The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-14
Ssmu el Jones Tilden.

Lebanon, COlumDla county, M l., III Aoif'
His ancestors were among the early immi:
grants to Massachusetts, where they settled
In 1884. As a boy Tlden was rather dell
cate In physique and received his early cd.
! ucation at home. When 10 years old, In
1882, he entered Yale In class with Chief
Justice Waite, Senator Evarts, and Judge
, Pierpont, but left on account Of his health.
He graduated at the University Of New
York.
At this time, In 1884, party feeling was
running very high over the heated Issues
raised by the Jackson administration, and
Mr. Tilden, who already displayed consid.
cradle ability and WAS born democrat, had
taken an htsrest In political affairs, his
writings receiving much public attention.
Being Of somewhat studious nature he
adopted the legal profession and entered
the law office of Mr.. John w. Edmunds of
New York city, although continuing to
take an active interest In political affairs.
His first appearance as q public speaker
was when he was "a years old. and his
maiden effort is said to have been very
creditable both in matter and manner The
great financial panic OF 1887 had then just
taken place, and in the presidential cam
paign of 1910 Mr.. Tilden, who had become
a prominent politician, assumed position
upon financial questions which he never
abandoned. He condemned the money
Quacks who advocated initiation, irredeem.
able currency, and irresponsible credits,
and his discussions on the subject were
published as campaign documents and gave
MIR. Tilden national reputation.
In 1914 he engaged MS a partner In the
publication of the New York Daily NeioS,
and in the following year was elected with.
out personal effort, to the New York AS
sembly, where he used his best efforts to
secure call for a state convention. AT the
convention MIR. Tilden became prominent
figure, and many of the most important re-
forms in the constitution, with view to
at his suggestion.
Owing 70 the growth of his legal reputa-
ton and the consequent increase In his
clientage he spent the next twenty years
in the practice of his profession, taking
part, however, in political matters at the re-
curing elections. This devotion to his
legal profession and his successful business
investments having made him wealthy, he
soon after the close of the war again began
to interest himself In politics, and in 1866,
when Horatio Seymour was the democratic
candidate for the governOrship of New
York, Tilden was chairman of the demo
cratic state committee. II was at this time
that he displayed his shrewdness as poll
teal manager, for the victory Of Seymour
in the midst OF the general disaster was
due as much to Tilden as TO the personal
popularity of the candidate.
The great fight against the old Tammany
crowd-Tweed, Sweeny, Genet, and others
was the next event in the history of Mr..
Tilden. His training as lawyer admira
bly, fitted him for the work, and although
Tweed and his Tammany hall associates
controlled the state convention Of 1869, TIL
den obtained a hearing, and when finally
hooted and Missed down, shouted his pro
phetic words: You may refuse to give
me an audience, but the people of New
York whom you have robbed will hear me-"
Subsequently, after consultation with ex-
Gov. Seymour, Charles O'Conor, and others,
the redoubtable committee of seventy"
was formed, and Tilden led the attack.
With view to stopping the supplies the
first attack was on Connolly, the treasurer
who, after consultation with Tilden, turned
the treasury over to deputy named by the
committee, and any attempt of the corrupt
judges 70 GUST him on Tweeds order was
prevented by an opinion by Mr.. O'COnor
sustaining the appointment, which was
confirmed by the corporation counsel, O'Gor-
man. Then followed the examination of
the Broadway bank and Mr.. Tilden's dis
every of the percentages that seemed to
be added to the accounts of the ring expos
ing Sweeny and Tweed, as we'll as the
smaller scoundrels.
The FIGHT was continued in the next dem
ocratic state convention in 1871 at which a
ticket was nominated which was favorable
to the rammany ring. Mr. Tilden was
elected to the assembly, however, and there
secured sosAe amendments to the famous
Tweed charter" which rendered robbery
| by public officials less easy The result
! was, as known, that the ring Judges We're
| impeaChed, and its members, except those
who escaped, served time in the peniten-
tiary To Samuel j. Tilden is due, more
! than any one else, the success of the raid
on Tammany.
| Mr. Tilden then entered upon his career
as governor. In the fall of 1874 the demo
cratic state convention nominated him for
that position, and it was the still. hunt"
| policy, which afterward made him famous,
that gave him his 81 600 majority over his
popular opponent, Gen John A. Dix, who
had, at the prior election, defeated the dem
ocratic candidate by $4,000 votes. Tilden's
reputation in the crushing out of the Tweed
regime brought him many republican votes
| As governor he broke up the canal ring, 10
which both political parties had partici
pated in the spoils. He refused appoint
ments to men unfit for the places sought,
and by reason OF such refusals incurred the
enmity and hatred of John Kelly, the
sachem of the reorganized Tammany club
The success of Mr. Tilden as governor
| had increased the fame he had acquired by
his disruption of the Tammany ring, and
as the spring of 1876 approached his avail
ability as a democratic candidate for the
presidency was very generally canvassed
Believing that there was an Augean stable
to be cleaned out in national affairs, Mr.
Tillep expressed his willingness to attempt
i purihcatiOn with as much hope of sue
cess as in the other cases. He carried the
delegation from his own state, and on the
| first ballot in the convention at ST. Louis re-
ceved 403 votes A two-thirds vote being
necessary he was nominated on the second
ballot by sos votes, and an enthusiastic
campaign was entered upon, conducted by
Mr.. Tllden in person.
OnIhe morning after the election thesuc-
| 90 IaI