The daily gazette., 1879-10-18
THE OLD. FLAG.

terview had by It's Albany correspondent
with gentleman who ls represented as
a near friend Of Mr.. Tilden, and who
certainly talks like q man of sense,
whether he speaks by authority or not.
According to him, Mr.. Tilden is more
than satisfied with the si.ua ion; as It
was laid out at Syracuse; as it has de-
vrlOped in the canvass, and as it promises |
for the day of election. He regard, the |
success Of the entire Democratic ticket |
as certain. John Kelly's revolt was me-
cessary to complete severance Of the
relations of the rotten Tammany Ring
aud the Democratic party, aud rids The
regular OrganizaiiO Of q bullying mar
plot and traitor. Touching Mr.. Tilden
and the next Democratic Presidential
nomination, the report contains the fol-
lowing very truthful and suggestive pas.
sage = -'
"Mr. Tilden cares much less for the
Presidency than his enemies suppose.
Why should he He Is already destined
to occupy a larger place in history than
most OF the other Presidents, for he is
the only man who was elected to the Of
flee and then dpfrauded ofits honors and
emoluments. There Is no Mrs. Tilden
to urge him on, that she may play goose
berry-wine hostess at the White House.
His administration would be one. corr
tinued fight against the abuses and
wrongs which have grown up in the Fed
eral Government, aud he would have no
day of peace during his term Of service.
II he could inspire another man Of suffi-
cient capacity with his courage, he would
gladly make that man his candidate for
President. As iti., the nom nat ion may
be forced upon him, though he has not
lifted finger to secure it." yls..l.,.
This is an exact statement of the case,
as far as Mr.. Tild-n Is personally con.
cerned. He has enough of great affairs
to interest him and has no inordinate de-
sire to occupy the White House. He is
an old man and a rich man, with the
capac ty, habits, aud taste of cultivated
and bospitable man to enjoy life. Many
things engage him-business, books, pic
lures, society. There are few, It any
friends to reward, and no enemies that
he cares to punish. He can afford aban-
dunlly to stand in history, OH the cord
he has made. His place among Ameri-
can statesmen will he exceptional; but
IL will be among those Of the front rank;
and his pec1liarities which are marked
| will give to the dramatic interest of his
career quaint and rugged humor, which
never fails to take and hold possession
of the stage. The qu stion, ere ore, is
as we have often stated it, not whether
| Mr.. ri den wants the Democratic nomi-
| nation next year, but whether h. will
have il. 1t is the party, not he, who is
deeply concerned. He can g t on very
well without the party. But can the
party get on without him? ...,..,i
| IL 1915 the Democrats elected their
Preside by majority of more than a
million on count of the white poll OF
the country. 1t is not fai, in taking a
moral estimate Of the result, to count
the black vote at all. The black vot.. oi
right carries no weight with it. Equally
ignorant and dependent, it goes TO the
party having the means and taking the
trouble to control 1t.
We do not mean to say, or imply, that
the ne. 70, becau.e, and solely because
he is negro, should be disfranchised
There are many negroes who are bette
,ble O exercise suffrage with intelligence
than many white men. But this proves
little. The rule relates TO the mass, AM
nothing could be moIe monstrous, a
John Sherman himself confessed in
speech delivered before the Senate i
1866, than the suhjection of the hit
peoole to the black people of the South
reversal Of ma ure, and the fitness Q
things, shocking to honest sensibilitie
and common s'nse.
They who preach the idea are infatu
ated by sectional party hate. They know
| ,,o.u nall that tla dosfiuv nf tha caIu
try is IN the hands of its whit
population. TIE negro is an Incident
an episode. 1f the South could get RI
of him altogether it would be well. A
it cannot, the next best thing is to tr
10 educate and elevate him; process
which the Radical policy Of interference
seriously relards. As TO counting hi
vote in any just summary-as an inte
gral part of the popular responsibility
the thought is equally repellant and at
surd. In half the Southern States he !
but a degree removed from barbarism
In hose S ates where he is more ad
va .ced in civilization, he is still the cas-
prev of those who set themselves to cate
and coerce him. 2
Omitting, then, the black vote, MI
Tilden was elected by more than 1000
600 majority. Yet he was counted out
and, in spite of the crime, and In spite
also, as the nauseating character an
proceedings of the administration whic
was foisted on the country in lieu of til
choice it had so overwhelmingly made
to-day it is the Republicans, not tn
Democrats, who are united and conf
dent. Why should this be so?
Nothing short OF the blindest Demo
cratic laundering car account for IL. y
critical. memeptous occasions 1t doe
seem that the Democratic leaders actua
lv rIay into the hands Of the Rrpub1
| can leaders, Not content with hghtn;
against an army of officeholders we ar,
continually surreDding points and powe
of public plupder and putting Ourselve
AZ q disau vantage for the want of tn
nos,tious thus abandoned. Instead g
k~epiug the broad, open highway q
constitutional precedent and Democrat
tradition we fan into this by-path al
a uae- mire, apparently hoping 10 fl
some sbort>cut to the destination dir g
ly before us. The Republicans, seeiai
this, mend their breaches and close thei
rauks; whilst we, like children. wande
about dispu,ipg with one another, ho
| trst over immaterial things and noisies
over triti.s. The people are unite
enough. 1t is the politicians who woul'
storm the enemy's works, each tor him
self, In the vain expectancy of takinl
tt am by uetail.
On the 4tb of March, 1877. we held a
impregnable position, and had cor
, | sui,datinK interest which no Democrs
could gainsay. We had elected our tlckt
L. l.. a.xl.. mn