The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-08-13

Samuel Jones Tiiden was born in New
Lebanon, Columbia county, n. Y. on
February 10. 1914 He ent cred Yale
College in 1882. but completed his course
at the University of New York, after
which he was admitted to the bar. He
was a member of the State Constitution
al Convention in 1916, aCd also OF the
lower House Of the State Legislature.
10 both these positions he did much to
shape the canal policy of the state. in
it's day the foremost question of state
politics. In 1866 he was a candidate
for Attorney General of the State but
wcs defeated. In 1866 he was chosen
Chairman of the State Democratic COM
mittee and he held this position for
number of years. In 1867 he was a
second time a member OF a convention
called to amend the constitution of the
State. In 1S69-70 he was active il the
organization of the bar ASSOCIATION. In
1S70-71 he was prominent in detecting
important frauds in the government of
New York city. and bringing the per-
petrators to Justice. 1t was this that
brought him into great prominence thro'
the country and made his name a synO-
nym for Reform. In 1872 he was again
a member of the assembly, where he
followed up his Reform work by securing
changes of the law which have proved
an incaleulable gain to the cause of
good government, both in the city and
state of New York. In November,
1874, he was elected Governor of New
York, by so, 81 majority. He was a
great lawyer, versed especially in MAJ
far Of 1i4irrafinr, a
most important cases in which be was
counsel were the Flagg contested cleo
tiOn. for the omptrOlership of New
York city in 1856 the BurdeIl heirs
against Mrs. Cunningham in 1851; the
Cumberland Coal case in 1853 and the
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company
against the Pennsylvania Coal Chmpany
in 1868.
In June, 1876 he was nominated by
the Democratic National Convention at
St. Louis the candidate fOI the Presi-
dency. At the election following. Mr.
Tilden received a very large majority of
the popular vote, and, as all Democrats
and most Republicans believe, and a
majority Cf the Democratic Electors
were also elected. But the vote in Lou
isana, South Carolina and Florida was
disputed. Partisan returning boards in
those states had most shamefully doc
tOred it. Finally, after period of great
excitement il Congress and through the
country, the matter was referred to an
Electoral Commission, composed of 1--WE
Judges of the Supreme Court, i've Sen
atOrs, and five members ot the House Of
Representatives The Commission voted
s TO Z, to give the disputed votes to
Rutherford B. Hayes, and thus one man,
Mr., Justice Bradley. who cast the deci-
ding vote, was placed in a position to,
and actually old, undo the will of the
majority of the people and of the states
in the exercise of their highest act of
sovereignty. The Electoral College, con-
stituted after and by the Commission
gave just one majority for Hayes
In 1880 Mr.. Tilden was again named
for the Presidency, but he declined it in
letter read before the Democratic Nd
tiOnal Convention at Cincinnati. Since
then he has lived in retirement, emerging
occasionally, however, in letters on i'm
pOrtant public subjects, showing that he
never lost interest in his country. and
that his great mind never weakened in
its grasp of great questions.
Mr.. Tilden never married.