Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-08
TILDEN WANTS A CHANGE.
Wherein He Is True To the Policy O
 His

TILDEN WANTS A CHANGE. l Wherein He Is True To the Policy of His Party.
 NEW YORK; Oct. 7.-After weeks of delay l occasioned by his feeble condition and the i constant demands of private affairs upon his l time and attention ex-Governor Samuel J. 1 Tilden has found opportunity to answer l the communication of the special committee of the Democratic national convention. His reply is as follows:
 GRAYsToNE, Oct 7, 1884. MT. Chairman and gentlemen of the commit tee:
 thank you for the kind terms in which you have communicated the resolutions con corning me adopted by the late Democratic
 national convention. I share your convic- | tion that the reform in the admin l istration of the federal government which is our great national want and is indeed essential to the restoration and pres ervation of the government itself only be assured through the agency of the Demo cratic party and by installing it's representa- tive in the chief magistracy of the United States. The noble historical traditions of | the Democratic party, the principles in which it was educated and to which it has ever been in the main faithful; it's freedom from the corrupt
 
 prolonged possession of power and the ele- ments which constitute it, all contribute to qualify it for that mission. The opposite characteristics and conditions which attach to the Republican party make it hopeless to ex- pect that that party will be able to give bet ter government than the debasing sys- tenn of abuses which during its ascend ency has infected official and political 1 life in this country. The Democratic party had it's origin in the efforts of the more ad- vanced patriots of the revolution to resist the perversion of our government from the ideal contemplated by the people. Among its l conspicuous founders are Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams and l John Hancock of Massachusetts, George l Clinton and Robert R. Livingston of New York ] and Geo. .Wyeth and Jas. Morrison of Virginia. | From the election of MT Jefferson as Presi- | dent in 1900 for sixty years the Democratic party mainly directed national policy. | It extended the boundaries of the republic | and laid the foundations of all our national 1 greatness, while it preserved the limitations 1 imposed by the constitution and maintained l a simple and pure system of domestic admin
 istratfon On the other hand, the Republi-
 can party has always been dominated by 1 principles which favor legislation for 1 the benefit of particular classes at the ex- pense of the body of the people. l It has become deeply tainted with the abuses which naturally grow up during long pos | 1 period of civil war and false finance The | patriotic and virtdous elements in it are un- | able to emancipate it from the sway of sell | fish interests which subordinate public duty i to personal greed. The most hopeful of the best citizens it contains despair ] of it's amendment except through its temporary expulsion from power. It has
 been boastingly asserted by 8 modern Massa- chusetts statesman, struggling to reconcile himself and his followers to their presiden- | tial candidate, that the Republican party contains disproportionate share of the ] wealth, the culture and the intelligence of 1 country. The unprincipled Grafton when ! taunted by James I.with his personal want of
 conscience answered, FEThat is true, but l 1 belong to @ party that has great deal of conscience" Such reasoners forget 1 that the same claim has been made in all ages and countries by the defenders of old l wrongs against new reforms. It was alleged by the tories of the American revolution
 against the patriots of that day. It was re-
 peated against Jefferson and afterwards
 against Jackson It is alleged by the Con
 servatives against those who in England now endeavorine
 to enlarge the popular suffrage All
 history shows that reforms in government
 must not be expected from those who sit
 serenely on the social mountain tops enjoy ing the benefits of the existing order ot l things. Even the Divine Author of our religion found his followers not among the self-complacent Pharisees, but among Iowly-
 minded fishermen. The Republican party is
 largely made up of those who live by their
 wits and who aspire in politics to advantages
 over the rest of mankind similar to those | which their daily lives are devoted to secur- ing in private business. The Democratic party consists largely of those who live by 1 the work of their hands and whose political I action is governed by their sentiments of 1 imagination. It results that the Democratic party more readily than the Republican par l ty can be moulded to the support
 of reform measures which involve sacrifice of selfish interests. The indispensable
 necessity of our times is change of admin
 istration in the great executive offices of the country. This in my judgment only be accomplished by the election of the Demo- ] cratic candidate for President and Vice | President.
 (SigneD SAMUEL J. TnDEN. 1 To R. H. Henry, chairman, B. B. Smalley and others of the special committee of the l national Democratic convention.