New-York tribune., 1880-03-01
. nlru / sLyGLE lKcAPrloN.-

II is the opinion OF me LpPSit'c courier
Journal. expressed IN thr double leads with
which Mr.. Wattcrson is wont to deck important
announcements that with a single exception,
&" the Democratic party can eject no individual
" President OF the United States this wear hui
." Nr. Tilden." II Is rot q staltiug fact that
Mr. Watterson believes IN the possibility OF
Mr.. Tldcn's success, OF that o." believes tl'ai
Gentleman 10 bc The strongest candidate OF
his parry. so much was long ago discounted
bv All who take delight in the ut,cgauccS ot
ILc Cou,iey-,JoiDpGl. or give heed 60 the dis
course OF the genial Wattrson. The ci.yl'rous
adhesion of the Kentucky Journalist 10 the
VARYING fortune, Of Sir. liidcu Is we'll known.
lie has stuck to him through dick and tim,
through evil and th.oulh good-ii jhcrc has
been any such-rcpot. We might almost say
that The only thing in thc Dcmocr.uc party
that could be absolutely dcYcudcd upon was
the loyalty Of Henry Watt,non 90 Mr..
Tildcn. Nothing wa. sGrcr 40 any time IN thr
past three years than that altcr any unfortH-
nate disclosure concerning the Sasc-whcibcr
il was in connection with the electoral COM
mission, the cipher dispatches, th' dreadful
ncphc0, the ton-lu!imaic Weed. tine l"cl in.
trcning, the outside iuic,u.i Hing. tir H-
come tax, the elevated railroad hp-inrS- or
the railroad wrcckiug the voice OF Nh Wat
te,son wond rise in dunhlc-lc..dcd tones at
the first opportunity with % "u'v"ithc'cs~
blothrcn-n and a repetition OF the "hScrNa-
ton that il could je nobody but IilG-u In
1880 SO nobody VII be startled b. he
present statement So far as 1t concerns thC
Sage.
What does startle at first blush is the fact
that there is in the mind of Mr. Wattcrs,n 3
single exception to the sweeping assertion that
only Mr. Til5cn cau be elected. He does not
leave II, long in suspense however. a. to the
exception "That single exception be-
hastcns 70 observe. ~, the candidate named hy
MIR. Tidcn" We aIc at once relieved of thc
! horrible suspicion that Mr. Wattcrson harbofs
possible second choice without the advice
and consent OF bis first. And 80 it comes to
what The TRIBUNE pointed out q lons time
ago as the inevitable result, shat the party
must either nominate Mr.. Tiiden or let Mr..
! Tiden name the candidate The position Of
| the Sage is precisely that which Mr.. Samuel
| Cox used to take when laborng under the
| deusion that he was n candidate for Speak
| of the House. como thing il certain Mr.
| Cox used to say, with that confident air oil
| his, " if fm not Speaker myself | shall name
" the man" The difference between the two
cases lies in the fact that Mr. Tildcn actually
! holds the power which Mr.. Cox used 10 hatter
himself into the belief he held. There's q
| great deal of smashing power in the sage.
and the party knows it. Mr. Cox could
smash nobody but himself, and the party
! knew that. too. II has been whispered
| before that il was not impossible that
| Mr.. Tilden might withdraw from the field
| and content himself with naming the candi-
| date but this dOublc-lcadcd announcement In
| The Couyier-JOurnaI comes with something like
authority. 1t may be received rs such for it
undoubtedly has the sanction of the Sage.
| The hint is triae vague but clear enough
TO be understood by other aspirants They
must make friends with the mammon Of un-
richteOusness-f the original mammon will
nardon the fgure-and hang their hopes on
his favorable consideration. 1t is a seductive
suggestion. 70 make sure Of his favor it is
! necessary OF course that they agree that he is
! the strongest candidate and their own first
choice. Speaker Randall has taken this course :;
so has Judge Stephen }. Field, and so probably
| have several others Upon the hint given out
! from Kentucky it is not improbable that other
aspir4nts may flock in, saying: "Of course
" the nomination belongs rightfully to Nh
"Tiden, and he is the strongest candidate ;
"bnt if he should decide not to run. why
then the people looking for Reform will find
"it-ah-here!" Now some men listening to
this sort OF thing from considerable number
Of influential persons might be tempted to
! say: Gentlemen, l fully appreciate your
friendly expressions, but l have no ambition
" for worldly honors. My preference would be
'' to retire from the field but since all of you
care agreed upon me as your first choice, and
none Of you agree as to the second feel it
q" to be my duty to sacrifice my personal in
" cmatious aud take the nomination myself"
| Some men, we say. might Ito this, but TIlden
never. On, no!
Let it be understood then, that the Tildcn
boom, which is just now taking fresh start,