
den desires the nomination of Mr. Adams, and
will use all his influence to that end 1t Is
not the most absurd of all the stories that
have been circulated in regard to the plans OF
the Sage of Cipher Alley. The truth IS that
he must have some comprehension of the TACT
that his own election would he almost lmpos-
sible, and he does not care to tap barrels TOR
the fun of the universe at large and Demo-
cratic workers in particular.
To people who take purely superficial
view OF things, Mr.. Adams seems an avail
able candidate. In fact, to such people he
has seemed an available candidate for eight
years or more. They carefully overlook those
facts in his history which render him an i'm
possible candidate Tor party largely COM
posed of Irishmen. They overlook, too. the
stiIted and Pharlsaical ways of Mr.. Adamss
chief supporters, which have always been
enough to sink man of ten times his popu
larity Especially they ignore the fact that
Nj. Adams comes from State which has no
chance of giving its vote to him or to any
body else as Democratic candidate, and
which cannot now be carried by any Demo-
crat without close alliance with General But
Ter, man who is particularly hated by the
Democrats, and by the only class OF Repub-
leans to whom the nomiI alton of Mr.. Adams
would appeal with any force
But let us suppose that Mr.. Adams is the
anOnted Democratic candidate. He is nothing
if he is not n hard-mOney man, but he can
get no votes al the West except by counting
the inhationists and regulators. Nor can he
get any votes TO speak of in Massachusetts,
except by counting the same element as rep
resented by General Butler. at the South he
Is unknown, except as a stubborn opponent of
all the Jobs and subsidies and claims which
make the Democratic party dear to Southern
voters In New-YOrk and other Northern
cities, the Irish Democrats, who 20 far to
control the party. would meet him with deadly
hatred. HIS temperance views would fix his
status with the German voters of many local
tiles His long hostility to the Democratic
party and its ideas would aflront some, and
his personal GOODNESS and haughtiness would
offend others. In word, the most ingenious
device to reduce the Democratic vote to q
minimum is the proposal to name him as the
candidate of that party.
If 1t is true that Mr.. Tilden talks OF the
nomination Of Mr.. Adams as desirable, in
case he should not be nominated himself,
there is surely reason to believe that Mr. Til
den means to kill the party if he cannot rule
| il. For Mr.. Tilden knows something of prac-
teal politics, and something of the Democratic
| temper. Would Mr.. Charles Francis Adams
mortgage his houses in Beacon-st., Boston,
in order to give ward bummers money for
treating on election day2 Would he place his
| interests in Massachusetts in the hands Of Gen
| eral Butler If he would do either he would
lose all the votes which the name OF Adams
might be expected to catch. If he would dc
| neither, he would be beaten worse than any
candidate the Democrats have nominated fOI
sixteen years-and that is saving great deal