Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-02
DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE Prof r
LESS NOW


LESS NOW.
AS in the case Of Gen. Grant, the death
OF Mr.. Tilden is giving birth to great
deal Of literature bearing on political
events and eras with which the dead
statesman had to do. Quite naturally
the contest OF 1876 and its incidents IS a
popular theme. The history Of the cleo
toral commission has been told again, and
Mr.. Tllden's position at that time has
been brought under discussion with as
much gusto as though 1t were news to
the American people. In some instance,
the discussion has taken an unfortun a.,
II not an unseemly form. Some &c Ana.
men seem to have awaited Mr.. T ,lescn,s
death as an occasion warrants Az 4bei,
going into print to tell what t'Aev know
about the seven to eight Business. and
how Mr.. Tllden actcd---w Ast he might
have done and what he didn't do Hon.
Abram Hewitt OF New York, a gentle
man who Is known to- have been very
near Mr.. Tilden at tlAe period mentioned,
Is contributing his mite to the discussion.
and II Is Mr.. Hewltt's opinion that Tilden
displayed great lack OF nerve and de-
cision. In one letter Mr.. Hewitt saws
~ spent three days in framing letter for
Mr. Iilden, saying to the American peo-
pie that he believed himself to be the
president elect, and that on the 9Th of
March, 1877, he would come TO Washing
ton to be inaugurated. This letter took
to Mr.. Tilden, and l did everything
could to get him to sign 1t, but he refused
to do 80. David Dudley Field and N.Y.
sell spent great while with Mr.. Tilden,
hoping to have him yield and sign the
letter. He threw the presidency away
by his refusal. still have the letter
with Mr.. Tilden's writing ON the
subject, giving his reasons for not sign
Ing it. 1t will be made public some day.
There Is much Of the history that has
never been written. These with many
other instances, when known, will show
believe, that it was Mr.. Tilden himself
who was lacking In the courage neces.
sary for the trying situation of that
time" These assertions are prohtless
now. The sober sense of the Democratic
party has recognized, long ago, that Mr..
Iildeu was as helpless, dguratvely
speaking, as a man with his hands tied.
II he had counselled force to have him
sell inaugurated as president, there
were Democrats, In and out of congress,
ready to condemn such policy, and 1t Is
very doubtful II force, as matters stood
then, could have made Mr.. Tlldeu presi |
dent or maintained him as such. No
man recognized this more clearly than
MI Tilden himself, and when he apreed |
to the arbitrament of the electoral COM
mission he committed himself to the re-
suit, That commission and It's work was
blot on the history OF the country. II
was monstrous outrage, that should
and will be remembered as such. Bnt
another civil war was averted and the
Democracy has survived to come into
power. The nation has the experience Of
the lesson and 1t will not prove prof less
Mr.. Tilden took his chances like a man
with his party and 1t is in poor taste,
now that Tilden is dead, to Groom over
what "might have been" If only Tllden
had displayed the courage necessary for
the trying situation of that time.p If
the truth must be written let 1t be said
that Tilden displayed as much nerve as
his party did He could not do more
than the party, and the party was divided
on the question of the most wise and
patriotic policy. II Tilden Numbered we
all Numbered together, and the impartial
historian VIII so record it,