New-York tribune., 1880-06-21
NfR TnnEN,S LETTER.

Wisconsin will vote for him.
MR. TILDEN'S LETTER.
AN ABSOLUTE REFUSAL TO ACCEPT TIE HONoRS OF
THE TREsIDENCY-HIs CONFIDENCE THAT HE
Gould CARRY NEw-YoRK AND THE COUNTRY
HAVING KEPT THE TRUE ISSUE BEFORE THE
COUNTRY FOR THREE YEARS. HE DESIRES RE-
POSE.
lGESERAL PRESS DIsPATcHl
CINCINNATI, June 20.-To-nght the New-1ork
delegation held meeting at the Grand Hotel anu
organized by choosing Daniel Manning chairman
and s b. Halliday secretary. Mr.. Peckham reau
tie following letter from Samuel j. Tilden:
NEw-YoRK, June 8, 1850
To the Delegates rom the state Of Ae'r" YORK 10 me
Democratic National COHrentiOn:
Your first assembling IS an occasion on which II
s proper for me TO state to yOu relation to the
nomination for the Presidency which yon and your
associates are commissioned TO make In behalf OF
the Democratic party of the United States.
Having passed my early years In an atmosphere
filled with traditions of the war which secured our
National independence, and of the struggles whlch
made our Continental system Government for the
people by the people, learned to idolize the nsti-
tntions of nv country and was educated to believe
If the duty of citizen of the Republic
IN take his fair allotment of care ana
tronble in public affairs. fulfilled that duty 10
the best of my ability for forty years as private
citizen. Although during all my life giving at
least as much thought and effort to public affairs
as to all other objects. L have never ac-
ceped official service except for brief period for
special purpose. and only when the occasion seeieu
TO require of me that sacrifice of privae prefer
ences TO publc interests My life has been SUBJ
stantIally that of q private citizen.
A HIT At OPPONENTS.
It was l presume the success of efforts In which,
as private citizen had shared to overthrow a
t;on fbeD hodIpO dominion
metropolis and to purify the Judiciary, which had
bocome its tool that induced the Democracy
of the State, IN 1874, to nominate me
for Governor. This was done In spite
of the protest of a minority that the
part had borne in those reforms had created an-
tagonism fatal TO me as candidate. 1elt con-
strained to accept the nomination as the most GER
tain means Of putting the power OF inc
ouberpatoria office OIL the side of re-
form. and of removing the impression
wherever it prevailed that the faithful discharge
of ones duty as citizen is fatal to his
usefulness as public servant. The break
ing up of the Canal Ring the better man
agement of our public works. the large re-
ductiou Of taxes and other reforms accomplished
,luripg nv administration doubtless Occasioned my
nomination for the Presidency by the Democracy OF
the Union IN the hope that similar processes would
he applied to the Federal Government From the
ms it seemed to me, l did not feel at liberty 10
shrink.
In the canvass which ensued the Democratic
marty representcd reform in the administration oil
the Federal Government and restoration OF our
complex political system TO the pure ldcas ol las
founders Upon these issues the people O1 the Chted
States by majority OF moro than quarter oI Il
million chose majority of the electors to cast thcr
votes for the Democratic candidates for President
4 rtfrtnf md
here to saw that was nominated and elected to the
presidency absolutely free from any engagement III
respect to the exercise of its powers or the disposal
of its patronage. Through the whole
ncrod of nv relation to tie Presidency, did every
thing in my power to elevate, and nothing 10
lower moral standards i'll the competition OF
narties By what nefariOus means the basis Tor a
false count was laid i'll several OF the States
need not recte. These are 10"
matters of history about which whateVcr
diversity of opinion may have existed in either of
the great parties of the country at the time OF their
consummation has since practically disappeared.
refused TO ransom from the returning boards OF
Southern States the documentary evidence. by the
snnnrcssiOn of which and by the snOslltu-
fion of fraudulent and forged papers a pletcXt
was made for the peipetratloh oi Il luiso ooun''
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
The constitutional duty of the two houses OF Con-
cress to count the electoral votes as cast and to
give effect to the will Of the people as expressed Dv
their sutfrages was never fulfilled. An Electoral
Commission for the existence of which nave ho
responsibility was formed and to 1t the TWO houses
of Congress abdcatcd their duty to make
the count by law enacting that the count
of the Commission should stand as final, unless
oyerruled by the concurrent action Of the two
Houses Its false count was not overruled owing
IN the completely of Republican Senate with the
Republican majority of the Commission. Con-
+roled by the Republican majority of to z the
EIectoral Commission counted out the men elected
NV the people, and counted III the men not elected
by the people.
That subyerson of the election created new
;ssue for the decision of the United States tran
scepding in Importance all questions Of administra
lion II involved the vital principle of self-govern'
rnent through elections by the people. The Inn
,eoo orovth of the means of corrupt Influence over
tbe ballot-box which at the disposal OF the party
having possession of the executive administration
had already become present evil and great dan
GER tending to make elections irresponsible to pub
lie ouinion. hamperipg the power OF tho people tt
nhonoa ulers and enabling the men hold
&C. tbe machinery of government to con
Time and perpetuate their power IL wal
NV opinion in 1876 that the opposition at