Omaha daily bee., 1886-08-20
AN OvERRATED MAN..
Samuel j. TiIden without ANY Real
Decision of Character.

Gath in Cincinnati Enquirer: One
evening met man named Conover, a
Florida senator from the north, who
began to talk about Tilden having car
ried Florida, and said he knew it. | saw
the situation in u few minutes, and, de-
string 10 have no more fighting in the
country, | went down to Tilden's house
about Conover's situation. Conover, |
suppose, wanted the state patronage of
Florida saved for himself and friends,
but was willing to present the electoral
vote of the state to the democrats. The
same position was taken by John j Pat
terson of South Carolina, who saw an IN
dictmcnt hanging over his head unless
he would work we'll the democratic
harness, carpetbagger as he had been.
When | arrived at Mr.. Tilden's house
sent my name to him. He came out and
was Immediately pestered by some bores
of women, who had apparently come to
bespeak his attention to the claims of
office for their KIN.
Tilden looked haggard, limp, and with
out any decision of character. So far
from seeming to be a cheerful happy
person, who had come nearer to the pres
idency than any man since Buchanan, he
could have been, figuratively speaking,
put in Il spit-ball and thrown against the
wall to stick there. He bore the gulse Of
one who had neither slept, nor eaten
nor been philosophic, Having waited as
long as / thought fit, considering what
matter had to tell him, | arose to 60
He came over to me and stuck out his
ear as usual. told him there were two
senators, as | believed and one as 1
knew, who were considering the prop
rcty of deserting the republicans in
order to settle the presidential matter
upon basis of peace and perhaps JUS
tice. He replied to ME in whisper:
"Yes, l know all about it; and, now 1 beg
of you, don't print anything about it, or
you Will frighten them away
had been to see Mr.. Iilden but little
while before, when he seemed full of joy,
chiefly on account of his nomination.
Therefore, when | met him who had the
reputation of being man OF courageous
business decision and strong common
sense so thoroughly unnerved in the new
standing he had acquired, thought to
myself: This man is not tit to be presi-
dent of the United States He has been
overrated for his real qualities. He may
be all right in tinesse campaigning, get
ting out the vote. etc, but the country is
not gong to get along with him"
! was not, therefore, surprised to sec
! Tilden lose the presidency with every
wicket in his hands but one, and / have
| never been able to resist the conclusion
| that he played his game with an empty
hand Undoubtedly it is much in a
mans favor that he has the decisivencss
to go to war when his country expects
war, and offers the extraordinary points
| of career which only military life can
give. Hayes wrote in his letter to his
| wife when Mr.. Lincoln's call for troops
came: "Stanley Matthews and l have
| agreed to 90 into the war. | had rather
die in the war than live through it and
not have taken part in it, The soldier
| got the office because he had the nerve
not to trifle with his friends who set to
| work for him. Tilden, on the other hand
abandoned his friends as far as he dared,
and those who saw Pelton, after all his
| labors, discarded and sent to die drunk
| ard death never looked on 1ilden again
as If he We're man tit to rule the
| country.