The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-07
HENDRICKS AND TILDEN.
New and Interesting Facts as to
Their Political Relations.
How Mr.. Hendricks Was snubbed at Sara
tOGa-Mr. WattersOn Says Ti!den Will
Not Be a Candidate.
INTERESTING FACTS.
A Little Inside History of the Campaign of
1876
Washington Special to Baltimore Sun.

"A LiItle INSIDE History OF Ih6 campaign OI
1876.
Washington Special to Baltimore Sun.
Assuming the report then to be true, it is
a marvel that Mr.. Hendricka would an
nounce his willingness to again go on the
ticket with Mr.. Tilden after what has occurred
between them, The following facts, now for
the first time printed, and which were OBJ
tanned from the most undouDted sources,
possess additional interest in view of the
changed attitude of Mr.. Hendricks. While,
in 1876, before the action of the Democratic
convention at St. Louis, Mr.. Hendricks
hoped and expected to receive the Democrat
ic nomination for President, positively de-
clined over and over the nomination for
Vice-president and forced the conven-
tion to adjourn without the least sign from
him that he would accept, his course only
had reference to his own personal
ambition and aspirations, and was in no
wise actuated by any feeling toward Mr..
Tilden, with whom he was at the time un-
acquainted. Some time after the adjourn
ment of the convention Mr.. Hendricks went
to Saratoga for the purpose, as he under
stood, of conferring and consulting with
Mr.. Tilden as to their letters of acceptance
and plans for conducting the campaign.
Here the apple of discord was sown which
afterwards ripened so fruitfully. According
to the friends of Mr.. Hendricks, Mr.. TIlden
did not consult with him, almost ignored
his presence, and the interviews which took
place between them were formal and mean
ingless. Mr.. Hendricks left Saratoga in dis
gust From that time until the election in
November Mr.. Tilden evinced no desire for
any intercourse with his associate on the
ticket, and Mr.. Hendricks, smarting under
what he considered the neglect at Saratoga,
made no overtures to Mr.. Tilden After the
election it was the same. During all the
long and trying period that elapsed from
November until March, when Hayes and
Wheeler were finally declared elected, Mr..
municated with Mr.. Hendricks:
Mr.. Tilden may have had good
reason for all this, or it may have been en-
tirely unpremeditated, but it was none the
less keenly felt and resented, and so bitter
was the feeling that had Tilden and Hen
bricks obtained the offices to which they
were elected il is quite certain that the latter
wonld never have darkened the White House
doors during the whole four years term of
office. Good and great man as Mr.. Hen
bricks is he let selfishness go too far in put
ting his own personal grievances before the
good OF his party. For months before the
assembling of the Democratic convention of
1880 he authoritatively announced that he
would not accept the nomination for Vice
president, and thus in advance discounted
one-half the prestige that would have Injured
to the Democracy by the denomination of
the old ticket Inspired it may be supposed,
by him. his friends were among the foremost
in denouncing the cowardice of Mr. Tilden,
and in insisting that he must not be renomi-
mated. They were blind to the fact, which
ought to have been as apparent as the
monday sun, that under the circum
stances the tail of the ticket of
1864 could not be put at the head in 1880,
and actually imagined that if Mr. Tilden
could be forced into declining the nomina-
ton for President, Mr.. Hendricks would re-
ceive it. How fal]acous their reasoning, was
shown when, after Mr. Tilden's declination,
Mr.. Hendricks had not one vote in the con-
vention beyond the half-hearted support of
his own delegation. 1t may as well be said
now that Mr.. Tilden concluded to decline the
candidacy in 1880 because of his disgust at
what he considered the I'M uStice and ingrati-
tude of certain Democratic leaders, notably
those from the South, although he knew
what no mar will attempt to deny-that his
nomination would have brought triumph
ant Democratic victory. What he will do in
1884 no one is likely to have authority to
say in advance, but he can scarcely dream
that he needs any vindication when such men
as Simon Cameron, Roscoe Conkling and
scores of other equally prominent Republi-
cans nave puDllcly pronounced JndJ q great
wrong was committed in defrauding him of
the presidency. If Mr.. Tilden should con-
sent to stand again as a candidate, after what
Mr.. Hendricks has said, it is more than inn
probable that any objection would be raised
from any quarter of the Democratic camp to
the enthusiastic denomination of the old
ticket of 1876. None can doubt the absolute
certainty of its election, for the master hand
of Mr.. Tilden would so dictate the policy of
the campaign as to avoid the shoals and
quicksands of tariff discussion, upon which
rest the only hopes of the Republicans. Sur
misses are thrown out that Mr.. Hendricks, in
the position just assumed was prompted by
the belief that Mr.. Tilden would decline, and
his own chances for the presidential nomina-
ton would be very much enhanced. Wheth-
er Mr.. Hendricks has such ideas does not
matter. He-will not obtain the nomination
for President; the time has gone by when
that was possible. 1t is exceedingly ques-
tionable whether he could even secure
united delegation from Indiana for that pur-
pose. Popular as Mr.. Hendricks is at home,
the memory of his refusal to release Senator
Mcdonald from an implied promise and
which refusal prevented Mcdonald receiving
the nomination for Vce-president at Cincin-
natl in 1880, and the apathy of himself and
friends during the entire State campaign that
year is too recent to besforgotten. Had Nc
Donald received that nomination Indiana
would have been saved to the Democrats in
October OF 1880, and who can say that Ches-
ter A. Arthur would now be in the White
House?
NOT A CANDIDATE.