Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-26
MR.. TILDEN'S LETTER.


convention Your first assembling is {
IN occasion OH which it is proper tor me
o state to you my relation to the nom
nation for the presidency, which you
and YOUR associates are commissioned
% make in behalf OF the democratic party 5
Of the United States. S@a
Having passed my early years in an {
atmos phere filled with traditions of the
war which secured our national lnde- I
pendence, and of the struggles which
made our continental system govern
ment tor the people, by the people,
| learned to idolize the institutions OF
nv country and was educated to believe
it the duty of every citizen OF the re-
public tu take his. tair allotment OF care
and trouble in public affairs. l fui-
filled that duty to the best OF my ABILITY
for forty years. as private citlZeh.
Although during all my Lille. giving at
least as n.uch thought and effort to
public affairs as to all other objects,
have never accepted official service ex
cept for briet period fora special pur-
pose, and only when the occasion |
seemed to require OF one that sacrifice |
of private preferences to public inter
ests. My life has been substantially
u
presume, the success of my efforts in
which, AS private citizen. have shared
to overthrow corrupt combination
then holding dominion IN our rnetrop-
oils and to purify the judiciary, which
had become its tool, that induced the
democracy OF the state in 1874 to nom
mate me ior governor. This Was don.
| in spite of the protests of minority
Knowing that the part had borne III
those reforms had created ansaSonisms
fatal to me as Il candidate, l ielt cOn-
| strained to accept the no animation AS the
most certain means oil putting the
power OF the gubernatorial 0ilice on the
side of reform, and of removing the lm.
preston wherever 1t prevailed that the
faithful discharge OF ones duty as Il
citizen is fatal to his usefulness as II
public servant. The breaking upo the
canal ring, the better management oil
our public works. the large reduction
of taxes and other reforms accomplished
during my administration doubtless
occasioned my nomination lor the pres
Iidency by the democracy OF the u"ion
in the hope that similar processes would
be applied to the federal government.
From the responsibilities OF SUCH al
undertaking, appalling as it seemed TO
me, did not ieel at liberty to SHRINK
In the CANVASS which ensued the dem
ocratic party represented
REFORM IN THE ADMINISTRATION
| of the federal government, and Il restn
ration our complex political system ic
the pure ideas of its tounders. Upon
these lsues. the people OF the Unite,
Il nt HI. Al
25U. 900. choose IA majority oi the elector
to cast their votes tor the deinecrali'
candidates tor presinent and vice pres
ident. 1t is my right and privi ege here
to say that was nominated and eltcle'
to the presidency, absolutely Tree iron
any engagement in respect to the eXer
3 else OF its powers or the disposal OF II
r patronage. Through the whole perio'
OF my relation to the presidency l dl'
every thing in my power to elevate AM
: nothing to lower moral standards in tn
8 competition OF parties. BY what nei'
q riuus means the basis Tor 4 false ceun
was laid in several OF the states,
need not recite. These are now matt Ell
of history about which, whatever diver
Q sity OF opinion may have existed i
v either oil the great parties of the countr
. at the time OF their consunlmation, HI,
since practically disappeared. lretuse
to ransom from the returning boards ,
II southern states, the documentary ey
It dence, by the suppression OF which ah
by the substitution of fraudulent an
forged papers a pretext was made Il
l. the perpetration OF false count. Th
le constitutional duty of the two houses {
congress to count the electoral votes {;
IN cast, and TO give effect to the will oil II
people as expressed by the suifrag'
at was never fulfilled. An electoral con
ID mission, for the existence OF which
5. have no responsibility, was formed, an
a. to it the two houses ei congress add
Gated their suty to make The count by
. law enacting that the count oil the con
es mission should stand as final. unle
70 overruled by the concurrent action
10 the two houses. ..'-.- 81 81.
NJ ITS FALSE COUNT
p W IS not overruled, owing to the cor
plicity of "a republican senate with u
le republican majority of the commssio
D. Controlled by its republican major
OF eight to seven the electoral commi
IA sion counted out the men elected by Il
people and COUNTED in the men IL
~ elected by the people. That subversI'
OF ths election created a new issue i
IN the decision OF the people of the Unit
al States transcending in Importance ;
. questions OF administration. 1t involv,
- the vital principle OF selt-governme e
II. through elections by the people. T.
ny immense growth OF the means OF &C
q rupt influence over the ballot-bo
ba which is at the disposal OF the par
having possession OF the executive 1t
81. mini istratlon, had already become
ed present evil and IA great danger, ten
ing to make elections irresponsiye
q public opinion, hampering the pow
OF the people to change their rulers al
ne enabling the men holding the machine
n OF government to continue and perp'
or uate their powers. 1t was my opin
ed in 1876 that the opposition attempti
to change the administration needed
include at least two thirds OF the vote
at at the opening OF the canvass, In ord
rs to retain Il ma jority at the election.
Ia after such obstacles had been OvercoI
:, and a majority OF the people had vot
~ to change the adm MS tratlon ot Lin,
N. government, the men in office cou
ct still procure false count founded up
op frauds, perjuries and forgeries, iurnl-
20 Ing Il pretext OF documentary cviden
'u on which to base that false count, 4
lal il such a transaction were not only ST
cessiul, but il, alter the allotment OF
or benefits We're made 10 its contrive
- abettors and apologlsts by the ch
w beneficiary OF the transaction, IL We
m- condoned by the people :.
, PRACTICAL DESTRUCTION OF ELECTIO
bv the people would have been acco
NJ pished The failure To- install the {;
'n didates chosen by the people, cont
gency consequent upon no act "r ON
sion Of mine and beyond my rontro
has thus lett me Tor the last three We;
and until now, when the democr;:
Oh party by its delegates in national CO
ny vention assembled shall choose a n
ed leader, the involuntary nut necess;
,aI representative OF this momentous isso
he AS such denied the immunities of +
mt vate lite without the powers con;erl
be by public station, subject to unnecess;
;h- falsehood aud calumnies from the p
is tisaus Of an administration laburing
ed vain to justify its existence, | ha
he nevertheless. steadiastly endeavored
,us preserve to the democratic party OF
ad United States the supreme Issue be-,
he the people Tor their decision next \