Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-05
A Lost Opportunity.

"A writer in the Golden Ira the otheF
day had an article on the cause OF
defeat. last month in Indiana, which
SO nearly agrees with our views OF
the present situation, that we I'M
hesitatingly affirm our belief that he
is true philosopher as well as a
sterling patriot. The article went
on to say that it would have been
worth while for Democrats to have
remembered at the Cincinnati Con-
vention chat in 1916 they nominated
a nan for President who received
over a quarter of million more
votes than the man who was invested
with the powers of the Chief Execu-
tive; tina, every man who voted for
the Democratic nominee, and thous-
ands who did not vote for him, Ic-
lieved he was legally and fairly elect
ed; they believed lie was wronged
out of the Office, and through him
the will of the majority set aside;
that every man who believed this
man honestly elected in 1876, should
have demanded his denomination in
1880: that those WHO 50 believed
stultifed themselves and virtually
acknowledged that the charge of
fraud urged against the Republicans
was no; we'll founded when they OPP
posed the nomination of this man by
the Cincinnati Convention. Samuel
j. Tilden should have been the UNI
animous choice of the Cincinnati
Convention. He should have been
the first and last choice of every voter
in the nation who believed him fair
elected in 1876. In saying this we
do not desire to be understood as
Offering anything against the fitness,
availability and worthiness of Gen.
Hancock. He is better and great
er man than Gen. Garfield. But
Tlden had claims upon the party
that could not honorable be ignored.
The whole nation believed him the
victim Of the greatest outrage ever
perpetrated upon an American citi.
zen, and it stood ready to rebuke its
authors. As statesman Mr.. Tilden
is second to no man in the United
States. He stands among the first
as reformer of great public abuses.
As an organizer and administrator
his record forms one OF the brightest |
pages of the history of the great
State of New York. As q scholar
and thinker there are few his equal
and none his superior. AS Demo-
crat he has been true, tried and
true, tried and faithful. As a citizen
his life is without spot or blemish.
This man with his great claim upon
the party; with the honest sympathy
of the whole nation; with his spot
less record, his giant intellect, and
his nntarnished Democracy, was set
aside by the Democratic National
Convection, for what? Because he |
was opposed by a faction composed |
of less than one-tenth Of the Demo-
crat party of single State-New
York. Mr.. Tilden felt that he had
night 20 the unanimous support of
the Democratic party, and when be
realized that this great claim was
ignored to appease the clamor of an
Insignificant faction
"Ingrsti,ude, more strong than traitors arms,
Quite vaEQuished him."
And in a letter, such only as states
man could write, he withdrew from
the candidacy.
While the election of the gallant
Gen. Hancock would ensure the
triumph of Democratic principles
and the Inauguration of a practical
and thorough civil service reform,
the grand object possible before the
convention met of wiping out that
dissraceful page of history which re-
cords the success of the vanquished
candidate by partisan scheming, will
never be presented again. We must
pass the records down to PROSPERITY
with the foul blot indellibly affixed.
The natural sequence of such
glaring fraud is evident. It has
been to make all manner of ques-
tionable means 70. advancing party
obje' is available. We are constant
ly progressing; if not upward, then
downward, and the electoral fraud
hnc hapr fha ,na.pc of Nadine b,.;bo