Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-24
TILDEN's FAMOUS LETTER.
A Patriotic Review OF Politics Past and
Present

CINCINNATI, June 20.-To-night the
New York delegation held a meeting
at the Grand Hotel, and organized by
choosing Daniel Manning chairman,
and S. B. Halliday secretary. Mr..
Peckham read the following letter
from Samuel J. Tilden:
NEw YoRE, June lS-To TIE delegates
from The State Of Nee York 10 tie Derao-
cratic National Convention Your first as
sembllng is an occasion on which it is
proper for me TO state to you my rela.
ton TO the nomination for the Presi.
dency, which you 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 the tradi.
tions OF the war which secured our Ma.
tional independence, and of struggles
which inade our continental system a
government for the people and by the
people, | learned to idolize the institu.
tions Of my country, and was educated
TO believe it the duty OF every citizen of
the Republic to put his fare allotment
of care and trouble to public affairs.
fulfilled that duty TO the best of my
ability for forty years as private citi-
zen. Although during all my life,
giving at least as much thought and
effort to public affairs as to all other
objects, | have never accepted official
service except for a brief period and for
special purpose, and only when the
occasion seemed to require of me that
sacrifice of private preferences to public
interests. My life has been substanti.
ally that OF a private citizen. Ii was,
presume, the success of efforts, in which
as a private citizen / had shared, to
overthrow corrupt combination then
holding dominion in our metropolis
and to purify our Judiciary, which bad
become it's tool, that induced the De.
mocracy of the State in 1874 to nomi.
nate me for governor. This was done
in spite OF the protests of a minority
that the part had borne in those
reforms had created antagon isms fatal
to me as candidate. / felt constrained
TO accept the nomination as the most
certain means of putting the power Of
the gubernatorial Office on the side of
reform and of removing the impression
wherever 1t prevailed. that the faithful
discharge of ones duty as a citizen is
fatal to his usefulness as public serv.
ant. The breaking up OF the canal
ring, the better management of our
public works, the large deduction Of
taxes and other reforms accomplished
during my administration doubtless
occasioned my nomination for the pres
idency by the Democracy Of the Union
in the hope that similar processes
would be applied 10 the Federal govern.
ment. From the responsibilities Of
such an undertaking. appalling as il
seemed TO me, did not feel at liberty
TO shrink. In the canvass which en-.
sued, the Democratic party represented
reform in the administration of the
Federal government and a restoration
of our complex political system to the
pure ideas of its founders. Upon these
issues the people of the United States,
by majority Of more than a quarter OF
million chose majority of the elect
ors TO cast their votes for the Democrat
10 candidates for President and Vice
President. 1t is my right and privilege
here TO say that | was nominated and
elected to the Presidency absolutely
free from any engagement in respect to
the exercise of the powers or disposal
of its patronages. Through the whole
period of my relation TO the presi.
dency | did everything in my power
TO elevate and nothing to lower the
moral standards in the competitions
of parties. BY what nefarious means
the basis Of false count was laid in
several of the States need not recite.
These are nov matters of history, about
which whatever diversity of opinion
may have existed in either Of the
great parties of the country at the time
OF their contamination has since prac.
tioally disappeared. refused 10 ran
som from the returning boards of the
southern States the documentary evi.