The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-13
N. Y. Tribune.l
Will Tilden Extinguish Blair?

Will Tilden Extinguish Blair?
Here's more trouble. The bloody y-minded
Montgomery Blair stalketh abroad in WASH
ington crying openly and audibly, "Tilden or
Death!' If he doesn't frighten the souls of
adversaries, he certainly complicates a situa-
ton already 50 wildly tangled that Horatio
Seymour from his retirement at Utica says the
consideration of it makes him "feel like one Of
the figures in "Holbein's Dance of DEATH
and Francis Herman from the same political
centre remarks that though he is by no means
lukewarm, he has no time even to think OF 1t.
Why the bloody minded Blair should at this
time of all Others, prance in upon the scene
and lift his thrilling whoop, does not clearly
appear. His time has usually been the mid
summer season, and it has been his habit to
nominate Mr.. Tilden at great length i'll those
newspapers which are chiefly valued in that
season as hypnotcs. 1t has not been his habit
to peremptorily demand the nomination with
a threat of havoc and destruction in case OF re-
fusal. His attitude has been rather one of en-
treaty and persuasion, and his tone more like
wall than war-whoop. But now, If we may
believe the World newspaper-and who would
discredit the only Democratic journal in the
city that is printed in the English language?-
he is on the war path. He is reported-and we
regret to observe that he is irreverently de-
scribed as an "ancient maker of mischief
as "going about openly asserting that if Mr..
Tilden is not nominated again for the Presi-
dency he will play over again the part played
by Mr.. Van Buren, in 1S4S, and break up the
party" The presumption is that he will do it
under the advice and counsel of Mr.. Blair, ?
who by this token is understood to have blood
in his eye. Truly we are in the midst OF start
ling goings-on. No one can tell precisely what
these remarks of Mr.. Blair portend. Few
people believed when Drifting Goose and his
band broke loose a month or two ago that we
should shortly have an Indian war with the
Utes True, there seems to be no immediate
connection between the two occurrences; but
is there not lesson to be learned from the
circumstance that the present disturbance was
preceded by the Drifting Goose outbreak; the
lesson that trouble may be apprehended when-
ever Drifting Goose-that or any other one
starts out on the war-path?
In this state CT things we are greatly en-
couraged as well as edited by the effort OF the
World newspaper to bring the matter to MIR.
Tlden's attention, in order that that eminent
statesman may "put an extinguisher on him
(Blair) at the earliest possible moment" Moth
ing short of an "extinguisher" will set the
matter right, and relieve the country OF the
apprehension that the Democratic party is in
danger of being broken up in the event OF Mr.,
Tilden's defeat as candidate for renomlna-
ton. Clearly there is but one way to do this,
and that, as our contemporary most o6hglngly
points out, is for Mr.. Tilden "to call in his
agents (whose existence he has not denled), to
disavow the different persons now at work all
over the Union in his name, under the imme-
diate supervision of Mr.. Barnum, and in good
faith, absolutely to retire from the personal
promotion of his own candidacy in 1880" The
disinterestedness of the proposal is only
equalled by the simplicity of the plan. And
vet simple as the plan is we doubt If it has
ever occurred to Mr.. Tilden, or ever had until
it was brought to his attention by our contem-
porary. Mr.. Tilden and the World are both
anxious for the election of Governor Robinson,
and the World expresses uncommon confidence
in his success, but it says this great result can
only be accomplished by an amount OF anxious
and exhausting work which would be insanity
lightened and lessened by the retirement OF Mr..
Tilden from an arena in which he has nothing
to hope for, politically or personally, but disas-
ter, If not disgrace" Stated in this friendly
and considerate way, Mr.. Tilden cannot help
recognizing the fact ard desiring to retire,
though he would naturally shrink from the
publicity of such an act. Knowing his proven
bial modesty, the World assures him that che
need not fear that it would be looked upon as
an unseemly act of self-assertion in him to de-
cline q uOulDdtlUu ycb lcuuOICu uint anu
goes on to say that there are score of prece-
dents to justify him in such a course. The
list of these precedents," it says, "beglns with
George Washington and stretches down to
Governor Seymour" and it appeals to him to
add his name to it, and rescue his own repu-
taGion from the peril into which it is hurrying
by the scandalous and shameless use
which men grown gray IN treason 10 All
parties and to all political principle are max
ing of his name to serve their own paltry or
pa1try or malignant endS.'
1t is scarcely to be believed that any man
could resist such an appeal on such high
grounds and from such a friendly and dislnter-
ested source. But it's at least ten to one that
he won't retire. won't extinguish Blair; won't
add his name to the list beginning with Wash
ington and ending with Seymour, and won't
"rescue his own reputation" Not but that ne
would like to do it, but as he suggested, he IS
very likely to consider it ian unseemly act OF
self-assertion," and that is something he would
not be guilty of under any consideration. He
has always been queer about that. There's no
self-assertion about him, but he is the most
easy to find when you have anything profitable
and pleasant for him, of all men on this conti-
nent. The light of bulls-eye never would fall
on him in the world, unless perhaps it caught
him in a corner; but he would somehow always
be right in the light OF Diogenes's lantern,
and his ''Oh, you're looking for mel" would
be a constant answer to the cynic's search for
an honest man He is never guilty OF the ''un-
seemly self-assertion" of staying out In the
rain. When Tweed used his name on tne elec-
ton circulars in 1868 he stayed indoors and
knew nothing about it. When the Democrats
adopted the reform Dodge and wanted repre-
sentative candidate, he skipped forward with
a "Here 1 am" When they carried the
dodge into National politics he was there
again with 'Ah, yes. the people want
Reform; they will find it here" When
the cipher transactions were brought to
light he was quiet; he INDUCED in no unseem-
ly self-assertion. When his party voted that
there was nothing wrong in them, he came out
for somebody to vindcate? Ecce "homol
When his party cursed the man who hadn't
pluck enough to force his way into the White
House. he said nothing for fear OF being
charged with unseemly self-assetion. When
they said they had been defrauded of the
Presidency, he took off his hat and said
81 am the Great Defrauded. Never condone
ait" He never self-asserts but he alwas hap
pens round opportunely. It's great many
hundreds to one that he won't answer this call
to retire, because he hates to make himself
prominent; but if Robinson should happen 10
be elected, he would be so much in the way
that bass band could not get through Gram
ercy-square without fairly running over MN;
And so Montgomery Blair says Tilden Will
''bust" the party if he does not get the moml-
anton. And the way to ward OF the caiamity
is for Tilden to say he will not be candidate.
And The World wants him to say 1t. wen,
The World has tried heretofore to induce DEM
ocratic candidates to withdraw. We rejoice to
see that it is not discouraged by failure.