The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1880-03-23
What Has Mr.. Tilden Done 2

What Has Mr.. Tilden Dones
While ihr masses of the people are
enthusiastic in their adherence 10 The
claims of Tilden, still there are those
who oppose him with a bitterness ms
unjust as tits undcservcd. Mr.. TIL.
lien has enemies: what great man
has not /? Some who were his staunch
friends in '76 arenow ready to grasp
with aviditv ut every campaign lie
put in circulation by his political en-
emics. and strive TO pull him down
from'that height 10 which few men
Of the age can hope TO attain. Ger
tain II is that the highest ambitions Of
his deiamcrs. in his own party. onght
TO be gralilied, could they but be ele-
vaied TO the positions Of the hum
blest satellites that revolve around
him as the great polit;call lnminary
of the Democratic party. One thing
we know, and that they are enemies
TO Mr.. Tilden and the qnestion.arises.
what has he done to incur their dis
pleasure Take his record from the
first, and is il.one continued chain Of
noble deeds in behalf of right and
justice. His career as governor
brought him into prominence, and
his most violent political enemies
could.find nothing IN bis record
in the heated campaign of &c. calcu.
lated TO damage him in tho least, and
lie was elected by majority of a
quarter of u million votes. Right
here is where lie made the enemies
who oppose him SO strcnuously now. |
vi course no man who looks the facts
IN The face can censure Mr.. Tilden
TOR not taking his seat as President.
But there are those who brand him
as coward because he did not "do
like Wade Hampton and declare by
the Eternal God he would be Presi-
dent" They forget the state of af.
affairs at the time. The Republicans
were in power, wila soldier at The
head of the government, with: q ma
jorlty in tho Senate, with an army
and navy TO carry out the designs,
Infamous though they might
be, ofthe partisan President. Again
it must be remembered that to DO
President man must be inaugurated,
and this power was in the hands of
the Republicans. Mr.. Tildenl could
do nothing but await the events that
were added one by one to the dark
Of crime, and which robbed
the people OF an officer whom they
had said by their votes should gov
ern them. He could do aught to
avert the inevitable outrage. The
votes had to be counted and man
declared elected before the Inaugural.
lion could 60 OH.
Mr.. rilden's friends, the men who
we're sent BY confiding constituent
", submitted to all arbitration
Which not only perpe,rated q wrong
ipon Mr.. Tilden, but the whole Dem ,
'cratic party. Indeed Mr.. Tildou
vas but the figure head Of the party I
he exponent ofits principles, and i
he Commission did not rob him as n
nan but as the leader of his party. :
VS. ask you, who are enemies of Mr.. !
ridden, in all candor, what could he
AVE done under the circumstances ? !;
lie was not declared elected by tho :
egal Tribunal He could not insist
N being inaugurated without placing
'lmsclfin opposition 10 a majority of :
us own party in Congress, who &C.
uiesced in the fraud, and lastly he
ould not have taken his seat without :,
hrowing. the country into war and
narchy, and with all tho chances forl
efeat against him. Suppose he had I;
tempted to take this step, would
nough "unarmed men" have come
his rescue TO over-power and sub I
ue the military of the country and
lace him in the chair at the point of
ne bayonetP All the chances were I
gainst such step. The money was a
1.-THE hands of the Republicans, in
Ict any sensible man can SEQ that re
lch step would have been sheer q,
To those who refer to
'ade Hampton 1t must be remem- /,
red that no was not empowered to v
as the Governor of South Caroli- Il
until no had been recognized by
Q President aud only hold the po- !,
ion by force Of arms unable TO II