The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-17
.Hr. 1'il,lrm'S Views.


States senator from Georgia, now pre,i
dent of the international Railroad and
Steamship Company, of Florida, at hl'
office in the BRYANT building, to inquire
about the truth Of published reports Of
visit recently paid by him TO Samuel j.
Til,len. General Gordon said:
Il saw an editorial note in this morn.
ing's II;WM but do not know its source.
The reporter then showed the General
a note in the Cleveland W,rnhi, stating
that he had called on Mr.. lilden, who
had expressly v refused to allow the use OF
his name for President, but had said that
he thought Mr.. Payne conld he elected
for three reasons: First. that he had
been right on AL Ike public questions
that had divided the country in the past
twenty years second, because his nomi-
nation would not fri"hten business men
and, lastly, because lie had the ability to
conduct the canvass and the aocc--ary
means for legitimate expenses, General
Gordon then said:
1T is in the main truthful! rcprc>cn-
;a,icn. Up To this time should not
have felt at liberty to talk Al all in refer
encc to any suggestions na!c hy Mr.
Til!cn to me. although he did lipi en- luin
confidence. | do not know how this
report camc to be made. 1t WAS certain
" not through me- feel greater liberty
to speak nuw, only because OF the tact
that Mr.. Payne has been formally with
drawn from the canvass 10y Tue emphatic
statement of his son, Colonel Payne.
at is true that did recently call on
Mr.. Tilden, whom | han not seen for
some time. WAS rather gratified 10 find,
too, in spite of reports, that his physical
strength was greater than had antici:
pa,cd, although he is very feeble. did
not. however, find any material change,
50 far as my observation went, IN his
physical condition, since my last visit to
him several years ago. Possibly his voice
i. somewha, weaker. Of one thing,
however, | was fully satisfied. That is
that his mental vigor has no! lcssened,
nor did | discover any abatement in the
profound interest he feels in public
affairs. introduced the conversation
with Mr.. Tilden BY telling him ! had not
called through any idle curiosity or mere
iy to pav nv personal respects to him,
however glad wa. to do that; but that
I had called because Of very profound
conviction on my mind that he under
stood more thoroughly than any man in
the democratic party the necessity Of
making no mistake, either in platform or
candidate, for the coming campaign, aud
that his opinion would not only be very
potential in shaping the policy OF the
party, but that. in my judgment, the sue
cess ui the party in the canvass depend
ed largely upon having no! only his ear.
nest cooperation, but the benefit also Of
his nrulent counsel. stated to him that
| thought was entitled to his confidence,
and begged him to consider my visit rs q
real search after information 4 hat might
be of service to those OF the democratic
party in the South who had been in IL
habit for years Of looking 10 him as 4
safe and wise guide.
General Gordon remarked that lis nb'
icct WAS to put the conversation on SO
high plane as to draw cnt from MIR.
Tildcn his real CONVICTIONS and wishes
both as to himself and as to candidates
and platform. Continuing, the General
said:
II first asked Mr. 'liIden whether it
would be possible for the party TO induce
him, notwithstanding hi, physical con-
dtion, to undertake the campaign, il he
should be rendered the nomination. |
coupled this inquiry with an expression
of my earnest nope that he would con-
sent. lie replied, after some hesitation,
that he did not think the party ought To
ask him to make the sacrifice which he
would be obliged to make OF his health
and possibly his lite, but that he would
be ready TO give hnlil il he believed it
WA, III all essential lnr the welfare Of
the country. Wrl lie WAS 4 candidate
before. he said. he held in view, and
should have in vi"w now If i! WAS posi-
bic for him to rc candidate again, one
and o,lly one great purpose, which would
be- cnnprchcrdcd in the general term
reform that to ask linn TO undertake
,hi, reform which was equivalent 10
cnl;-ting Tor five years service, anu tna',
TOO. i'm n cause in which he could nor
enlist without irving To it his whole time
and thought, but Tor the success OF which
he could not hope without Il vast deal
more of physical strength than he pos.
scssed. With various other explanatory
remarks, he finally added with absolute
emphasis and great decision: No, !
cannot he Il candidate, and would not
accept if the nomination were rendered
me- then said to him: If thai is
your decision and it is irreversible, the
next thing is for me 10 inquire what, in
your Judgment, ough, to be the platform
of the democratic party and who should
he the nominee
at would require too much time to go
over Mr.. Ti!den's conversation, but 1t
may be summed up in 4 few words. AS
to platform, he was clearly OF the orln'
ion that the party should have made It's
campaign this year wholly one Of an
aggressive warfare upon the record of
the party in power, in which MIR. liiden
included all that had been charged
against the record Of the republican
party, especially that portion which had
been termed the coruptlons, without
discussing at all the merits OF the tariff
issue. understood him land | think |
did not misunderstood him. 10 express
an entire dissent from the policy OF max:
Ing tha. the issue in the campaign. |
10 not remember that Mr.. Tilden ex-
pressed any opinion rs to what IN his
Judgment WAS the true policy ct the
government in reference To the question
of tariff, the point under discussion be-
tween us being confined wholly 10 The
probability of success i'll the campaign
and not to the merits Of any special
politics. next asked him
ior his opinion rs to the availability of
candidates. His first remark WAS that
he WAS As much at sea rs | myself WAS,
ard that he WAS afraid to advise the
party for fear he mig lit m:lead them.
To this replied that il seemed 10 me Il
duty he owed tn the party Ia express
freely an opinion, if he had one, Gu That
subject To this he replied that he