The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-07
biographical.


! The following is correct biographical
sketch of the late Samuel j. Tildeu, who
died suddenly at his country residence
Greystone, Yonkers, New York, on Wed
nesday morning at $50 o'clock of com,
plicated DISAGREEMENT Of the stomach;
"Samuel Jones Tilden's ancestors were
among the earliest English pilgrims that
arrived IN this country to settle in Massa-
chusetts. They appear to have belonged
to County Kent; at all events, one Nathan
lei Tilden, with nine other men Of Kent,
sailed for America in 1854; in 117j we
find one Daniel Tilden raising company
of militia in Connecticut and taking an &C
tive part in the proceedings belonging to
those exciting times; and the 18th Of
March, 1914, Samuel himself first saw the
light in New Lebanon, New York.
"Mr. Tildens earliest venture in politics
showed him possessed of strong democratic
tendencies, In 1893 he passed his prelim-
mary examination tor admission to Yale
College, where he became a member of
the class of 1881, to which Edwards Pier
repoiut, Chef.J ustice Waite, and William
NJ EvartS belonged. He did not, however,
finish his studies at Yale. The first years
application to serious work broke down
his health, and he returned TO his native
town, where more physical exercise and
less study for several months made him all
right again. He then resolved to finish his
academic course al New York University,
where he was graduated in 1894. He sub
sequently read law, and while a student in
the Office of John w. Edmunds in New
York, wrote several articles on the political
situation. One of these was in defense of
President Van Burens policy. II caused
considerable discussion in the newspaper
world especially so as the President was
conjectured to have written it. As soon as
he had been admitted to the bar, Mr.. Til
den opened an Office of his own in Pine
street, in New York city. Although en-
barked in professional life of kind which
called for the most arduous application, ne
did not lose his interest in politics. He
continued to express his opinions through
the press, and occasionally spoke at politi-
cal meetings.
"As soon as the presidential campaign
of 1874, in which James X. Polk was a
candidate, had fairly opened, Mr.. Tilden
founded the New York Daily Meas, In
connection with John o. Sullivan. The
following year he was sent to the Assem- bly,
from the city of New York, and elected as
delegate to the convention which was
to revise the constitution of the state. The
estrangement between the friends of Mr..
Polk and Mr.. Van Buren, In consequence
OF the election of 1916 caused Mr.. Tilden
to retire from politics and continue his at
tention TO the law. He Immediately began
series of triumphs at the bar which gave
him great reputation. Among the more
notable cases in which he was successful
may be mentioned that of Flagg VS.. Giles
Burdell VS.. Cunningham, a famous will
case, and that of the Pennsylvania Coal
Company VS.. the Delaware and Hudson
Canal Company. 1t is no exaggeration 10
say that from 1855 up TO the time he re-
tired from professional life, one half the
great railway corporations north of the
Ohio, and between the Hudson and MIssis
sippi, had been his clients. For some time
preceding the war he was the confidential
advisor of Dean Richmond, the leader OF
the Democratic party in the state Of New
| York.
In the contest In New York city between
the Citizens Committee of one hundred and
the Tweed Ring Mr. Tilden was the CHIEF
advisor of the Committee and the leading
spirit in the movement against the Tweed
corruption.
"The Democratic Convention held In
Sy racuse In September, 1913, nominated