Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-08-12

U
when the popular indignation against
the Tammany ring gave him strong
enough backing for the contest, he acted
with vigor and comprehension of the
situation that made his Intervention de-
cisive. His blows were struck with such
intelligent direction that the ring went
staggering before them TO its downfall.
His courage was dauntless and his te4
nacity uDshakable when. he bad entered
on the war, and to his legal knowledge
and political address is chiefly due the
credit for formulating the mass of accu-
sation gathered by others into an effec-
tive and crushing Indictment against
the ring His analysis of the Broadway
Bank accounts, by which he disclosed
the percentages according to which the
plumber of the ring was distributed
among its members, was a masterpiece
of induction. His war on the Erie Canal
ring, was an enterprise carried on in
similar spirit. Cool-headed, wary and
adroit, he achieved results that man
of warmer impulses and of stronger emo
tional repugnance to corruption would
not perhaps have ever been able to act
complish. The very thing that made
his attack so irresistible was that he
wasted no force in Intellectual protest or
denunciation, but pushed his undertake
ing with as strict an eye to practical re-
suits and in as passionless spirit as a
lawyer managing an important case in
court. The state of New York is in
debted to him for important betterments
to its government, and his administra-
ton as Governor has left broad and
enduring mark upon its affairs.
MIR. Tilden is entitled to the credit of
raising the National Democratic party
to a much higher plane than that which
it had occupied, and of putting it in
position to become an instrumentality
of National progress. The st. Louis
platform of 1876 ended the chapter of
war issues and announced new depart |
ure in politics. Before that the Demo-
cratic party had simply lain in cold OBJ
struction across the National pathway.
Its refusal to accept the settlements |
made by war and Southern reconstruc. |
tion kept alive issues that were outworn.
Mr.. Tilden called upon it to rise up and
take higher ground and it obeyed him.
but with much sulkiness and grumbling. |
The Southern wing of the party cont
ceived feeling of resentment against |!
him which was intensified by bis courr
ageous and patriotic letter repudiating |
Southern war claims. The cheerful ac
guiescence of the South in his defeat |
was a notable feature of the troublous
winter of 1867. The Democratic party |
is, nevertheless, indebted to his leader
ship for its National rehabilitation.
Although cruelty disappointed in his
political ambition, Mr.. Tilden bore his |
defeat with philosophic composure, and
has since passed his time in scholarly |
lated as a.lawyer enabled him to sur
round himself with every luxury that
taste could suggest. He retained his |
lively interest in politics, and was
source of inspiration to his party. In
intellect and in breadth of view he tow
cred far above the other leaders of the |
Democracy, and it would have been bet |
ter for that party had it sought his conn |
sells more sedulously and adhered to |
them more implicitly. His last public ut |
terance that mastery letter on sea-coast
defenses- was virtually rebuke to the |
narrow, unpatrietic spirit controlling |
the Democratic party in the House. His
career as whole displays the record of
a great patriot, trammeled, however, by |
the limitations of strong partisanship. |
Pitts. Com. Gazette.