Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-08-05
Thursday, August s, 1856.
SAMUEL J. TILDEN.

The news of the death of Samuel j. Tilden,
which came yesterday, was entirely unex-
pectsd. Everybody knew that he was not in
good health, but the reports during the last
four or i've years concerning his condition
have been of such a character that they have
ceased to make much impression on the pub
lie mind. The general feeling was that Mr..
Tilden, though physically weak, was likely
to survive for several years.
Mr.. Tilden's career was useful and a
great one. AS lawyer he was employed in
many very important cases, and it WAS said
just before he was elected governor of New
York that "more than half of the railroad
enterprises of the West, north of the Ohio
and between the Hudson and Missouri rivers,
during the last twenty years have, in one way
or another, stood in the relation of eli entage
to Mr.. Tilden." He was very thorough in
his legal work and fairly won his cases and
his reputation. He took aR interest in poll
tics from his youth up. He made poll teal
speeches while still student, and also con-
tributed to the political press. He was elect
ed member of the New York legislature in
1916, which was his first political Office. The
State constitutional convention, and was q
leading member of it, giving special atten-
tion to the framing of the States canal poll
cy. In 1855 he was the candidate for Attor-
ney General of the 'tSofts," aud stood third
on the list, the Know Nothing candidate
leading, with the Republican second. In 1866
he was made chairman of the Democratic
State committee of New York, and year
later he a member of the constitutional
mittee on Finance.
Mr.. Ti1den had been doing hard and faith
full work in the law and in political manage
ment for many years when he began the work
which brought him fame and public power.
This was his attack on the Tweed ring. He
said of his efforts against the ring: ''I gave
sixteen months of time to these public OBJ
jects, with as incessant and earnest effert as
I ever applied to any purpose. The tota'
surrender of my professional business during
that time, the nearly absolute withdrawal of
attention from my private affairs and from
all enterprises in which am interested, have
cost me a loss of actual income which, with
the expenditures and contributions the con-
test has required, would be respectable en-
dowment of public charity. The surrender
of two summers, after had shaped all my
engagements to take my first vacation in
many years, was serious sacrifice" But he
did great public service, and had part of
his reward in the nomination for governor by
the Democratic party and an election by a
vote which showed the popular appreciation
of his ability and honesty. While governor
he broke up the canal ring, and in other re-
spects benefited the State.
His rise into national prominence, his NOM
ination for the Presidency and the famous
dispute which followed the election are we'll
remembered. He refused to have his name
used in the convention of 1880, and since
then has lived very quietly. He had very
strong hold upon the Democratic party, which
he had legitimately gained by the exercise of
his great ability and by his honesty. He died
revered by many of his eountrymen and re-
spected by all.