The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-06-19
Tllden Declines.

len forDlddl1g any further use OF his O
lame in connection with the nomina- Z.
ion for president. We regret the i,
keenly, both because it
from the party the most q
potent influence within its lines, and +
because it indicates that the pure, ele- 7
waited and useful life of a great man,
! great patriot and great democrat, t
is drawing to a close. Wehave so few |
Of them. There are SO few men in the
nation to-day who move on The plane
where Samuel j. Tilden's life-work
has been done, and grandly done,
too. 1t is touching fare
well that the great man writes
back from his darkened sick couch,
to the honest men of the party, of the
nation and of the world. The dying
note of the swan; the reluctant re-
linquishment of noble career; the
bowling of a grand intellect, of per-
fected manhood before the common
law of nature which prescribes |
death when the span has run out. |
Before the touching admission of
physical impediment, and the pious
resignation to the will of God, the
passions of the two great parties will
be, ought to be, hushed, re-
buked and still. The whirl goes
on with its eagerness, with its
cold selfishness, its dishonesty
and its ignoble purposes, surging past
the gates of Greystone, but let its tur-
moils and disturbances be kept out
of and away from the pillow of the
dying patriot, who, within, peacefully
folds his hands and piously awaits the
final summons to "come up higher"
The soul of the dying patriot
turns back in its deathless love of the
great principles, In advocacy OF which
his life has been spent, and calmly re-
views in the reflected light of ap-
preaching eternity, the principal
events which have marked the ex-
allied career, and through it all one
can read Tilden's own verdict, which,
being an honest man, standing uyon
the very threshold of the silent land,
is entitled to, and will win the conf
dence of the world-itis shy my work
1 stand, and am to be judged, and
; am not afraid" No, indeed. Mr..
Tllden need be afraid neither of the
, Fathers judgment nor the verdict OF
history. In both cases he is safe, safe
We sadly turn from this touching
, scene, one of the grandest of modern
times, to attempt, it may be vainly, tc
peer through the mists surrounding
the good ship of state, for another
, honest and skillful pilot who may
replace the one we have lost, one
D who may conduct the storm-tosset
= vessel in safety back to the harbor o.
political purity, of honest, economics
6 and dignifed government. There ar,
many men who may do this if they
will consent to sacrifice, as Tilden did
{; the calm peace of home or of semi
t official employment for the storm.
: place of sherman in the most diff
: cult piece of navigation on the who'll
4 voyage. Nearest Tilden in the ex
: allied character of the man, in a clear
unclouded and vigorous intellect, il
strength and range of mental grasp
in spotless life; in all incorruptIbl
and veteran integrity, and in unselfisl
patriotism, unquestionably stands Sen
: ator Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware
;, But the question is, can the party b
aligned upon him in so short a tim
- as that which stretches between tn
: present and the meeting of the ma
tional convention in July. And,
:, yea, will he accept? This mans char
. acter more nearly approaches that o
the dying Tilden than does any othe
= living. After him comes Thurman
II of Ohio, grand old man. But he wen
on the record as against the demo
; cratic nominee for governor of hi
state last fall. Geo. E. Mcdonald, @
Indiana, and w. r. Morrison, of Illinois
follow. Mcdonald has been practica
ly withdrawn, and the defeat of tn
Morrison bill, accepted as test c
~ the latter's standing in congress as
. presidential aspirant-side-tracks hiI
unless the master-the majority of tn
people-orders him out on the mali
l. line for the race in which the very eX
q istence of the grand old party while
7. Tilden, Bayard, and Thurman hav
p glorified, is at stake. After thes
= towering men, either one of whom
# can carry New York and poll the full
b strength of the party outside, come
:. the army of lesser men VIII
i are prominent alone by reason o
s their local strength in the Empir
e state, and their supposed ability t
E. heal all its heartaches and unite i
q upon the ticket. OF these Flower
q Cleveland, and Dorsheimer are types
: What the final choice will be, no on
f can tell at this time. One thing W
e can and do say, and say it with earn
4 est sincerity and truth: Whoever tn
choice may be for the first place, tn
$ south should have the second, both a
: a matter of justice and of policy. L
= this Is true, then no man in all tn,
r sunny land will stand before our Owl
Hancock for vice-president.