Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-28
TILDEN'S FRIEND.
The Man Nearest to Him in
His Daily Life
PRONOUNCES FOR D. B. HILL.
Hon. John BIgelow, Formerly Minister 20
France, High Democratic Authority
Carries CONSERVATION TO the Mug
wump Camp in an Interview.


was one of the most trusted, if not the most
trusted, friend OF the late Samuel ]. Tilden.
When Mr.. Tlden was governor of the state
in 1876, he caused Mir. Bigelow to be NOM
mated for secretary of state, and he was
elected. After the Republicans stole tho
presidency from him in 1877, Mr. Tilden
made tour OF Europe, and by invitation
Mr.. BigeIow accompanied him in all. his
travels. On retiring from public life, in
1850, MIR. 1ilden entrusted to Mr. BigeloW
all his papers and records, from which the
latter compiled and edited the two large
volumes, each over 600 pages, entitled, It'll
denis Writings and Speeches" And when
Mr.. Tilden died he made Mr. Bigelow one
OF the executors of his estate, and trustee
for the expenditure OF the millions he in
tended for establishing 4 free public library
in New York. Mr.. Bigelow is naturally
esteemed high authority among Demo
cratic leaders, being regarded, as he is, as
a sort of representative of the dead chief
tain, S. j. Tilden. He has declared for Hill
for president, much to the discomfort Of
the mugwumps. In an interview, he says:
Il have seen no objection to a February
convention worthy of becoming an element
OF dissension in the party. l regard the
Cooper union movement as bad politics be-
cause l do not believe in stalking the for
tunes Of this state in the next national
Democratic convention upon q skirmish
fight. 1t is idle to expect the people 10 care
much what day, week, or month the conven-
ton is held, or to attempt to make the choice
OF candidates for the presidency depend on
that issue. No one denies the authority or
the duty of the state committee to call the
state convention and to fix the time for
holding it. The committee did fix the time,
and in the choice they made believe they
were unanimous. What is there here to
quarrel about9 There was no other body
authorized to call this convention. l fear
those men who are protesting undervalue
the good sense embodied in the old proverb,
When 4 jackass kicks you never tell of it.
When fairly beaten in game 1t is never
worth while to call the winner hard names.
The place for those who preferred spring
to a winter convention in which To
make their fight was in the statec ommittee,
not on the housetops. Had the friends of
Mr. Cleveland been in the ascendency in
the state committee and thought it politio
to call the convention in February, no one
is callow enough to suppose there would
have been any remonstrance against their
act by the Cooper union congregation. The
trouble is that Mr.. Hills friends are earlier
risers than Mr.. Cleveland's. Was it good
politics for the latter to direct public atren-
ton to the fact2''
what do you think of, Senator Hills
chances of election if he is >nominatedG"
ANY man the Democratic national con-
vention will nominate l think will be
elected answered Mr.. Bigelow. 1.-THE
Republican party is doing its level best to
loot the treasury and to paralyze the indus
tries and the credit of the country. The
people are very inpatient to have it dis
armed and sentenced to hard work In tina
opposition where it can do less harm, and,
as critic, may be useful
About Mr.. Cleveland, Mr. Bigelow said:
~ have never supposed that Mr.. Cleve-
land, since his defeat by Mr.. Harrison,
would be renominated. Indeed, doubt If
he will allow his name to go before the con-
vention. A president who seeks renomi-
nation asks the country to approve of his
administration. Mr.. Cleveland sought
denomination on these terms, and, in. per-
fectly fair contest, his administration was
not approved Of No national convention
will care to commit the fortunes of the
party to a vessel which the people have pro-
nounced uuseaworty. No such vessel has
ever reached port in this country so far in
our history Besides, if a candidate for the
presidency is to be taken from New York,
he certainly viii not be man without the
delegation from his own state. 1t is incon-
ceiVable that national convention should
seriously conoider Mr.. Cleveland as a can
didate with a delegation from his state
practically solid for another person, and for
one who has four times in succession proved
TO be the favorite of, politically, the most
important state in the Union, and
once, too, when Mr.. Cleveland him
self, with all the prestige and patronage
of d chief magistrate in his favor, was IN
successful. There is no other instance on
record of such repeated expressions Of
confidence in public servant from the
people of his state as have been bestowed
upon Mr.. Hill Manifestly, If the conven-
tion looks to New York for candidate, it
will be more likely TO select the one who
has been uniformly successful than the one
who can exhibit no single live evidence OF
popular confidence either from state or
nation. Then there is the fact, not likely
to be without its weight in a national con-
vention, that the Democratic party is now
in control not only of the executive, but in
both branches Of the legislature of this
state for the first time in this generation.
No one hesitates to credit this result
largely, if not entirely, to Mr.. Hills lead
ership
THE mugwumps will not be solid against
Hill The mugwumps are not solid against
anything. They are very uncertain guam
tlty. Some of them would vote against
Hill, but they are not important political
factors except in two or three Republican
states. They have been barking at Hill for
all they were worth for the last eight or
ten years, but they do not seem ever to
have affected his popularity with the peo-
pie Besides they are not fastidious though
they claim TO be. They assisted in defraud-
ing Tilden of the presidency to give it to
HayeS-Hyperiont TO Satyr-are all of them
who could shared in the plumber. The most
frantic OF them never accused Hill Of such
q crime as they countenanced or condoned
in Hayes. Whether they vote for or against
Hill will depend upon the alternative that
may be presented to them. There is no
Republican candidate in sight whom they
have not denounced in language they will
find as difficult 10 swallow as anything they
have said about Hill Should their choice
be narrowed down, as it probably will be,
to two candidates, they will find themselves
condemned to starye, like the ass in the
fable, between tIo-to them-equalIy IN
attractive bundles of hay.
"The fact is that whatever NAV be the
shortcomings and limitations of Mr.. Hill,
they do not appear TO have shaken the con-
fdence of the people OF his state in him.
He has not been berated or abused as much
as Cleveland. Blaine, Tilden or Van Buren,
were when their names began to be asso-
ci2ted with the presidency. That is the
trial by fire to which all candidates for the
chief magistracy of a republic must sub
NIT. Had MIR. Hill been convicted OF all
the offences ever attributed TO him by his
enemies, all you could infer from 1t would
be that the people Of this state do not con-
slider such offenses disqualification for
1RIIl1ss SeFvant, or for a seat in the United
States senate. He appears to suit the peo-
pie Of this state thus far IS well as any
governor they have ever had II the mug
Wumps desire higher standards IN the pub
lie service they can accomplish their pur-
pose more etectually by directing their en-
ergies 10 the elevation OF the standards OF