The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-04-22
TIE END OF mR. rILDEN.

/
Our dispatches have told us that Mr..
TiIden intends formally to retire from
the presidential contest. BE has been
kept before the public fortwo months
by people who expected great things
from his bar'ls. and now these same
people ought to be chalked with big
lettezs on their backs and Democrats
warned TO be on their everlasting guard
ageinst them. They have not been
keeping Mr.. Tilden before the country
for any public good, but for their own
puvate ends, snd now with the end Of
the Tilden boom let as be done
with tie Tilden boomers. While our
telegrsms give but bare insight into
the condition of ak.irs affecting the
decsyiDg "Lord of Grsmmercy." who
has played SO prominent part in the
politics of our country, we are told
much as to his condition by writer
for the Boston Herald, who personally
visited him few days ago ct his home.
Said Mr.. Tilden to this writer; 81 don't
care about going through the te-
dious ordeal of a formal interview,
but l not not mind telling you
| frankly that the time has now
come when l don't care q CONT.
mental penny for politics or politicians"
It appears from this letter that but Ii
tie is known of the painful physical
condition of Mr.. Tilden, which has at
! last brought him to that feeble state,
''lesn and slIppered," which verges
upon second childhood and oblivion.
1t is stated that the mind of the old
man is still excellently preserved, but
the body has become 100 weak for the
unrelentiDg laws of nature not to
lead it soon to decay. BE still attends
to his personal business, which he told
the reporter amounts to millions and
Millions" The letter writer says
both of his hands ere palsied, one Of
them seemingly wlthered as we'll as
deformed and useless, while with the
other he is barely able to hold pen
long enough to sffix his name to such
documents as necessarily require his
signature. HIS whole system trembles
and it seems an absolute certainty that
the disease is slowly but surely pos
sessing the entire body. The 'obhqui-
tpus eye ss Vt has been often. termed
oy his opponents, consists Of droop-
ing or partially fallen lid, which more
than half obscures one of the organs
of vision, giving a distinctive look
rather than 40 appearance the opposite
of pfepossessing. His voice Is the
feeblest of the feeble, and in conversa-
ton he is compelled to sit almost in
contact with his listener in order that
the almost incoherent utterances
may be thoroughly understood.
Mr.. Tilden is said to be cheerful, and
the wreck is still one OF physical and
not of meutal powers. He told the
correspondent that anyone would be
surprised to see the number of mstri-
monisl letters he had received in the
last FIVE or six years, many of them
from ladies of the highest standing in
society. The letter is highly interest,"
ing in many particulars, and We regret
that space cannot be spared in the
STATESMAN for more than the following:
AS 1 said before, / do not care any
for politics or the politicians, and that
is ell am prepared to say ct present.
There have been many cunning and
ingenious expedients devised wIIhin q
few weeks to bring me to formal dec
lsration on this presidential question.
1 don't care anything about this, fer I
shall not speak until get ready.
Again 1 say don't care tor the poll
tlcians, or for 1sttery, The talk about
me debating q nomination is ridicu.
lous. OF course have preference,
but not living man knows tonight
what that preference is. In few
weeks l shall be prepared to speak,
and, If you are around at the time, /
shall be glad to see you, and will give
you my views on this whole matter.
Some Of my ardent political friends
are worrying me for public svowsl,
but l tell them am not ready yet.
Only the other day ! got letter of
this kind from Gen. Mcclellan, which
was almost indignant IN tone, because
I do not tell the politicians what am
going to do, or who is my fayorite for
the Democratic nomination.
"But, Governor, you must certainly
reason from this that there is much i'm
portance attached to your coming po-
sition in the campaign. II you do not
care to say who your favorite candidate
is, ss you express it, / suppose ! am
at liberty to assume that you yourseli
will not allow your name to be used in
the convention2"
''Ah, this is an, interview, indirect
ly," whispered Mr. Tdden more loudly
than at any other time during the even
Jog, "and I must answer you some-
what indirectly, and yet directly, too.
when l say distinctly that don't now
care for politics or the politicians"
The corresp nndent of she Herald then
remarked that he intended TO avoid im-
pertnence, of course, but unless then
corrected he should feel at liberty to
publish the statement that he (Mr. TIL
dep) did not intend to become 9 can
'iids,e for denomination, to which Mr..
Tllden answered, ''very WE'LL" adding
the remark previously made that in .
short time he would have something
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