Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-02-20
The Democratic Dilemma.

party was ever in as desperate state
before. In recent letter to Mont
gomery Blair, a Democrat of Missouri
calls attention to the fact chat circulars
adverse to Mr.. Tilden have been dis
tributed in that State, emanating ap-
parently from Tammae =, but bearing
the frank of Senator Vegt. He states,
too, that Senator Cockrsll, during his
last visit at home, urged strongly that
the nomination of Mr.. Tilden was
impracticable, and would prove il
made, most fatal. These two Senators,
it will be remembered, were active
Confederates, one in the rebel Con-
gress and the other in the rebel army.
Then the writer observes that if any
other man than Mr.. Tilden should be
nominated, the Convention might as
well declare publicly that Mr.. Tilden
and his unexampled causer had been
put aside to please " John Kelley and
the Confederate Brigadiers." This
seems to be little strained, but there
is truth in it.
When Mr.. Tilden is set aside, no mat
ter at whose demand, the Democratic
party loses grievance which it has
counted upon as of incalculable import
ance. 1t virtually confesses that it did
not elect President in 1876, and that
it has been bowling continually for
nearly four years, and accusing its OPP
ponents of fraud without the slightest
reason. 1t confesses that Mr.. Tilden
was not really elected when it refuses
to nominate him again; confesses that
the devices by which pretended majori-
ties in certain disputed States we're Sc
cured were, in fact, dishonest and
fraudulent; confesses that it has shame
fully slandered leading Republicans in
charging that they procured false and
dishonest declarations of the result in
those States; and confesses that the
subsequent attempt to buy Electoral
votes had not the poor excuse that
crime could be defeated only by crime,
but was, in fact, an impudent and
wicked attempt to swindle the country
and to defeat the will of the people. In
such a position, is it possible that the
Democratic party could command its
full strength Its leaders know better.
What Mr.. Tilden may do to avenge
himself upon his associates, if they
treat his claims with contempt, is an
other question. The one thing certain
is that the party would lose, and that
very heavily, if it should set him aside.
He knows the fact. and trades on it.
But other men know it also. Without
any further effort on his part the Demo-
cratic party must suffer severely if it
nominates any other candidate.
r Then it is also true that Mr.. Tilden
and his friends would have something
to say. Openly, perhaps, they would
make no sign. But there are many
ways of stabbing Presidential candi-
date, especially when the Electoral
vote of one State is absolutely neces-
sary to his success. Many active and
influential Democratic workers are full
| ly convinced that Mr.. Tilden has been
wronged. They have from him or his
friends personal pledges; they expect
to share in the fatness of the land if he
should be elected. To them, it would
seem grievOus personal wrong to set
him aside. Thereafter, they would be
cold and lukewarm, and campaign
would have to get off without their aid,
or not at all. Mr.. Tilden does not need
to utter word of complaint. Disap-
| pointed friends would make it very hard
| for any other Democratic candidate to
succeed, though he should never lift
! finger to restrain or guide them. And
the whole contest will turn upon the
very State in which Mr.. Tilden and
his most intimate friends have the
greatest power. If the Democrats can
not carry New York, with Mr.. Til
denis friends discouraged and angry,
and with Mr.. Tilden himself in no help.
full frame of mind, they know that they
cannot win at all.
On the other hand, if they nominate
him, what is to be donep Public opin-
ion has some power, even in the Demo
cratic party. The feeling that candi-
date ought not to need continual de-
fense win have its weight. Every day,
from the beginning to the end of
the campaign, Democrats will be
compelled to explain and defend. The
non-payment of income tax, the busi-
ness arrangements with Mr.. Field, the
relations with Mr.. Hewitt, the cipher
dispatches and the attempts to buy
Electors, and all thu phases of political
trickery by which Mr.. Thurman has
been slaughtered i'll Chic, and Governor
Garcelon has been encouraged in Maine,
will be thrust upon the attention of
Democrats continually. 1t will be tire
some for them to be always or the de-
fensive. MIR. Tilden, too, fails COM
pletely to represent either wing of the
party. He will not commit himself to
the soft-money notions of Western
Democrats, nor will he consent to favor
Southern claims, nor Western river i'm
provements, for he cannot without
throwing away his last chance in New
York. And yet Mr.. Tilden does not
command the confidence of his party
on these questions. Eastern Demo-
Gratis do not feel that they can trust
him, as opposed to imitation. or repudi-
alton, or Southern claims, or Southern
and Western jobs. Between the two
elements he must fall, distrusted by
both.
In this State, where Mr.. Tilden's fate
would be decided, if he should be can
didate, he has TO reckon with Tammany.
lie alone has made the warfare impla-
cable between himself and the Tam
many chiefs. They have learned that
his success would be death to them. All
conceivable pledges would go for moth
ing, in the estimation of those who
have made the fight against him.
Nothing that he can say or do will
lead them to trust him. II he sue
oeeds at all in this State, il must be
with the merciless enmity of men who
control seventy thousand Democratic
votes in this State. To fight against
such odds would seem madness, but for
the fact that the party would have to
face different but almost as great q
peril if it should nominate anybody
else.-N Y. Tribune.
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