The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-08
TILDENISM TO BE REVIVED.

laudable ambition.
TILDENISM TO BE REVIVED.
The Democratic party was once the
most compact and best organized polit
zeal army ever known. in this or in any
other country. 1t had bold and manly
leaders. and the rank and file followed
them without question. 1t had princi
pies and believed in them. But to-day
what is true of the Democratic leaders
i'll Maryland. is true in large number
of States. The leaders are at cross pur
poses, while the rank and file. apathet il
and discouraged, feel as though they
might as well adopt the precedent of tho
rural Democrats of some sections of this
State. who kept on voting for jackson
for forty years after his death.
Only the destructive views and diSjunc
tive tendencies of slavery divided, lie
moralized. and defeated this long and
triumphant party. and a goodly proper
ton of its best brains and most patriotic
hearts-in the Northern States-entered
into the party of freedom and gave Il
some of its most inspiring and heroic
leadership.
The Democratic party had no chance
for recovery of power. and therefore nc
responsibilities. until the war was ended
and its results embodied in the Constitu
ton. Then was its opportunity. which
it signaliZed by nominating for Vice,
President Frank Blair. man who was
pledged to do all in his power to nullify
the post war Constitutional amendments,
while the candidate for President. Gov.
Seymour. was an amiable philosopher OF
weak will and almost certain to succumb
to the W try and eXcitements of the
Presidency. Four years later it nomi
mated for President a great journalist
who had fought all the historic princi-
pies OF the Democratic party. all his life
Again. fonr years atterward it nominated
for President a man who was hest and
most known as trickster. n railroad
wrecker and professional " RcfoImer
for all that he could make out of it, 1t
was the deliberate Judgment of Con
greSs. which body had the sole right to
determine a disputed Presidency. that
Mr.. Hayes was elected. Whether or not
the electoral Commission was an un-
constitutional expedient Mr. Tiden'
friends favored it until Judge Davis sud
denly left the Supreme Court and entered
the Senate. and the action of Congress
overcame and healed " all Irregular
ties. if there were any.
For four years Mr.. Tilden's organs de
famed Congress by insisting that it had
committed "great fraud = and tried t6
make his personal grievance dominant
party issue, but the good sense of his
party prevented his "vindication " by &
nomination and chose Hancock instead.
During all these four years of ceaseles:
and dividing element of the Democratic
party was Tildenism. The party might
have rallied and got into harmony ant
organization under fresh leader pos
sessed of manly and generous qualities
who was not hurdencd with an old fight
and grievance and was looking to the
future and not to the past. But Tilden
ism repressed the younger and better
elements of the party, kept its eyes il
the back Of its head and afflicted it as
sort of malarial rheumatism.
Encouraged by apparent success It il
getting more and more venomouS-i
wouG be false to say 'bolder" for bold
ness is a virile quality-and Mr.. Tilden'
old Literary Bureau is at its worl
again. percolating through hundreds o
obscure country papers the praise of thu
great 'Reformer" who struck the ''Twee,
Ring after it was down.
/ The "Old Man of the Sea" has so mar
! cotlzed the Democratic party that it
/ scores of able and honest and manly lead
crS are all paralyZed by the coming can
/ didacy of Tilden and passively awaitin.
| the distribution of the contents of anoth
| er "bar'l.'
And now Mr.. Montgomery Blair ant
| Mr.. Cassius NJ. Clay, two surviving ex
| Republican malcontentS, who left thei
party, when their party left them out 0
Office, seek to keep the Tilden ball
rolling on" by writing up the claim
of Mr.. Tilden upon the Democracy :,
| their next Presidential candidate.
Both of these eX-statesmen belong t,
the past and are not ashamed to own VI
to the fact In order not to be utterl,
! lost in the mazes of the past, they hav
! definitely located themselves in that par
| ticuar past time when Mr.. Tilden raj
for the Presidency. So much has hap
pened since 1876 that politics. Of the Til
den sort are practically as remote an,
i particular hero of that almost forgotten
political episode of lS76-,. has "barl'
and a Bureau.
Mr.. Clay is single minded in his dcvo
| ton to his past He even quarrel
with the only progressive and spirited
| journalistic advocate of Tilden. Mr.. Wat
creed of the Democracy Mr.. Clay treat
with contempt. The Kentucky fossil
Surpasses the Kentucky Editor in abso
| lutte devotion to the wrong side of set
| tied Presidential dispute. He boldly pro
CLAIMS that 1.-THE Democratic party can
not live and ignore the issue of 1876
Mr. Tilden, willing or unwilling. stands
the central figure. 1t is Tilden OF defeat
| If Tilden was elected in 1876. it was trait
orous to pass him by in 1880. BY tn,
eternal laws, we were justly defeated il
| 1890. So far as | am concerned, | an
for Tilden in 1854, sick or well, living OF
| dying
| We congratulate the Democracy upol
! the possession of two such interestin.
specimen of political fossils as Mr.. Blai
and Mr.. Clay.
JUDGECR UIKSHANK DISSENTS
" The report of Judge Advocate Gen
" eral Swain. recommending that the vel-
dict of the Court Martial in the case OF
Sergeant Mason be set aside, was con
" Sidered at the session of the Cabinet,
March 2Sth. In his report Gen. Swain