The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-06-19
MR. TILDEN YIELDS TO DESTINY.
An Open Letter Thanking the People for
their Confidence and support, but De-
ciinIng TO be Again q Candidate.
New YORK, June 1.-THE following
paper, from Eamuei J. Tilden, has been

10 Manning, Chairman Democratlc
! State Committee for New York In ny
letter of June l8, 1880, addressed 10 the
delegates from the State Of New York TO
the Democratic National Contention |
said Having now borne faithfully
my full share o! labor and care in public
service and wearing marks Of it. bur
dens, desire nothing so much As IN
honorable discharge wish to lay down
the honors and tolls Of even quasi party
leadership and 10 seek the repose Of pfi-
vate life. In renoruciDg the nomination
| for the Presidency / DO SO with no doubt
| in nv mind a. 10 the vote of the State Of
| Ncw York or Of the United States. but
becau.e believe that it il the renuncia.
ton OF re election to the Presidency.
To those Who think my denomination
AMI re election Indispensable TO an effect
uai Yndica.iOD Of the right Of the pen-
PIE 10 elect their rulers, violated in my
person, have accorded as long a reserve
Of my decision as possible, but | cannot
overcome my reprgnaDce 10 enter into
new engagement, which involves four
vears Of cea.eless toll. The dignity Of
the Presidential Office is above merely
personal ambition, but it creates in me
no illusion. II. Talue j. as great power
for good 70 the country. ! said four
years ago in accepting the nomination
Knowing as do, therefore, from fresh
experience how grca, the difference is
between gliding through an official
routine and working out reform Of sys
TENS and policies, it is impossible for .ue
| 70 contemplate what needs TO be done in
the Federal Administration without an
| anxious sense Of the difficulties Of the
undertaking. II summoned by the auf
trages of my coun.rymen to attempt this
work shall cndcavor with Gods help
TO be the efficient instrument of :heir
will Such work of rcnOvating after
many gears Gf miagu!e, such 3 reform nf
systems aud policies, 10 which | would
chcerfully have sacrificed all that re,
mained to me Of health and life, is now,
I fear, beyond my strength" My pur-
pose 10 Withdraw from further public
service, and the grounds Of it, were at
that time well known to you and to 9th.
ers, and when ut Cincinnati, though re-
specting my wishes yourself, you com
muDicated TO me ar appeal from many
valued friends to r:linquish that purpo.e,
/ reiterated my determination uncondi.
tionally. In the four years which have
since elapsed nothing has occurred TO
weaken but everything to strengthen the
considerations which prompted my with.
drawal from public life. To all who have
addressed me on the subject my inten-
ton has been fairly communicated.
Some Of my more especial friends, under
the sanction Of their own names, have
publicly stated my determination to be
irreye7sbie. That have occasion now
to consider the question is an event for
which have no responsibility. The ap.
| Hn 1n h,, hn t,c
masses with apparent unanimity to serve
| them once more is entitled to the most
defcrential consideration, and would
inspire disposition to do anything de-
| sired Of ne if it were consistent with my
judgment Of duty. believe there is no
instrumcntality in human society 80
potential in its influence upon mankind
| for good or evil as the governmental
machinery for administering justice and
for making and executing laws. Not all
| The eleemosynary institutions or private
benevolences to which philanthropists
| may devote their lives are 30 fruitful in
benefits Us the rescue and preservation of
| this machinery from the perversions that
| make 1t the instrument of conspiracy
| and fraud and crime against the most
| sacred rights and interests of the people.
For fifty years rs private citizen, never
contemplating an official career, have
devoted at least as much thought and
effort to the duty of influencing right
action Of the Government institutions Of
my country An 10 nil ether objects. |
have never accepted official service ex.
cept for brief period for special pur.
pose, and only when the occasion seemed
to require from me that sacrifice Of pri.
vate preferences to public welfare. /
undertook the State administration Of
New York because it was supposed that
in that way only could the executive
power be arrayed on the aide of reforms
to which rs private citizen had given
three years Of my life. accepted the
nomination for the Presidency in 1876
because OF the general conviction that
my candidacy would best present the
issue of reform which the Democratic
majority of the people desired to have
worked out in the Federal Government,
as it had been in that Of the State of
New York. believed hud strength
enough then TO renovate the administra.
tion of the Government Of the United
States, and at the close Of my term to
hand o.cr shat great trust to 6 SUCCESSOR
faithful to tho same policy. Though |
anxious to seek the repose Of private life
aCtSu upOu tlc lued tuHt
every power ia q trust and involves n
duty. In reply to the address Of the
committee communicating my nomina.
tion, depicted the difficulties of the |
undertaking and likened my feelings in
engaging in 1t to those Of soldier enter.
ing battle, but I did not withhold the |
entire conservation OF my powers to the |
public service. Twenty years of contin.
uons maladministration, under the de. |
moralizing influence Of intestine war and |
bad finance, have infected the whole |
governmental system of the United |
States with cancerous growths, false con.
structions and corrupt practices. Power.
full claases have acquired pecuniary IN.
terests in official abuses, and the moral |
standards of the people have been im.
paired. To redress these evils ID work |
Of great difficulty and labor, and cannot |
be accomplished without the most eper.
getic and efficient and personal action on
the part Of the Chief Executive of the |
Republic. The canvass and administra.
ton which 1t is desired that should |
undertake would embrace period of
nearly five years. Nor can admit any
illusion aa to their burdens. Three years
Of experience in the endeavor to reform
the municipal government of the city
Of New York and two years of expert.
ence in renovating the administration of
the State of New York have made me
familiar with the requirements Of such
work. Al the present time the consider.
ations which induced my actions in 1880 |
have hecome imDeratiye nuoht mt IN