Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-16
rs THIS THE TRUTH
Another story About Tilden's Condition
He Actually Looks, Walks and Talks
Like a Healthy Man.

He Actually LOOKS, walks ana Iaiks
Like a Healthy Man.
Bea0 York World, nth.
For some weeks past the readers of the
newspapers have been confused by the
publication of the most contradictory and
irreconcilable statements concerning the
health of Mr.. Tilden. One day they would
be assured in the most positive terms
that he was physical and mental wreck,
another day that he was the picture of
health and v1gor. As Mr.. Tilden no lon
ger continues those horseback rides which
formerly attracted so much attention, and
as he refusessto be interviewed by the re-
porters, the public have had no other alter
native than to guess at the possible truth
amid the varying and conflicting state
ments.
AS the health of Mr.. Tilden is ques-
ton of deep solicitude and national in
terest, the World has felt it duty to
keep its readers acquainted with the
latest information relating to it, without,
however, guaranteeing the accuracy OF
the information printed in other papers.
In this spirit we printed some three weeks
ago the letter written to the Philadelphia
Record, in which Mr.. McLean's name was
used as an authority, for otherwise unsup-
ported statements and Mr.. McLean's repu-
diatiOn of those statements. We printed
also the remarkable letter in which Mr..
Watterson described himself as
worn out by the attempt to keep
up with the activity of the venerable but
unWearied statesman. We published also
the story of the Southern Congressman
given in the Washington Sunday Herald,
in which Mr.. Tilden was described as "a
man in the last stages of decay" This
Southern Congressman said that ne mad
travelled in the train with Mr.. Tllden, who
had to be helped into the car by his SER
want and helped to his seat by him; he
was unable to speak distinctly, unable TO
help himself, constantly falling into cat
maps. slipping from his seat, needing as
sistance, needing water and unable even
to step into his low coupe at the station,
into which he was lifted by two servants.
We republished these articles without
guarantee, and also without preJudIce,
merely because they appeared In reputable
papers and related to a subject which, as
we have said, is Of interest to the public.
Now for the truth.
The editor of the World accidentally
enjoyed the pleasure of Mr.. Tilden's COM
pany while the latter came in yesterday
from YOnkers. We are prepared to dis
pose alike of the sensational stories of
Mr.. Tilden's extreme weakness and of
the equally sensational stories of his
exceptional vigOr.
In the first place, Mr.. Tilden must be an
early riser, as he boarded the train which
leaves TarrytOwn few minutes after s.
In the next place, Mr.. Tilden was not ac-
cOmpanied by any servant. In the third
place, Mr.. Tilden's walk is perfectly easy
and his figure more erect than that of
most people of his age.
He walked down the aisle of one of the
ordinary cars quietly and naturally. With
his plain straw hat, his clean-shaven face,
he attracted no more attention than any
other of the thousand elderly business
men who come into New York on the
morning trains of the Hudson River Road.
AS to his health, we are not prepared to
give physicians diagnosis nor a phySi-
clans certificate. But if clearness of
complexion and brightness of the eye are
safe indications Mr.. Tilden is certainly as
healthy a man as he was seven years ago.
His complexion is certainly fresher and
healthier, and his look has no indication
of weakness about it.
The partial paralysis or palsy or nerv-
Gus affection, or whatever it is, of his
right arm and hand, continues, and he is
probably unable to make any efficient use
of that arm. But as for his going to
sleep or slipping from his seat or needing
assistance, it is absurd. The southern
COngressman's" description is so evil
IDENTIFY borrowed from Dickens descrip-
ton of Grandfather Smallweed as not to
need notice.
Mr.. Tildens voice has not changed
noticeably. 1t is hardly strong enough to
be heard across the roar and rattle of
a railroad train speeding by the cuts and
hillsides. but his voice was never strong.
When a man habitually talks in low
tone of voice as Mr.. Tilden has done
always, it is a sign that his vocal muscles
and organs are not strong. A low voice
is a type of character, Just as loud voice
is a type of another kind of character.
At no period of his life could Mr.. Tilden
have been a loud-voice speaker like one
of Shakespeare's "rObusti0us, periwig-
pated fellows" but his enunciation is not
affected in any way, and, except when
his voice was drowned by the noise of the
train, his remarks reached his nearer.
He talked freely and fiuently; whatever
impairment his body may have suffered
his mind is as clear as ever. His memory
is remarkably retentive and accurate, eX-
tending to trifiing incidents that one would
hardly expect him to recall. He talked
about politics, about the Electoral Com
mission, the dangers of Intervening and
other natural topics of a half hours ride.
There is no doubt that he still malnJalns
the same keen interest in and intelligent
attention to politics and to business.
Is he a candidate for the Presidency?
He does not look like a man who was
worrying himself about it.
But we are inclined to think that Mr..
Tilden is not very angry to hear himself
talked about for the nomination. In fact,
we rather Judge from his healthy COM
plexion that he could be persuaded to
serve another term.