Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-08-07

was born at New Lebanon, Ill tue ooui
ty of Columbia, N. Y, in The year
1914. He had a thorough infusion OF
English blood, one of his ancestors,
Nathaniel Tilden, having been m iozo
mayor of Tenterden, County kent'
England, subsequently, moving 10
Massachusetts in 1884.
The grandfather of Samuel j.. Illuen
settled in Columbia county, and his
son., Elam, who became the father OF
the democratic statesman, was q farmer
and merchant of the town OF New Leb-
anon, a man of excellent judgment
and good sense, and so well informed
in political matters as to be looked upon
as the oracle of the county and to De
regarded by President Van Buren, as q
warm personal friend. 1t was from
this side of the house that Gov. Iilden
inherited his taste for political pursuits
and his wide acquaintance with AFFAIRS
had its root in his early associations
with his father.
In his 18th year Samuel entered Yale
College, but he had not been there long
when his health gave way and he was
compelled to leave. Later on in 1884,
at the age of 20, he entered the Uni
versity of New York where he finished
his academic education. Then he en-
tered the Iaw-office of John w. Ed
munds in New York, where he enjoyed
unusually valuable facilities for study
ing law and politics.
HIS PUBLIC STEP.
Soon after the accession of Van Buren,
to the presidency came the great panic
of 1887, and a bitter debate swept the
country. The presidents recommends
ton for the separation of the govern
ment of from the banks n the estab-
lishment an Independent treasury called
down upon the executives head the
fiercest denunciation. The young law
yer had imbibed from his father a great
admiration for Van Buren,, and this in
spired him to publish a series of papers
signed "Crino" in defense of the presi-
dent. These productions were marked
by great maturity of thought.
On being admitted to the bar, in
184l, Mr.. Tilden opened a law office
on Pine street, New York. In 1874 he
founded the Daily News to take part in
the election of James X. Polk. In the
fall of 1915 he was sent to the assembly
from the metropolis, and while a men,
Der was selected to the convention for
the remodeling of the constitution of
the state. In both these bodies Mr..
Tilden was no insignificant factor.
Political discussions among the friends
OF Polk and Van Buren, and his own
defeat tor encouragement OF New
York estranged Mr.. Tllden from poll
tics and for over a decade he devoted
himself strictly to his profession. His
practice was very extensive and by it
he amassed considerable wealth. He
was counsel in 1855 in the Flagg case
growing Out of the contested election
for the comptrollershlp of New York
City, and in 1857 was attorney tor the
relatives OF DR.. Burdell in the cele-
brated suit with Mrs. Cunningham and
for the Pennsylvania Coal Company in
its suit with the Delaware & Hudson
Canal Company.
HIS WAR RECORD.
Up to the breaking out of the rebel
lion he made every effort to avert
bloodshed, but when his endeavors
proved vain he sided ~unflinchingly with
the Union In the winter of 1860 81
he attended a meeting OF the leading
men of both parties in the city of New
York to consider the question of the
hour. Mr.. Tilden counseled modera-
ton for both sides. During the war
he occupied a position that lacked 80
much OF encouragement in its attitude
toward the federal government that his
loyalty was impugned afterward by his
political opponents, who made much
not only out Of his actions in his own
state, but also his prominence in the
peace convention at Chicago in 1864,
when Gen. Mcclellan was put up
against President Lincoln. He was &C.
cused of having a hand in incorporat-
ing into the platform the "war is a
failure" clause, but in a communica-
ton published in 1876, Manton Marble
declared that he had the original letter
from Gov. Tilden to Gen. Mcclellan
requesting that the Objectionable words
be eliminated from the platform. In
the same publication Mr.. Marble states
that in a paper prepared in October,
1862, to set forth the position of the
New York democracy, Gov. Tilden
closed with this patriotic burst:
GRAND WORDS.
"We will give you everything that
local self government demands every
thing that a common ancestry of glory,
everything national fraternity or
Christian fellowship requires; but to
dissolve the federal bond between these
states, to dismember our country,
whoever else consents, we will not.
No, never, never, never"
HIS REFORM RECORD.
In 1866 MIR. Tilden was made chair.
man OF the democratic state committee,
and was a leading member of the con
stitutiOnal convention held in 1867,
serving with distinction on the finance
committee. He became an earnest and
uncompromising laborer in the cause
of judicial and political reform in the
city of New York, and in 1869-7O was
active in organizing the bar asso-
citation of New Yew York City. When
the contest was waged against the
members of the Tammany ring hold
ing city offices, charged with de-
irauding the city treasury of many
millions, Gov. Tilden won great fame
and took his first step to ward the Gre
form" candidacy for the presidency, by
his celebrated analysis of the accounts
of the Broadway Bank, showing con-
clusively how Tweed and his pals had
shared their spoils and producing evi.
dence on which they were convicted
In 1872 he was again elected to thu
general assembly, where he continued
his exertions IN the cause of reform.
In 1874 he was elected governor Of
New York over Gen, John A. Dix by
a plurality of $4,000 votes, reversing
Dix's plurality of $4,000 of two year
before. He was inaugurated January
1, 1875, and Immediately began active
operations against the ''capal ring
" which resulted in the overthrow of tina
organization.
ELECTED PRESIDENT.
AT the democratic convention in st
Louis in 1876 he was nominated on thu
second ballot, receiving 535 votes in q
total of 1873, two-thirds being necessa.
ry to a choice. The other votes wer,
cast as follows: Allen, Sd Thurman
2; Hendricks, So, Bayard, 4; Hancock
So Thos. A. Hendricks was nominated
for vice president. The result of thu
election as officially returned gave Gov
Tilden a majority over all of 157 1894
He was, however, counted out by tn,
memorable electoral commission com
posed of five members each from tn
senate, the house and the suprem,
court, which gave the presidency t.
Rutherford B. Hayes. During the ex.
citing scenes of the winter of 1851
Gov. Tilden held himself with grea
patience and discretion and never CAV
expression to a word calculated to IN