Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-04-09
Southern COngres>men on MIR.
TiIden.

truly yours, +. l.. ).
Southern Congressman on MIR.
TiIden.
New York Hsrald.l
We print oral expressions Of opin-
ion made to a representative Of the
Herald by nearly all the members of
congress from the three important
states of Virginia, Louisiana aud Mis-
sissippi as to the sentiment Of their
constituencies respecting the nomina-
tion Of Mr.. Tilden. The pretty uni
form tenor of the statements is that,
in the Judgment OF the democrats of
these three southern states, it would
be not merely impolitic, but fatal to
put Mr.. Tilden at the head OF the
democratic ticket. Most of these
gentlemen abstain from any de-
tail of reasons for the hostility of
their constituents but they are almost
unanimous in declaring that it exists
in fact, and that it is so strong and
invincible that Mr.. Tilden's nomina.
ton would lose those states and pre-
vent the election of several democratic
congressman. Almost to a man they
think it would be an act of political
suicide for the Cincinnati convention
to bring Mr.. Tilden again into the
field.
Democrats who desire the success of
their party cannot be Indifferent to
these declarations. They are not the
irresponsible ~conjectures of men who
do not know the states they are talk
ing about; they do not belong to that
suspicious class of interviews which
the public is apt to regard as apoc-
ryphal because they are anonymous.
they are opinions solicited for publ.
cation and openly furnished for pub
LEGATION by gentlemen who take the
full responsibility of their u~tterances.
If these gentlemen are not competent
judges Of the public sentiment Of their
party in their own states, then there
are no competent judges. If it we're
the opinion of only one member or
one or two members from each state it
would seem of little consequence; but
when all the members from a state are
practically unanimous as to what their
constituents think their concurring
opinion is the best evidence the case
admits of. The a assigned is
strong general conviction that Mr..
Tilden could not carry these states
and that his nomination would cause
the loss of many democratic congress
men.
Without these three southern states
Mr.. Tilden could not be elected, even
if he should get the electoral votes of
New York. All the democratic cal
culations rest on the assumption that
their candidate w~illreceive the united
southern vote. With a solid south"
he would need only forty-seven elec.
toral votes in the north, and New
York is relied on to furnish thirty.
five of the forty-seven. But Mr.. Til
den's candidacy wouldupset the whole
calculation. 1t would break the solid
south by the loss Of three important
which would of itself lead to
inevitable defeat; and it would give
the indispensable state of New York
to the republicans. The party cannot
afford to lose the three southern states
in question, even if it could count
securely on New York; it could not
to lose New York, even with an
absolute certainty of a unanimous
Mr.. Tilden's nomina.
ton would burn the candle
at both ends by throwing
away New York in the north and
three important states in the south.
This is not our opinion, but the opin.
ion Of intelligent representa- re demo
Gratis, who take the personal response.
bility Of publicly avowing it. 1t is
but a few days since letters were pub
llshed from seventy democratic editors
in New York, and 6fty-seven of the
seventy %deprecate the nomination ofI
Mr.. Tilden on the ground that there
Is no ~chanceof his election. And now
We print opinions of the same tenor
from nearly all the congressman of
three important southern states. The
democrats Of New York do not believe
that Mr.. Tilden can carry his own
the democrats of Virginia.
Louisiana and Mississippi despair oil
carrying their respective states for
Mr.. Tilden, although they are conf.
dent Of an easy success with anyother
candidate. If by this unavoidable
dexterity in packing conventions by
his still hunt" methods he should
succeed in getting the nomination
what would it avail when so many
indispensable states are certain to vote
against him2