The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-08-19
RECOLLECTiONs OF MIR. TILDEN.
why IL" Was Not Popular i'm South Carolina
Some Facts About the Campaign OF Seventy


Six.
F. w. ID. i'll The Sunday News)
The "Sagc of Grammercy Park" was
not a 1avorltc i'll South Carolina. In
uccd, SO Tar as there was any feeling on
the subject, 1T was one Of distrust and
aversion. This was due to the manner
IN which South Carolina was treated by
Mr.. TlluCn in the campaign of 1876
Mr.. Tildcn had no expectation whatever
that this State could be carried by
the Democrats, and was averse to the
strNightout movement. There were
electoral votes enough in sight, he
thought, to mako him President, with
out any help from South Carolina, and
there is good authority for saying that
Mr.. Tildcn had no doubt of the result,
off South Carolina would only keer
quiet" But South Carolina determined
to make an heroic effort to throw off the
political yoke, and what in the begin.
ming seemed impossible was, in short
time, we'll within the bounds Of proba.
bility. 1t should have been evident to
every dispassionatc observer that moth.
ing was beyond the reach of the white
people of South Carolina, united as they
were, and animated with one purpose
and one hope. Nevertheless, Mr.. Til
den gave the South Carolina Democracy
the cold shoulder. This caused consid-
cradle irritation in tho State, and engen-
dcrcd the idea of voting for Hayes and
Hampton. BY this plan considerable
number of colorcd votes was obtained
for General Hampton, the Democratic
candidate for Governor, in exchange for
white votes for the Republican candi-
date for President. Tho Democracy of
the State felt that they wcrc deserted by
the leaders of the National Democracy,
nnd made the best bargain they could on
their own account.
Towards the end Of the canvass Mr..
TildCn seemed to realize that ho had
made mistake, and promised to con-
tribute the enormous sum of $4,000 to
tho Democratic campaign fund. a draft
for this amount was accordingly made
and was discounted by ono Of the
Charleston banks. Mr.. Tildcn, how
ever, failed to provide for the draft, and
it was ultimately paid out OF money
raised i'll South Carolina. This story
concerning the draft and it's fate comes
to nc from an unimpcachable source.
1t will DC remembered that General
Hampton was elected by a majority of
| |, ,l3t, while Colonel Simpson, the can
ma iOrity Of only l39. The majority for
9G4. 1t Is very evident from these fig.
urcS that the electoral vote Of Soutl
, Carolina could have been secured by
Mr.. IiIdcn, il he had sustained til,
= Democracy Of the State in their efforts
and had given them, in the canvass, tn
| assistance they desired, and to whicl
they were entitled. But he did no
! realize this fact until too late.
After the election it was proposed tt
, buy one of the Republican electors
+ The whole history of the negotiations
, will probably never be known, but il
seems to be reasonably certain that one
OF the lot offered to cast his vote for Til
den and Hendricks for the sum of $50
Geo. One of Mr.. 1ildcn'S agents came
TO South Carolina to look over the field
and aSc"rtuimcd that this could be ac-
compliShrd, but the money was not
forthcoming. Mr.. ridden relied upon
Oregon, and let South Carolina go. The
!irpublicams heard, in somc way, Of the
negotiations which were in progress and
were considerably alarmed. 1t is said
That, when the Electoral College met,
one OF the Republican electors took a
pistol from his pocket and announced,
with an oath, that hc would blow out
the brains OF any clCctOr who Vcnturcd
to vote for any other persons than Hayes
and Wheeler. &. g. Bowen was credited
with This exploit. At all events, the
electoral votes of South Carolina were
given to the Republican candidates.
MIR. lilucn, as | have shown, litcl aily
threw away the election. South Carroll
na'3 electoral votes would have given
him 4 majority, without tho vote of
Louisiana and Florida of which he was
robbed by the Returning Boards. Be-
sides this, he earned the ill-will and dis
like Of the people Of South Carolina by
his attitude towards them at the time Of
their successful struggle for dcliveranco
from l'adicNl misrulc. The feeling Of
the people was we'll expressed, four
years later, by Gen. james Connor, who
was i'll the thick Of the political battle Of
1876. When the effort was made to
Iolat Iildcn upon the Democracy in
1850, General Connor said openly that
il VIA; better to be beaten with Bayard
tham to win with ridden.
There was never any doubt Of Mr.. Til
drn'S ability, especially in money-mak-
! ing, hut in South Carolina he had but
few enthusiastic admirers, for the rca-
| HcIIS J IlfJNt given. IllcIG WIS always an
idea that Tildcn lacked nerve in politi-
cnl crisis. Is it to be supposed for q
moment that Hancock would have al
lowed himself to bo dcfraudcd Of the
Presidency us Mr.. IiIdcn was? Not q
! bit OF it. General Hancock would have
opposed any compromise Of any sort,
and would have appealed, if necessary,
to the people Of the country to place
| him in the Office TO which he had been
| elected. 1t was the conviction that Mr..
IiIdrm lacked courage TINT made South
cln members Of Congress willing to
acqnr&cc in the Eight-to- Seven Electoral
| Commission Bill.
There was hope for South Carolina
and Louisiana upon the installation Of
Mr.. Hayes, and thc two States mado the
most Of the situation. Much, too, as
MIR. Hayes has bcon abused, it should be
remembered that it was during his term
| Of Office that the Southern States began
in earnest their recovery from the ills
and losses Of the civil war. There was
little room for improvement during the
| Grant era Whom EiOp GtC,I, ,>ov,o