New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-18
racnE EIULrELNDTNG.

4
Mr. Tilden is perhaps to be Regarded as de-
| moc,acy's favorite son. The newspapers OF MS
party are fond of referring to HIM as the great
| est American statesman, ana II IL gcncrally
| believed that If assurance could be given thN
| he would accept, the Democratic National Con
vention would nominate him by reclamation.
This conspicuous Democrat has just been in
| dieting the Republican party. y Chicago
Democratic club devoted to politics with III
c;dcntol protection invited him to dinner. lie
| docl;rod and sent the indictment in his place.
Now Mr.. Tilden is lawyer of great saeacity
aud long experience, so he can De trusted 10
draw IA strong an indictment as the facts AT
his disposal will warrant. Remembering TINS
II is interesting to examine his Indictment OF thc
Republican party. The first count is that the
work of restoring the Government 10 Its org
inal character is not yet Accomplished lie eA-
Mains that by its original character he
means the character which it possessed during
the sixty years of administration preceding the
u,or nf tho rebellion The second counts that
q orr cherisle political system is slowly losing
ifs hold upon life The third count is that n
. fungous growth Of false constructions and cor
rupt practices has fastened upon the Govern
ment itself has become mcnacing factor IN
elections The fifth count is that the Govern
ment does not stand as an impartial arbltcr
amid the conflicts of maturing OPTION ana
contcnding interest" The sixth count is that
the Government has "intimidated the Con-
gressional representatives of majority OF the
apeople to relinquish the fruits of their victory
sand to surrender the Government to the con-
" troll of the minority
That is the way the indictment reads. 1t viii
be seen that it is nothing if not vague. The
last count of course refers to "the fraud OF
1876 "-Tilden would have gained the Presi-
dencv had it not been that his friends In Con-
gress were "intimidated" With the eX-
ception of this prepOsterous and false allegation
the indictment il composed OF generalitIeS mat
mean nothing in particular and may DE defined
as so many Bunsbyisms
Mr.. Tilden has only one equal in the country
at this sort of work. We refer to Senator
Bayard. The Senator, however, as rule, pre-
fers TO condense his Indictment of the Repub-
lcan partv into the one word Capitalization
OF course boldly to accuse a political organiza-
ton of Capitalization" is an impressive eXcr-
else. But fungOus growth OF false constiuc-
lions is certainly an able eXpleuve. 1t Is dim
cult to decide between the two. Sam Weller, 1t
will be remembered, wrote circumsclibed in
his valentine, but was assured by his iather that
" crcumwented" was a more tendcrer word
We think it must occur to sensible people that
| these lights of Democracy would not indulge
in such vague and nebulous accusations if they
happened, to know of more substantial ones.
In order fully to realize how admirable on the
whole has been the gcareer of the Republican
party. one needs to notice to what its opponents
are reduced when they fain would discredit it
In the eyes Of the people.