Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-04-24

SAMUEL J. TILDEN As A CANDl-
DATE.

1OxxOkkAAA NO4 6Os
SAMUEL J. TILDEN As A CANDa-
DATE.
The great question before the Nation |
al Democracy, now within two months
of the assembling of the National Goa
vention, is whether Samuel j. Tildea
shall be again its candidate for the Presi- |
dency. Four years ago Mr.. Tilden was
the nominee and was elected. How
he was defrauded of the seat to whi',b
the people had chosen him, forms the
most disgraceful chapter of American
history. It was natural, under the cir
cumstances, that Mr.. Tilden's name
should loom up conspicuously in con-
nection with the nomination in 1880.
Had history not been making in the
meanwhile there might have been no
question of his nomination. The fact is,
however, that the year 1880 finds Mr..
Tilden wasted in popularity and shorn.
in large degree, of his strength with the
American people. The grave question
therefore, is forced upon the Democratic
party. Is Mr.. Tflden longer an availa-
BILE candidate? Can the National De-
mocraey, which for twenty years has
been out of power, afford to enter the
Presidential race, which is to be the
closest and most desperate in our an
nails, handicapped?
On Tuesday the New York State
Democracy met in Convention at Syra-
cuse. The details of the proceedings
there are given in our news columns.
Although this was only a State Conven-
tion yet it was the significant, the inter-
esting, the monitory State Convention
of this Presidential year to the Demo-
cratic party. New York. harmonious,
could have dictated nomination to the
Cincinnati Convention. New York dis
peace or econciliation-with two
Democratic Conventions and possible
three-the dominant Convention being
itself inharmonious--the regnant New
York Democratic candidate being un-
able to win his own Convention to his
cordial personal support--changes the
political aspect. There was Democratic
detection enough in New York by reas-
on of Mr.. Tilden's candidacy, when
Tammany, that polled seventy-seven
thousand votes last year, revolted. Thar
protest was never so great as it was on
Tuesday. But this is not all. Many of
Mr.. Tilden's own friends, in his own
Convention, while they fought
Tammany, abandoned Filden. Mr..
Tilden may be able to name any other
Democratic candidate than himself;
himself, ii we may judge from the hopes
and fears of his friends in his own
State, he can not nominate. 1t is not
his enemies who look upon his candi-
dacy with aversion, but his friends,
who look upon it with despair, who
have ruled him out of the list of avail
able Democratic candidates for the
Presidency. aa
And the warnings from Syracuse are
repeated from Washington. 1t South
ern Congressman are not utterly misin-
formed as to the sentiments of their
constituencies and States, Mr.. Tilden,
if nominated, would fail to carry at least
halt dozen Southern States, and thus
his defeat at the polls, even were he
able to carry New York, would be GER
tain. In this view of the case, Mr.
Tilden's nomination would be nothing
less than suicidal.
1t is useless to inquire into the .swhy
and wherefore of this marked revoIu-
ton of sentiment toward Mr.. Tilden;
we cannot, however, shut our eyes to
the fact of its existence. No matter
how partial Democrats may be person.
ally to Mr.. Tilden, they must now, it
seems to us, see, that to nominate him
for President, with the present feeling
against him ia the Democratic States,
would be to insure his defeat and the
defeat of the Democratic party. It is
no favor to Mr.. Tilden to force him into
losing race, and even if he sought
that doubtful honor, can the National
Democracy afford to imperil its own ex-
istence to crafty the ambition of any
individual of the party, however emil
nent or deseryingp S
We entertain no hostility toward
Mr.. Tilden; but we deny the right OF
any man to stand in the way of the sue
cess of his party. On Democratic vic
tory in the coming contest depends not
only the continued life of the Demo-.
cratic party, but even, as the signs of
the times clearly indicate, the perpetu-
ity of Republican institutions. In such
a crisis we must take no chances with a
candidate that cannot command the
uuited and enthusiastic support of his
party 's aif
The Legislation just closed has been
remarkably singular one. Coming
into power with an overwhelming ma
jority in both Houses and promises OF
every species of reform on their lips the