The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-08-12

Subaiiy uiS O"us nc hdS move
written" says Mr.. Bigelow, ''t'
impress people with the excel
lence of his writing; though pos
sessing marvellous faculty fo,
literary expression, he has EN-
ployed that faculty as a meanl
but never as an end" The same
as 10 his speeches. He was twice
a member of the Legislature o.
New York and of two Constitu
.tlonal Conventions, and though
one of the half dozen conspicuous
and influential members, the re-
cord shows he was one of the
most sparirg of speeches.
Mr.. Tilden was averse to hold.
ing official station, and never &C.
cepted Office save when it came
as call of duty. Twice a mem
ber of the New York Legislature,
a member of two Constitutional
Conventions, and Governor of New
York, is the exteat of his official
services. He never held Federal
Office nor any place to which he
was not elected by the people
Yet no man of our day and gen.
Grafton has so Influenced the
American people to supreme ef-
forts to reform and purify their
governments, Federal, State and
municipal. He was the incarna-
ton of that spirit of reform, hav-
ing its origin in the abuses that
followed the Civil: war and the
plundering operations Of the
Tweed ring, that swept the eoun-
try like an avalanche In 1874 and
gave HIM quarter of a million
majority for President on the
popular vote OF 1876. To Tilden
is to be attributed the spirit OF
reform that now seems to pervade
all parties, and has made substan-
tial headway in all legislative
bodies. He taught the people its
necessity. and if there are bogus
reformers their professions are
tribute to the force and assured
triumph of his ideas.
Many found fault with Mr.. Til
den for the electoral juggle of
1S76-77, by which the American
people were defrauded. Yet in
no sense was he responsible. 1t
was only submitted to him after
it had been accepted by his party
in Congress, and public sentiment
had been educated to the point
of agreement to prevent disput-
ed succession of possible civil
war. Mr.. Tilden's views as to the
course to be pursued were clear,
logical and in strict accord with |
the Constitution. He was not
taken i'm by the talk of the
of the Senate counting
the vote, and Grant enforcing his |
decision with bayonet power.-|
That was a scare, but il had its
effect. Tilden would have had |
the two Houses 60 on with the
count, and when it was found
there was no choice in the cleo
toral college by the exclusion of
disrupted States, then that the
House of Representatives should
exercise it prerogative and elect
/ President by vote by States,
eaving it to the Senate to elect
| Vice President.
No need to burt hen our COL
INNS with details of the great
.rime of the Republicans and the
,reat blundering of the Demo
rats. Tilden never faltered,. but
lid not think the Presidency
Worth a civil war. Timiditv and
were the causes that
ave the Presidency to a misera-
lie usurper rather than the free
hoice of the American people /
Then in 1880 there was another {
reat blunder on the part of the '
american Democracy. Tilden's t
onsent 10 run should never have |
cen asked. He should have been /
omlnated by acclamation and Il
oted into the Presidency. h
We have long believed that the a
vo greatest calamities that have {
efallen the American people a
nee the war closed. were the as Il
of Abraham Lincoln r,
1866, and the failure to inau-
lrate Samuel J. Ti!den in 1877. d
ncoln would have saved the h
'untry its sorry chapter Of re- ia
ignominy. TiIden p
ID he capacity 10 build up r
uch HAT the war had destroyed, al
elt financial panlcs, exlcrmi- te