The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-08-18
RECOLLECTIONS OF MR. TiLDES.
Why lie Was Not Popular in South Carolina
some Fact. About the Campaign Of Seventy
(F. W. D. in The Sunday News.)

six.
(F'. W. D. in The Sunday News.)
The "Sage of Grammercy Park" wa
not . favorite in South Carolina. In
deed so far as there was any feeling OF
the subject, it was one of distrust anc
aversion. This was due to the manner
in which South Carolina was treated by
.Ir. Tilden in the campaign Of 1876
Mr.. Tlden had no expectation whatever
that this State could be carried by
the Democrats, and was averse to the
straightout movement. There were
electoral votes enough in sight, he
thought, to make him President, with,
ont any help from South Carolina, and
there is good authority for saying that
Mr.. Tilden had no doubt of the result,
IF South Carolina would only keep
quiet" But South Carolina determined
to make an heroic effort to throw off the
political yoke, and what in the begin
ming seemed impossible was, in short
time, well within the bounds of proba-
bility. It should have been evident to
every dispassionate observer that moth
ing was beyond the reach of the white
people of South Carolina, united as they
were, and erirlated with one purpose
and one hope. Nevertheless, Mr.. Til
den gave the South Carolina Democracy
the cold shoulder. This caused consid-
cradle irritation in the State, and engen-
dered the idea of voting for Hayes and
Hampton. By this plan considerable
number of colored votes was obtained
for General Hampton, the Democratic
candidate for Governor, in exchange for
white votes for the Republican candi-
date for President. The Democracy of
the State felt that they were deserted by
the leaders of the National Democracy,
and made the best bargain they could on
their own account.
Towards the end Of the canvass Mr..
Tilden seemed to realize that he had
made mistake, and promised to con-
tribute the enormous sum of $4,000 to
the Democratic campaign fund. A draft
for this amount was accordingly made,
and was discounted by one of the
Charleston banks. Mr.. Tilden, how
ever, failed to provide for the draft, and
it was ultimately paid out of money
raised in South Carolina. This story
concerning the draft and its fate comes
to me from an unimpeachable source.
It Will be remembered that General
Hampton was elected by majority Of
l, ,134, while Colonel Simpson, the can
didate for Lieutenant-Governor, had a
majority Of only 139. The majority for
the Republican electors in this State was
964. 1t is very evident from these fig
ures that the electoral vote of South
Carolina could have been secured by
Mr.. Tlden, if he had sustained the
Democracy OF the State in their efforts,
and had given them, in the canvass, tle
assistance they desired, and to which
they were entitled. But he did not
realize this fact until too late.
After the election it was proposed to
buy one OF the Republican electors.
The whole history of the negotiations
viii probably never be known, but it
seems to be reasonably certain that one
OF the lot offered to cast his vote for Til
den and Hendricks for the sum Of $780,
600. One of Mr.. Tilden's agents came
to South Carolina to look over the field
and ascertaincd that this could be ac-
complished, but the money was not
forthcoming. Mr. Tilden relied upon
Oregon, and let South Carolina go. The
Republicans heard, in some way, of the
negotiations which were in progress and
We're considerably alarmed. 1t is said
that, when the Electoral College met,
one of the Republican electors took
pistol from his pocket and announced,
with an oath, that he would blow out
the brains OF any elector who yentured
to vote for any other persons than Hayes
and Wheeler. C. C. Bowen was credited
with this exploit. At all events, the
electoral votes of South Carolina were
given to the Republican candidates.
Mr.. Tilden, as I have shown, literally
threw away the election. South Carroll
mas electoral votes would have given
him majority, without the vote of
Louisiana and Florida of which he was
robbed by the Returning Boards. Be-
sides this, he earned the ill-wil and dis
like OF the people Of South Carolina by
his attitude towards them at the time of
their successful struggle for deliverance
from Radical misrule. The feeling Of
the people was well expressed, four
years later, by Gen. James Connor, who
was in the thick Of the political battle of
1876. When the effort was made to
foist Tilden upon the Democracy IN
1880, General Connor said openly that
it was better to be beaten with Bayard
than to win with Tilden.
There was never any doubt Of Mr.. Til
dcn's ability, especially in money-mak-
ing, but in South Carolina he had but
few enthusiastic admirers, for the rea-
sons I have given. There was always an
idea that Tilden lacked nerve in politi-
cal crisis. Is it to be supposed for
moment that Hancock would have al
lowed himself to be defrauded of the
Presidency as Mr. Tlden was? Not
bit OF it. General Hancock would have
opposed any compromise Of any sort,
and would have appealed, if necessary,
to the people of the country to place
him in the office to which he had been
elected. 1t was the conviction that Mr..
Tilden lacked courage that made South
crn members of Congress willing to
acquiesce in the Eight-to-Seyen Electoral
Commission Bill.
There WAS hope for South Carolina
and Louisiana upon the installation of
Mr.. Hayes, and the two States made the
most Of the situation. Much, too, as
Mr.. Hayes has been abused, it should be
that it was during his term
OF office that the Southern States began
IN earnest their recovery from the ills
anl losses of the civil Mar There MaS