The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-17
Mr. Tilden's Views.

A Tribune reporter called Yesterday on
General J. b. Gordon, formerly United
States senator from Georgia, now Presi.
dent of the International Railroad and
Steamship Company, of Florida, at his
| office in the Bryant building, to inquire
about the truth of published reports of a
visit recently paid by him to Samuel ].
Tilden. General Gordon said:
81 saw an editorial note in this morn.
ing's World but do not know its source"
The reporter then showed the General
note in the Cleveland Herald, stating
that he had called on Mr.. Tilden, who
had expressly refused to allow the use of
his name for President, but had said that
he thought Mr. Payne could be elected
for three reasons: First, that he had
been right on all the public questions
that had divided the country in the past
twenty years second, because his nomi.
nation would not frighten business men /;
and, lastly, because he had the ability to
conduct the canvass and the necessary
means for legitimate expenses, General
Gordon then said:
ut is in the main a truthful rcoresen.
tation. Up to this time should not
have felt at liberty to talk at all in refer.
ence to any suggestions made by Mr..
Tilden to me, although lie did not enjoin
confidence. do not know how this
report came to be mace. II WAS certain.
ly not through me. feel greater liberty
to speak now, only because of the fact
that Mr. Payne has been formally with
drawn from the canvass by the emphatic
statement of his son, Colonel Payne.
at is true that did recently call on
Mr. Tilden, whom | had not seen for
some time. was rather gra:i!isa TO Gu,3,
ton. in spite Of reports, that his physics.
strength was greater than | had antici.
pated. although hs is very feeble. did
not, however, find any material change,
so far as my observation went, in his
physical condition, since my last visit to
him several years ago. Possibly his voice
is somewhat weaker. Of one thing,
however, l was fully satisfied. That is
that his mental vigor has not lessened,
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
y to pay my personal respects to him,
however glad was 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, and
that his opinion would not only be very
potential in shaping the policy of the
party, but that, in my Judgment, the sue
cess of the party in the canvass depend
ed largely upon having not only his ear
nest cooperation, but the benefit also of
his prudent counsel. stated to him that
thought was entitled to his confidence,
and begged him to consider my visit AZ q
real search after " ;rmation that might
be of service tot of the democratic
party in - had been in
habit 70 ling TO him as q
safe ant M
General Goru. lrkcd that his OBJ.
ject was to put L : conversation on so
high plane as to draw out from Mr..
Tilden his real convictions and wishes
both as to himself and as to candidates
aud platform. Continuing, the General
said:
81 first asked MIR. Tilden whether it
would be possible for the party to induce
him, Notwithstanding his physical con-
dition, to undertake the campaign, if he
should be rendered the nomination. !
coupled this Inquiry with An expression
Of my earnest hope that he wcGld con.
sent. He 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 life, but that he would
be ready TO give both ii he believed it
Was at all essential for the welfare Of
the country. When he was candidate
before, he said, lie held in view. and
should have in view now if it was posi-
BILE for him to be candidate again, one
and only one great purpose, which would
be comprehcudcd in the general term
reform; that to ask him to undertake
this reform which was equivalent TO
enlisting for FIVE yeaTs' service, and that,
too, in cause in which he could not
enlist without giving to it his whole time
and thought, but for the success of which
ho could not hope without vast deal
more of physical strength than he pos
Sessed. With various other explanatory
remarks, he finally added with absolute
emphasis and grea. decision: No,
cannot be candidate, and would not
accept if the nomination were rendered
mo- then said to him: If that is
your decision and 1t is irreversible, the
next thing is for me to inquire what, iu
your judgment, ought TO be- the platform
Of the democratic party and who should
be the nominee?'
ut would REQUIRE too much time to go
over Mr.. Tilden's conversation, but it
may be summed up in few words. AS
to platform, he was clearly of the opin-
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 Mr.. Tilden
included all that had been charged
against the record Of the republican
party, especially that portion which had
been termed the coriuptions, without
discussing at all the merits of the tariff
issue. understood him land think l
did net misunderstood bim) 10 express
an entire dissent from the policy of max
ing that tho issue in the campaign. I
do not remember that Mr. Tilden ex.
pressed any opinion as to what in his
judgment was the true policy Of the
government in reference to the question
Of tariff, the point under discussion be.
tween us being confined wholly to the
probability of success in the campaign
snd not 10 the merits Of any special
governmental politics. Inext asked him
for bis opinion as to the availability of
candidates. His first remark was that
be was as much at ses as myself was,
and that he was afraid to advise the
party for fear he might mislead them.
To this replied that it seemed TO me a
duty he owed to the party to express
freely an opinion, if he had one, on that
subject. To this he replied that he
VOuid not hesitate IN express an opininn