Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-01

was the representative Of the views OF Gov
eraor Tflden. In 1880 Governor T1lden
deEAfmined to ahdicatA and the leadership
Was handed over to Mr.. Manning, 10
quietly, though; that the transfer was
hardly realized. It was done BY placing
the programme for the State Convention Of
1884, which choose delegates to the Ma
tional Convention. in his hands to carry
| out, and when the delegation was made up.
making him the chairman OF it, and
thus it's leader. Few at the time ap-
preciated the significance Of these events,
or that the abdication of Governor .Tilden
as the leader OF the Democracy of the State
| OF New York, by a letter to the National
| Convention, was to take place. So pOten.
| tial had Mr.. Manning already become, the
selection seemed to be by rexsOn-0 OF natural
fitness. Other things attracted party
attention Was or was not Mr.. Tilden -
candidate for r~enomination? He was not.
| tits d;ficult to state the facts of this period
W thout becoming involved in a MAJ OF APP
parent contradictions. Tre,e al be no
doubt now that Mr.. Tilden was not a can
didate. but that he thought that the nomi-
alton ought to have been rendered to
him, under all circumstances. for him to
decline or accept, as he saw fit. and il the
former. with the privilege Of appointing or
suggesting the nominee. Only a few were in
the secret that a ..-,
LETTER OF ~ABDIcArIoN WAS IN EXISTENCE,
to be used as circumstances should dictate;
the rest were left in doubt as to whether he
was or was not q candidate. Subsequent
events go to show that Mr.. Manning even
wal not in possession OF the knowledge Of
| the real desire of Mr.. Tilden upon the sub
iect. Mr.. TiIden had acquiesced in the idea
that Mr.. Payne, OF Ohio, should be the
nominee, and this was the secret pro-
gramme. Perhaps Mr.. Tilden thought that
| the Convention would refuse to nominate
any one but himself, and that he could rely
! upon this fact, and SO, while iavoring the
nomination ofMr. Payne, not be compelled
to confide his confidential aid, his secret
desire. Had he been nominated, he would
have declined and probably suggested Mr..
Payne, but he unquestionably wanted the
opportunity TO decline, and nus make his
exit from the political stage, upon which he
had for 20 many years beer SO imposing
a figure, with becoming dignity. The mis-
take was that he kept his own counsel. In
the meantime, the Payne intrigue did not
progress, for the reason that the Ohio dele
gaticn refused to unite upon Mr.. Payne, q
strong contingent under the leadership OF
Senator Thurman privately refusing to sup
port that candidacy. The New York dele
cation seemed to be ~wobbling, for into the
Payne intrigue few were admitted. A pow
ertul element in the convention was openly
declared for Governor Tilden, and the
streets rang with every mention OF his
name. Between the desire to carry out the
programme for Mr.. Payne. momemtariiy
growing less and less possible, and the grow
ing conviction that the wise thin to do
was to renominate Governor Tilden, Nj.
Manning and his friends did nothing, and
the result was that New York, instead OF
assuming her natural position as leader in
the convention, feebly Jagged in the rear
and voted Tor a nominee in whose triumph
it had not assisted in the slightss st degree.
Truly, tEis wa not a promising debut as a
State leader; but there is an unwritten his
tory Of these days which has never yet
been told, and when it is, Mr.. Manning will
be held g~uiltless Of laundering except ia not
seeing that the duty Mr.. Tilden really de-
sired OF him was disobedience Of the orders
he had issued, and the forcing of his nOmi-
nation in the lace OF his expressed wish to
the contrary. In persisting in laundering
in this respect Mr.. Manning made conspic-
nous manifestation OF that wisdom which
in consequent years friends claimed for him
and I ppOnents conceded.
MANNING's METHODS.
Mr.. Manning's methods in politics may
he summed up in the Richelieun maxim, /
al means to conciliate; these failing, all
powers to crush" The machinery for con-
Citation was always exposed to view; that
for crushing wa never known to be in op-
GRAFTON until the victim was crushed. He
is not a man OF resentments nor of malic- |
ious disposition. Submission to the lead |
OF the regular organization carried with it
Il full pardon for offeDses committed in |
the past. The powers to crush were
only exercised when long continued OBJ
duracy exhausted patience. Opposition to
the regular organization was a party crime
never to be torRiven SO long as conti,. ued, but
pardoned as soon as it ceased; yet l doubt
whether full confidence was ever given to
the offender. Independence was a crime,
He had always been faithful to
the regular leaders, and, having become the
leader, he excited the same loyalI
he had himself yielded to his
His idea of party organization
was that the details should be taken care
OF in the assembly districts; that the
county leaders should deliver to the con-
yention delegates whose fidelity to the
State organization should be unquestioned
and unwavering; that this should be done
IN blind faith and without regard to what
the programme might eventually be. He
no little asperity at times when,
|ong before the convention assembled, be
was b red with applications for q pro-
'ramme. Indeed, it was not often that he
any well-defned plan before reaching
The place OF meeting. That, in his opinion,
vas the place Of consultations; and he con-
suited freely, reserving, apparently, his '
light as a State leader, to finally approve
hat programme or plan which seemed best j
% meet the situation as it existed. Hence
t was, as is perceived, that those county
who delivered a delegation staunch I
md true were the o highly thought OF. 1
The supreme test was unfailing regularity
a delivering delegations. These leaders I
we're admitted into the innermost conf
|ences and marked for preferment in the
Getting there" Inc never failing =
sas the touchstOne. III
1t was at times the case that, %relyinp
pom county leaders, as seemed to be his I
xed purpose. he was given q cow. ntion >
o handle that was not altogether pliable, +
it wal at such times that he displayed f.,
hat ability and adroitness claimed for !
i'm. Confidently relying upon the ability {
i the county leaders friendly to the regu-
II organization in 1884, he came very c
ear losing Mr.. Cleveland the presidential t
I have heard pc pie conf
liment Mr.. Manning upon the work he Q
,ust have done long months before p
MEETING OF THE SARATOGA CONVENTION
I 1884. The people will be surprised to p
arm that no work al done at all. There b
no doubt but that Mr.. Ma: ming early
onceived the idea OF presenting the name f
I Governor Cleveland to the Chicago con- u
ention as the choice of New York. But it
as not his desire to so present the name RI
Mess there was a chance for his election. n
hat largely depended upon the Republi-
an nomination. So everything was put =
side until that was determined. The ar y
emit youngsters surrounding the Governor 6
1afed under these tactics, and in secret
enounced the dilatory methods as the 9,
lpremest folly. declared that the only 4
hing Mr.. Manning had learned from Gov
nor Tilden was the habit of prucrastina- g
and demonstrated to their own and il
,ch Others satisfaction how much better
ley would have run things if they only tt
I'D the power and opportunity. Perhaps W
leir bumptiousness may be pardoned. for
ley were in :ead earnest; Mr.. Flower was