The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-04-18
Nh TILDEN'S VIEWS.
The Sage u Gramm rrey Park on the
y. Situation.
Nc Bsdsts'i In an Aggressive Cam
.fphgn- Hrs Preferences.
Points Of uu Let sting Interview.

IOiuls " hu ih'i n'"t
A Tribune repor or called yesterday on
General j. n. Gordon, formerly uni'ed
Btates senator from deNrgin, now president
OF the %lnttin.lionai Railroad company, oil
Florida, al bis Office Ia the Bryant building
10 inquire about the ruth OF published 10
ports ~ q ysit recently PAID by him To
bamutl J. rilden, General Gordon said'
al raw an editorial note ia THIS morn
ine's Woili, but do not knoy Ne souice.'
The reporter tnrn shnwei tho general n
notice Ia a. & eyt nj Herald, stating tha'
he had called IN Mr. Tilien, who had eA-
pressly refused TO a low the u,e OF bis
name Tor president, but he sad he though
Mr.. Payne could be ,ieo ed Tor three r'a
sont: First, that he had been fight on ~
the public Que,ti1ns thai had dlvlJed w.
country In the past tseniy year.; second
becsu.e his nomination would no Tighten
business men. snd lastly, because he had
the abilitl 10 conduct toe citNass and the
nacfssarv means for lrRi'imhts expenses,
0eperrl Gordon then said
at IL In the main a truthful representa-
zion. 10 - this iime ! should not nave
felt at liberty 10 talk ri all Ia reference 20
a1y sufg,st uns m.tr by Mr.. flieu TO me.
although he did not en- In confidence. i
do nos know now this report came 10 he
mad. IL aas certglUlg not through me.
I feel greater 10 riy % speak now nly br
cause NJ th- iact th Il Mr. PAYNE has nten
formally gifbdrlwn rom the canvass BY
the emphatic sthiuulent OF MS SOU mel
Pavue
al is'rue that / did recently cell on Mr.
Tildsu. WHOM | htd NOT seen for some time.
Twas Tntutr g~ra,iied 10 learn, 90, 10 spite
of reports, that IA. physical
strength was greater than | had antici,
pated, although ho is VERY fcbe. / did
no., however, tut nny material change, 40
far ~ my observation geut, ia his physical
conditi1u, since ~ VIA visit 20 him several
years ago. PosnblY his vQic Is some6hst
weaker OF one tntas, however, was
fully satisfied. fhGt y tha, h!s mental viz
or has not lessebod, nor aid discover any
abatement Va - o profound Interest he ieels
In public aIairs. | Introduced the CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Tilden by telling him ! bad
not called through any idI' curiosity or
merely To nav ny personal respects TO INN;
however glad ! was 10 do that, but thai
had called because OF a very profound con-
viclion on my mind tina; he understood
more thoroughly than any man In the dem
ocratlc party the Iecessitv OF making no
mistake, either In platform or candi.
date, 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
success OF the party IN the canvass depend
ed largely uDon having not only his earnest
90. operation, hut the bene tit also OF his pru-
dent cOunpel. | stated to him that / thought
I was entitled to his confidence, and begged
him TO consider my visit as n real search
after Information that might be Of service
10 those Of the democratic party in the
south who had been in q habit for years OF
looking 70 him As a safe and wise guide"
General Gordon remarked that his object
wal to put The conversation on 30 high q
plane ~ TO draw out from Mr.. Tilden his
real COW ctions antayishes both as to him.
self and rs t. candids tes and platform. Con-
tinuing, the general said:
~ first asked Mr.. Tilden whether IL
would be possible for the party to induce
him, not withstauding his physical condi-
ton, TO undertake the campaign, II he
should be rendered the nomination. ]
coupled this inquiry with m expression OF
Earnest hope that he would consent. He
replied after some hesitation, that he did
not think the party ought TO esk him 10
make the s~scriiice which he would be
obliged 10 make Of his health and possibly
his HE, Du that he would be ready to give
nom II he believed 1t was at all essential for
Z Welfare o. the country. When he was a
a iIate before, he held in view and
should have Ia view now II IL was possible
Ter him TO be a candidate again, one and
only one great purpose, which would
eral term reform, that to ask him to IN.
Adertake this reform, which was equivalent
20 enlisting for five years service, and that,
too, In a cause in which he would not enlist
without giving to IL his whole time and
thought, but for the success Of which he
could not hope without a vast deal more of
physical strength than be possessed. With
yarioul other explanatory emphasis and
great decision: No, l cannot be q candi-
date, and would not accept IL the nomins-
ton were rendered me- l then said to him:
If that Is your decision and IL Is %irrever-
sible, the next thing Is for me to inquire
shat In vrnr inAurnovt anuht IN hn thu
platform of the dssnocratic party and who
should be The nphlineeH
ut would REQUIRE too much time to 60
over Mr.. TilGen's conversation, but II may
be summed up In q iev words. AS to plat
form m, he was clearly OF the opinion that
the party should have made its campaign
this year wholly one OF an aggressive war
fare upon the record Of the party in power,
Ia which Mr. Tilden included nil that bad
been charged sgainst the record OF the re-
p1blicsn party, especially that portion
which had been termed the corruptions.
Without discussing AZ al Tho merits OF
the tar II issue, | understood him land |
think did not misunderstand him, TO ex-
pIsss aI eAtife dissent from the policy OF
making that the Issue in the campaign. l
do not rem mber that Mr.. Tilden expressed
any opinion as 10 what In his judgment was
the true policy Of the government in refer
ence TO the question OF tariff, the point IN
der disc usslon etwean us being conhned
wholly To tine probability OF success in the
cam oaign, and not to the merits OF M
eotcli, goyeroment p 'Iicies. 1 nexs asked
him for his opinion rs to he availability OF
candidates. His first remark was that he
was as much at sea as | meself o5s, and
that he was afraid 10 sdyise the party for
70 ar he might uiislead them. To that re-.
plied that II seemed TO me q duty he wed
Che party 10 express freely an opinion. II he
had one, on that subject. To this he replied
that he would not hesitate TO express an
opinion II he bad q well define one.
"In order 10 draw him out, | mentioned
quite a number of names which had been
suggested, upon all OF which he commented
freely. cannot now recall the exact DRIFT
Of hie conversation in this direction further
Oh al to give you the i'm preston left upon
my mind His opinions evidently tended
20 on. point-the absolute niece esity OF car.
rying New York If the democratic party
hoped for success. As TO VINO would carry
New York. he expressed u great deal OF
doubt, m.nt oniDg Mr.. Randall, Governor
Cleveland, Mr.. Flower. Senator BAyard
end Mr.. Payne. His general re.
mark was thst they were all good
satisfactory TO him. But the sum and sub
STANCE Of his talk convinced me that he WIS
clearly of the opinion that If Mr.. Payne
could BE- induced 10 accept the nomination,
- would be the strongest ate the
democracy csuId select. He was no sever,
yery emphatic i1 expressing the belief thai
% soid that Mr.. Payns's record In public
M Vas ~ pure, that be commanded so en-
61relv the confidence of the business public, |
which element the party could not
~ for success, That In bis judgment the
Siator-elect from Ohio could cert.inly
leFEx New York and se,sre o triumph OF
~7o~k;op u-TNew YORK Tribune. |