Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-11-14
THE TILDEN BOOM.
Some Conversation With Couple
of Democrats About It
What an Alabama Man Thinks OF Til.
denis Physical and Mental Capac-
ity---Senator Colquitt OF Geor-
xia for the Old Ticket.

it to exist from Pennsylvania to Georgia.
Mr.. Tildsn sent letter to the Cincinnati
convention, which nominated Hancock, that
no man could understand, unless it
meant that ne would not ask
for the nomination, but would not
reject it. Gen. Hancock was NOM
mated mainly by the southern element,
Hancock drew considerable Republican
strength, especially among the soldiers. Men
like Gen. Sickles and John W. Forney
stepped over to his side. The Republicans
beat him, and he acquiesced in the result 1t
was after that the idea started and has been
industriously famed, that if Tilden had re-
ceived the nomination instead of Hancock
he could have carried New York, and that
would have saved the day.
was talking with two gentlemen who had
been the same day to Mr.. Tlden's house.
They came from, We may say, Alabama. One
had known Mr. Tilden somewhat in past
times, and the other was stranger. Both
were Democrats. Said the new man:
81 went to Gramercy park expecting to see
man not in the best of health but mod
erately sound of body and perfectly sound in
mind. When the door was opened, there
came in a man, lettering on his feet as if each
of his toes was feeling out separately for a
foothold. He did not carry his head on his
spine like fruit. His left hand was gathered
up into roll, and Strengthened out and
shaky as he come forward, with either
paralysis or palsy. His right hand he feebly
put forth to shake hands, and during the talk
he would raise this hand to the side of his
head, as if feeling for something there, which
he hardly touched. His knees were brought
close together, as if for self-support, when he
sat down, and the dead hand rested on the
left knee without and. capability. He talked
in a whisper that was so low that one man
sitting two or three feet from the other
could not hear what he said. The impression
made on me instantly, and maintained
through nearly an hour, was that a greater
case of cruelty and self-deception did not ex-
list than pushing this man out into the presi-
Dental campaign for year hence, and
allowing him to think that he was strong
enough to go through a presidential term.
Why, my God. we would no sooner nominate
that man than they would send few people
to see him, and it would XIII him. The
idea could not be kept back that we were
running on a theory of deceit man we
knew could not act out the presidency, and
would not live through the campaign"
"Oh, pshaw!n said the other man, who was
more ingrained politician, ''we would not
let anybody get at him to see him."
"But," said the new man, Suppose he
should die before he is inaugurated: In that
case it is nice point whether the vice presi-
dent could be installed, because the vice
president only succeeds president, and a
mere president-elect who has never taken the
oath of office is hardly president. There
come in your courts of law again, as Mr.. Til
den had to consult them before to his disad-
vantage"
"Wen," said the politician, laughing, eff
he should die before the Inauguration, we
could keep him ON ice. He looks pretty bad,
must say, and did not think he would look
much worse if he were dead. We might
stand him up and inaugurase him"
Now" spoke the new man, 81 am parti-
san. was born Democrat in a southern
state. But tell you that will never vote
MIR. Tilden after having seen him If we play
the fool with a big country like this, and put
the sword of state into the hands of
man with one foot in the grave and the
other going down, we win be merely laughed
out of the campaign. The mistake we made
in running Greeley will seem heroic COM
pared to this business. If the presidency has
got to be such a t1ifing matter that the man
need not even be alive whom you elect to it,
give us some other form of government. tell
you will never vote for him." repeated my
friend. sit would be fraud and an act of
cruelty"
''What did he sayF'
The new man remarked: "He mumbled
over few sentences as if he had got them
by rote, something like the following: ''My
health is better. have had my doctor ex
anime all my vital organs He has sounded
my heart, my liver, my lungs and my
BRAIN" Here the answerer raised his hand
feebly, with the fingers rolled together
toward the side of his head. "T am
sound everywhere whispered Mr. Til
den. The only trouble with me
is a. slight paralysis from being over
worked. I reformed the state of New York
was elected president of the United States
If had been allowed to take my seat,
would have reformed the United States I
was not willing to take the step to seize the
Office. Thieves and robbers must go out of
the high Places"
'Now." said the new man, "I know what
am talking about, and I have no feeling
whatever against the poor old man. tell
you that when mans physical strength has
run down to the point where Tildens is his
mentality will also run down. You can
not revive the brain of that man. 1t has no.
body to subsist on, and in my Judgment"
continued the same blunt man 'his converse
ton, though it had some phrases of ambition
and smartness in it, showed that his mind
was getting childish. He repeated over and
over that he had reformed New FORK, that he
would have reformed Washington that he
was elected president; and when he was told
from time to time that the reople wanted him
and would nominate him, he never made one
note of dissent"
''If we nominate Tilden, he continued ssthe
best situation in this country is to be behind
him for vice president, because he will never
fill one week of the Office If he would drag
out an existence he could not attend to the
duties of president; he could not commune
nicate with congress. 1t would become such
palpable imposition on the nation that we
wove to naneuver the vice president
right into the office somehow. Then,
do you remember that point that P.
raised, whether the electoral college is re-
quired to select candidate for president
from among those who run for it in case one
should die? If we should nominate Tilden,
and bury him in the interim-because he is
not to be inaugurated if elected until the 4th
of March, 1S85-what will the electoral col
1ege do? How will congress count the votes
of that colleges The evils we have" said this
gentleman, who was lawyer, "pass all COM
parsons with the electoral troubles of 1901
or 1877.
There is considerable more of this matter
that could give from my friends in Ala
bama, but / do not want to get them too