New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-04

| been entitled only to brief remembrance as an
astute and wel-bred gentleman, who gave MS ''i'1
to practical politics without seeking ONCE anu
managed the campaigns of an exceedingly dlsrep""
able faction without sacrifice of personal charcte'
He had earned the respect of both PARTIES; but dis
name was associated with no poltlcai iuea anu A'
| important public measure.
In 1870 accident gave him the opportunity OIL HIS
life The thefts of the Tammany Ring were brought
to light. So far the effect upon the puDilc nlhu
was concerned the exposure i'll TIE TE'es was COM
plete; but sc carefully had the gang intrencheu
themselves that the difficulties in reaching thein pJ
the arm of the law seemed almost insurmountaplo'
In this state of affairs Mr. Tiden. in connection
with Mr.. Charles 0Conor, took up the prosecution
and it is no reflection upon the brilliant services Oh
others to say that the final overthrow ana PUNISH
ment of Tweed and his principal accomphces were
mainly their work. The cleverness with which MI
Tilden obtained and arrayed the legal evidence the
learning and ingenuity with which lie oVercaine
the obstacles to successful suit. the precautions
by which he defeated the secret schemes Oh the
criminals, and the pertinacity with which he kept
up the chase, are partly show n in Mr. Bgeiow nIS'
volume but they could not be shown III 1uil' LOT
there are none of MI Tilden's writings when tel
the whole story of this extraordinary prosecution
When Mr.. Tiden was nominated for the Governor
ship soon afterward, he accepted the distinction
|
sault upon another corrupt combination to whose
operations he had privately given some attention.
The breaking up of the Canal Ring was the great
| achievement of his Administrations But the Ad-
ministratiOn rs a whole was a remarkably wise one
In the management of the larger financial ana COM
merclal interests of the State Mr. Tilden displayed
abilities of the first order.-abities OF which MOTH
| ing in has previous life had given the pubic an
adequate idea. His nomination for the Presidency
in 1876 was foregone conclusion The bitter re-
| sentiment of Democratic factions IN his own STATE
which had suffered under his reforming zeal ma
itself in presence of the popular sentiment. 1t was
twenty years since the Democratic party mad taken
the field with so fair prospect of success. Inc
errors of General Grants civil administration had
coused polltcal differences to be almost forgotten In
the demand for just those executive qualities
which the Governor of New-York had exhibited in
so large a measure.
Mr. Tilden undoubtedly believed that a fair count
would have given him the election. All his party
| except a few men behind the scenes believed the
same thing. The Judgment of the mass OF mankind
| is always impulsve, illogical and inclined 80 IN
furious suspcions and when 81 exciting contest IS
decided by a majority OF one vote, the successful
competitor is sure to be accused of fraud for no bet
ter reason than because his majority is not greater
Besides in most of the States, where the sole bust
ness of n returning board is to count the ballots
found in the box without regard to the methods OF
the election, people never realized that there were
| five OF six Southern States in which the powers anu
duties of these bodies were far more extensive, SO
that when they threw out votes on the ground of
fraud intimidation, and disorder at the polls they
were only acting within the law and fulfilling their
prescribed functions Whether the violence at the
! polls in any particular case was bad enough 10
vitiate the returns was question of fact which the
| Il. a, rf,,.ly mol
exceptional ana dangerous provisions of the election
! law in tie States upon which the contest for the
Presidency finally turned. 1t was inevitable That n
decision rendered under these circumstances should
! be passionately attacked. In the midst OF the
| clamor and threats of revolutionary violence Mr..
| Tilden behaved with dignity. The best traditions
of the old school of political department were never
more effectively illustrated than in his conduct
| under these trying circumstances But for n most
extraordinary discovery he would have passed into
history a romantic figure invested with Ealo OF all
public virtues and q melancholy legend OF injury.
1t was at the moment of his most successful pose as
the victim of a national wrong that an invcstga-
ton originally instituted by his friends, led to the
revelation of n conspiracy in his own house to buy
the Presidency for cash. No guilty knowledge OF
this plot was brought home to him; but the senti-
mental view of Mr.. Tilden forever destroyed by
the disclosures Fate could not have INDUCED
crueier irony than the laying bare OF that coparcehy
of corruption, formed under the very nose OF the
champion of REFORM by his most conhdentlai
agents and for his benefit.
uisnot difficult to define Mr.. Tildens place in
the history of American politics lie has no rauk
as an expounder of constitutional theories. lie has
no taste for the discussion of general party prnci
pies or abstract ideas OF government. He has never
| been leader of opinion. lie has never devised
party policy. He did not guide the Democracy
even in the perIlous complications OF the electoral
dispute Nothing could be moro inapt than Mr..
Bigelow's designation of him as Que OF the II ost
profound of modern statesmen His distinction is
of qaite another kind. He is one of the most
sagacious political managers our time has seen.
Never stepping in advance of his party but always
well up in its front rank he has been representa-
tive and true representative, of its best element
while shrewdly controlling its worst. Rarely has
dlsnterested respectability held suca power in the
| caucuses of debauched place-hunters and profess
sonal cheats. But above all he has talent for adj
ministration which approaches genius. The bright
part of his career is the period OF six years which
| embraces tie prosecution of the Tanmany Ring,
the ruin of the corrupt judges, and the reform in
the affairs Of the Canals. The whole OF his really
important service to the public is included in this
time 1t was q short service, but llustrous and the
more closely VIC examine the moro We shall admire
| IT, Mr. Tilden has so often been accused of eX-
cessiye caution that the reader may smile at being
told that the most marked Characteristic of his
method of reform was boldness No politician ever
realized as he did that ii is better TO expose and
punish the rogues Of your own party than to leave
the opportunity to your opponents The puolica-
ton of the Ring accounts only gave him chance
against the Tweed gang for which lie had long
been watching. The contest was in progress and
the result uncertain when he attempted but in
| IN fla
still powerful Tammany. What he says of this
action in his pamphlet defence against The Times is
so true and the Illustration Of the boldness of his
reform methods is apt. that we copy paragraI