New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-27

| STILL WAITYNG FOR GENERAL HANCOCK.
We take leave once more to call the atten-
ton OF our Democratic friends TO the fact
that rs the matter now stands their candidate
for President seems, upon their own showing,
TO have been nominated under false preiences.
When it was thought important to show that
he would stick at nothing to carry out the
purposes of the party and satisfy the greed
of the leaders, General "Baldy" Smith, who
seems to have had in charge his canvass be-
fore the nominating Convention, is reported
to have put the story in circulation that Gen
eral Hancock. in 1877, offered to recognize
Mr.. Tilden as President and obey his orders
if he would take the oath and claim the Office
Mr.. Hiram Atkins q Democratic editor of
Vermont, is authority for the statement that
General Badly" Smith, a Democratic leader
personal friend of General Hancock and ar
dent advocate of his nomination, told the
story as of his own knowledge, using it as an
argument in favor of his nomination at Gin
cinnati. There is good reason for believing
that the circulation of the report among dele
gates had the desired effect and brought
about General Hancock's nomination. 1t is
known that leading Democratic statesmen
have expressed their belief in its correctness
and their confidence that the acceptance of
its credibity by the public would very
largely increase General Hancocks vote.
The TRIBUNE did not think so. But we
did think that the public was entitled to
know in the first place the grounds upon which
the Democratic party had nominated General
Hancock. and what they expected of him;
and secondly, whether or not General Hancock
had said or done anything to warrant their
expectations. Our columns were accordingly
offered for his explanation or denial of the
"Blldy" Smith story. The offer has not
been accepted The Democratic newspapers
have been publishing, with a good deal of
fuss a platitudinOus letter said to have been
written by General Hancock to General
Sherman in 1877, which does not contain
the proposition alluded to by Badly" Smith,
as proof that no such offer was made, and
The TRIBUNE has been upbraided with omit
ting to copy it from its Democratic cOntem-
poraries. And it having been discovered that
the story which was useful in procuring the
nomination was damaging his prospects for
an election, THE TRIBUNE has been charged
with inventing it; with asserting its truth
solemnly, as of its own knowledge, and with
refusing to print the Sherman letter as its
combinations We have heretofore called at
tentIOn to this state of facts and repeated the
offer to General Hancock to give him space in
our columns for his explanation.
We again extend the offer. General Han
cock knows, of course, whether the story told
by his friend Badly" Smith is true or not,
and can either confirm or explicitly deny it,
So far as bis party is concerned. there seems
no escaping the conclusion that they believed
it. and nominated him in the firm conviction
that they had in him a candidate who would
not leave them in the lurch as Tilden did
when the proposition was made to take pos
session of the White House by force If they
have been deceived In the matter. 1t does not