New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-21
DEAD POLITICS.
emergency.

Whatever may he Mr.. Tiden's chances Tor
obtaining the nomination of his party, there can
he no DISPUTE that he is the only person who
has nut forth any claim to it. The most That
can be urged for any of his rivals is that they
might do to run-this man because he has
money, that other because he can talk one
because he has no dangerous opinions, another
because he has no record, third because he
can bamboozle both protectionists and free
traders. and fourth because he can fix John
Kelly. Of Mr.. TIlden alone does anybody say
that he ought to be President. 1t is true that
bis claim is preposterous; it is true that 1t mas
been tested by more than one tribunal, IN
Guiding the popular vote, which is the court
of last appeal, and has been pronounced In
valid; nevertheless, good or bad, 1t Is an
Ineligible claim When the Democratic party
asks us to elect Mr.. Tilden in 1884 on the
plea that he was elected and cheated in 1876.
il at least sets before us distinct issue. The
suggestion of other candidates conveys no
glmmer of principle, or policy, or
political purpose. Mr.. Tilden represents, not
policy indeed, but great public question; and
when we are asked to support him we under
stand that we are summoned to controversy
some What more dignifed than scramble for
post Offices
But how strangely this state Of affairs illus
trates the propensity of the Democratic party
for Sinking the living issues of the day, and
attaching itself with enthusiasm only to causes
that are dead. Ever since it has been in OPP
position it has been running backward every
four years to pick up the relics OF finished
battles, and fight engagements over again with
broken guns. As soon as the principle OF
Nationality had been firmly and irreyocably
established by the rebellion, the Democracy
began to run its stupid head against the wall,
and shout for the dscredited doctrine OF ex-
treme State-rights. When the war was fast
nearing its glorious close when the hopes OF
the Confederacy were gone, when the rium-
phant armies of the Union were pressing ire
sistibly upon the last rebel stronghOds, the DEM
ocratic National Convention solemnly resolved
that the war was a failure and pronounced
against its continuance. SO long as there were
thousands of independent and Republican
yoters-as there were for short tme-who
believed that Mr.. Hayes was fraudulenty
counted in, the denomination OF MIR. Ilden
was the obvious dictate of common sense and
accordingly a large section, possibly ma
iority, of the Democratic party opposed 1t
tooth and nail. Now, when the true history
of the canvass of 1876 has been disclosed.
and the cry of fraud has become mean-
choly farce it begins to look as If the Demo-
cratic party had absolutely no other cry with
which to go to the polls; and Mr. Tilden Is
daily renewing his youth.
The political history of the Democracy for a
quarter of century has been history OF
blunders the Tilden episode rises to the
category of the grotesque. Mr. Tilden had
lust missed the Presidency, under circumstances
which made his election the next time, by a
large majority almost a foregone conclu
sion, when some malign influence inspired his
followers first to quarrel with him for not
Selling what was not his, and then to inyestl-
gate the causes of his defeat. They had bit
terly to repent that they did not let well enough
alone. For the first result OF the investigation
was to dispel all reasonable dOubds which
cloudsd President Hayes's title, and the second
was the discovery of the cipher dispatches
which showed that the Great Fraud of 1876
was that committed in Mr. Tilden's own
household, by his most confidential agents, and
for his benefit. But for the folly of Demo-
cratic leaders,. this famous conspiracy would
probably never have come to light. And now
that all the plot is known, and the Fraud
issue as dead as slavery, 1t appears that the
Democratic party has no policy to propose to
us except that we should fright great
wrong by comforting the Presidency upon
an old gentleman whose nephew just missed
buying it for him, eight years ago, for a
hundred and forty thousand dollars.