The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-06-23
Tilden's Letter of Withdrawal.
To the Delegates from the State of New York
to the Democratic National Conventions:

TO the Democratic National Convention:
Your first assembling is an occasion on
/ which 1t is proper for me to state to you my
relation TO the domination for the Presidency,
which you and your associates are commits
stoned to make in behalf of the Democratic
/ party of the United States.
Having passed my early years in an atmos-
| phere filled with traditions of the war which
! secured our Nation i independence and of the
struggles which made our Continental system
a Government for the people and by the
| people l learned to ldoliZe the institutions
Of my country and was educated TO believe it
| his iair allotment of care and trouble in public
affairs.
| fulfilled that duty to the best of my ability
! for forty years as private citizen, although
| during my life giving at least as much thought
and effort to public affairs as to all other OBJ
jects. have never accepted official service, ex-
/ cept for a brief period for a special purpose,
and only when the occasion seemed to re-
| quire OF me that sacrince of private prefer
/ ences to public interests; my life has been sub
stantialy that OF a private citizen.
1t was, presume, the success of efforts In
which. as private citizen L had shared, to
| overthrow corrupt combination then hold
/ ing domain n our metropolis, and to purify
| the judiciary which had become It's tool, that
| Induced the Democracy of the state in IS71 tn
! nominate me for Governor. This was done in
| spite of the protests of a minority, that the
part had borne in those reforms had created
antagonisms fatal to me as a candidate. L felt
constrained to accept In nomination as the
most certain means Of putting the power of
the Gubernatorial office on the side of reform,
and OF r moving the impression wherever 1t
prevailed, that the faithful discharge of ones
duty as a citizen is fatal to his usefulness as
public servant
The breaking up of the canal ring. the bet
ter management OF our public works, the
large reduction OF taxes, and other reforms ac-
com plished during my admi nistIatioD, doubt
less occasionec my nomination for the Presi-
dency by the Democracy cf.tbe Union, in the
| hope that similar processes won be applied
! to the Federal Government. From the re-
sponsibilities of such an undertaking. appall-
ing as 1t seemed to me, did not feel at liberty
| 10 shrink. In the canvass which ensued, the
Democratic party represented reform in the
administration of the Federal Government,
and restoration of our complex polit cal
system TO the pure ideas OF its founders,
Upon these issues the people of
quarter of million, chose a majority of the
! electors to cast their votes for the Democratic
candidates for President and Vice President.
II Is my right and privilege here to say that
was nominated and elected to tue Presidency
absolutely fee from any engagement In re-
spect TO the exercise of its powers or the dis.
period OF my relation to the Presidency, 1
! did everything in my power TO elevate and
nothing to lower the moral standards In the
composition of the parties. By what nefarfous
means the basis for a fslse count was LAID in
several of the States, need not recite.
These are now matters of history about
which, whatever diversity OF opinion
may have existed in either OF the great parties
OF the country at the tipe OF their consumma.
tion has since practically disappeared. l re-
fused ransom from the Returning Boards of
Southern States, the documentary evidence by
ton or fraudulent and forged papers, pretext
was made for the perpetration ola false count.
The constitu ion al duty of the two Houses OF
Congress TO count the Electoral votes as cast,
and to give effect to the will OF the people as
expressed by their Su1rages, was never fulfill.
ed. An Electoral Commission, for the exist
formed. and TO it the two Houses OF Congress
abdicated their duty to make the count
by a law, enacting that the count of the Com
mission should stand as final unless overruled
by the concurrent action OF the two Houses.
It's false count was not overruled, owing TO the
completely OF Republican Senate with the
Republican majority of the Corr mission.
Controlled by its Republican majority of
eight to seven, the Electoral Commission
and counted In the men not elected by The
people That s s do n, OF the eleetion
people OF the United STATES, trenscendiDg in
importance all questions of administration.
1t In volved the vital principle of self govern
ment through elections by the people.
The immense growth of the means of cor
rupt influence over the balot-box, which is
of the executive adj Illustration, had already
become q present evil and great danger,
tending 10 make elections Inexpensive to pub
lie opinion, hampering the power of the peo-
pie to change their rulers, and enabling the
men holding the machinery of the Govern
ment TO continue and pepetuate their power.
1t was my opinion ia 1875 that the opposition,
attempting to change the administration,
voters at the opening OF the canvass in order
to retain majority at the election. IT, after
such obstacles had been overcome, and a
mejority of the people had voted to
change the administrations of their Govern
ment the meu in office could still procure q
false count, founded upon frauds, perjuries
and forgeries, furnishing pretext of docu-
mentary evidence on which TO base that false
count, and II such transaction were not only
successful, but IL, after the allotment OF its
benefits were made to its contrivers, abettors
and apolngists by the chief beneficiary of the
TRANSACTION, iJ were eondoned by the people,
practical destruction OF elections by the people
would have been accom- plisbed. The failure
to install the candidates chosen by the people,
O contingency consequent upon no act or
omission of mine and beyond my
control has thus left me Tor the
last three years and until now, when the
Democratic party by its delegates in National
Convention a. Sembed, shall choose new
leader, the Involuntary but necessary repre- |
sentative of this momeptous Issue as such
denied the immunities OF private life without
tine powers conferred by public station subject
to ENDORSING falsehoods and calumnies from
the partisans of an Administration laboriDg
in vain TO justify its existence. have. never
theless, steadfastly endeavored TO preserve to
the Democratic party of the United States the
supreme issue before the people, for their
decision next November. whether this shall
be a, d Government by the sovereign
people through elections or a Government by
discarded servants holding over by force and
fraud, and have withheld no sacrifice and
neglected no opportunity TO uphold, organize
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