The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-08
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sTEEDMAN's VISIT TO TILDEN


"Old ChICkamsuga" Tells Of His Visit TO Gram.
ercy Park, and What Its Occupant Told Him.
While in New York few days ago we
called on Mr.. Tilden and had free con.
versation with him. We rang his bell,
were promptly admitted, shown into his
parlor and sent our name to Mr.. Tilden,
VINO IN few minutes appeared and gave
us cordial reception. We were seated,
and Mr.. Tilden at once commenced the
conversation, which naturally ran into a
free talk about the election Of 1875, and
the great fraud perpetrated in counting
Hayes into the Presidency. Mr.. Tilden
said, II am not the only man ever elect
ed to the Presidency and counted out by
Congress, one branch of which, the pop
ular branch, contained large majority
of my professed friends. 1 have been
accused of cowardice while my hands
were tied by the actions of my friends.-
l was not consulted in regard to the
Electoral Bill and knew nothing about
it's preparation or intended adoption un-
til Mr.. Hewitt called and informed me
that the bill had been agreed upon. I
said to Mr.. Hewitt, had not been con.
suited, and he replied that Senators
Thurman and Bayard were acting in
their public capacity, as Senators, and
would not consult any one outside their
sphere, but consult you, Mr.. Tilden. l
said Mr.. Hewitt, if Senators Thurman
and Bayard have determined upon their
action and will not consult me, Can not
give advice on the subject to any one
If, however, my friends have any doubt
as to my election; if there is reasona-
ble doubt as to whether there has been
an election by the people, the Constitu-
tion presCribes the remedy-an election
of President by the House of Represent.
atives by vote of States, and that is
what expected Congress to do. If the
House of Representatives had elected
me | would have taken the oath and
gone to Washington to take the Office,
believing that my friends would have
put me into the White House. How
could l take the Office while my own
friends were arbitrating the question of
my election ? l Censure no one, but l
have told you the truth. We then said
to Mr.. TiIden, after the Presidential
election number of your friends in
Ohio requested prominent Democrat,
Frank II, Hurd, to visit you and asCer-
tain your wishes and purposes, and
when Mr.. Hurd returned he reported
that we had made no mistake; that we
had elected a brave old man who was
ready and willing to put his life and for
tune upon the result" "Yes" said Mr..
Tilden, II remember that interview
we'll, and was willing then, and l am
willing now, that it should be publish
ed." We asked Mr.. Tilden if be was a
candidate for denomination. He replied,
II am in the hands of the Democratic
party, and will cheerfully acquiesce in
it's decision"
Mr.. Tilden's statement of his case
changed our opinion of him and opened
our eyes as to the action of certain gen.
tlemen whom he had heretofore sup.
posed acted in accord with his expressed
wishes. 1t turns out to be a gray horse
of another color, and places Mr., Tilden
in far better position than that as
signed him by very large number Of
Democrats. If Mr. Tilden stated the
case truthfully to us, and the published
history of the whole affair is in har-
mony with his statement, he has been
deeply WrOnged by many Of his own
friends who have believed that he was
party to the outrageous, unCOnstilution-
al Electoral fraud. In his statement,
which we have given in his own words,
it will be seen that Mr.. Tilden purges
himself of all connection with the
Electoral infamy, and clearly puts his
case where it rightly belonged, within
the puryiew of the Constitution. Had
his suggestion, that the House proceed
as directed by the Constitution, when
the people fail to elect President, to
chose him by vote of the States, Mr..
Tilden would have been inaugurated,
and his friends relieved Of what fright
ened the old fossils of the party at
Washington, the charge of inaugurating
a President by coup d'etat II is we'll
known that we have never been spe-
Cially friendly to Mr.. Tilden; that as a
delegate at St. Louis we opp 'sed his
nomination, and that after the E ectoral
fasco we censured him for what we be-
lieved to be timidity on his part; but we
are satisfied that the blame generally at.
tributed to Mr.. Tilden is iastly attached
to others, some of whom have been un-
manly enough to join in the clamor
against the man whom they wrouged.-
We do not now undertake to say what
ought to be done to right the wrong, but
fai jlt8titid, roat cOelum.-7oledO Demo.
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