New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-19
MR.. BIGELOW'S "TILDEN."
AN ELABORATE BIOGRAPHY.

read Mr. Bigelow's elaborate book, on its hrs'
coming out at least. have made up their minus
already respecting Tildens public career iheS
are more or less familiar with his ambiguous at
titude at the beginning OF the civil war; WIN
his successful efforts In the destruction OF 'he
Tweed Ring and the Canal Ring, with MS con-
duct as legislator, as Governor ana as ca"u'-
date for the Presidency In all the controversies
which these phrases indicate The tribune can
saw mars magma fui and the author of these vol
umss makes no striking disclosures such as
would suffice TO change views already formed ana
long ago expressed lie might, indeed, have
taken a leaf from the experience OF the dis'in-
suished man whose memoirs he writes ana W
sha, case he would doubtless have spoken, " not
more genaily, at all events less harshy o' many
nersons who figure in his narrative ihe last
thing on earth, Tor example mat partisan
ought "a criiose Ia craftsmanship Asihe i'pN' 'he
immortality ~ this sort ~ criticism " shnu'' No
avoided simply because " II 81 easy ana kp''
o,,,le,sm, worIhy 10 stand and 10 be read lona
after The impulses that oeeaslohpn w. 10 h"' easf'
,be,s e,e other signs besldes denuneiaiois lam
suage that the author wrote w haste W o"""nA
a table of the electoral vote of 1870 from news
papef The electors NJ ohio are given NJ 'hf"e w
number ana those Of oregon NJ twenty-five "
should DO noted AZ II stands II cvInccA careless
ness In book which In surely intended to hon n
pcrmanent place IN biographical literature MI
l,igelow has liking for Latin quotation il"en
himself occasionally INDUCED IN n passage from
N classic poet. Ona would be pleased 10 KNOW
who or what "Archcronta" IN. why "moVcpo III
the middle Of "a sentence should be dignlned WIN
nm initial capital: how 10 scan. not TO SPEAK OF
translating, the line,
Excidat lila dies acvo. nco poatera credan''
and what the authority IL Tor the spe''nG
"ambiges" in the phrase "Longa est inJuri",
longae ambagcs.' On page rs OF the secoho
volume there Is an interesting footnote respect
ing the canvass OF the vote OF Florida IN 1870
which ends apparently In the middle OF SEN
tence These are triies, Of course: but they have
a value in making up an opinion as to the dehp-
Grafton or the lack Of 1t to be credited to the
more weighty assertions and conclusions OF the
author.
Politics aside. the figure of Tilden VIII always
be one Of the most interesting IN American MS
tory. all the more interesting as time brings 10
view the phenomenal contrasts in his life and
character Mr.. Bigelow's book furnishes material
in ample quantity for the study of many Of these
contrasts One Of the richest men Who ever TOOK
a professional part in the politics of this country.
things about wealth the poorest OF his con-
femnoraries Some of his speeches from the
mouth of an impecunious man would nave re-
sounded with a tone of social discomfort with
all his millions few men were more potent than
he with the classes usually supposed to be
inimical TO men of property His biographer ac-
counts for this apparently by finding in the null
titude an instructive sense Of gratitude toward
a man who honestly meant his efforts for their
good Without going too minutely into THIS
question Of honesty, II is obvious that wnen the
argument is turned around. its major premise
will not hold conclusion. IL sucn an instihc'
exists in the populace. 1t ought as RUE 10
choose its leaders by some divine insight into the
genuineness Of their motives But the rule, it Is
said has been otherwise. From the time or Cleon
down to the present day. the popular leader and
idol has been suspected OF demagogy. The pre)u-
dice on this point is so deep-seated that TO De
popular with the many has often been assumed
as equivalent TO tortuous practices in politics.
Tildens popularity, then. cannot be USED as PROOF
Of his honesty. But his long. and IN the main
successful career can always be cited as proof
that he gave the people who trusted him the
fullest measure Of his services that they required
He laid the foundations OF his fortune before the
days Of rapid money-making in the United
States. He brought with him to a later genera
ton the tradition of his attacks upon organized
CAPITAL in the form Of the United States Bank
when he was youth. He mad deserved renown
for astuteness for the cearnesc with which he
saw the weak points in the position of an adver-
sary and the skill with which he directed all
the forces at his command against those points
and no others Above all he had the daring OF a
man to whom success or failure was In pro-
foundy personal sense a matter OF Indifference.
Van Buren, testified Of him in his youth that he
was the most unambitious man he had ever
known. Mr.. Bigelow in effect asserts the same
Of Tiden In later years AS the trait was un-
ouestionably pathological and agreed with the
other symptoms Of a remarkable case. no stretch
Of the Imagination Is required to believe the as
sertions Of two men who knew him better than
any one else could have known him. remark
OF his that a man was worthless-his language
was even more picturesque-who was not a
monomaniac illustrates his own conduct In pub
lie life II Is rather curious, too, that In the one
noteworthy affair where he could be most plaus.-
bly, accused Of personal ambition, namely, the
Presidential election Of 1876 he was defeated. In
the struggle with the Tweed Ring and with job
,ery In the Erie Canal. it would have taken a
very longheaded man. indeed. to have antici-
pated the result in the way of personal fame that
accrued to Tilden. Unquestionably he took the
chances In both those cases with indifference
II one were to look for a personal anmus. aside
from professed sympathy with burdened pub
lie. one would have to peer far beneath all
thoughts Of political advancement. An individ-
uality solitary to a remarkable degree would have
10 be analysed and its capacity for absorption In
a task merely for the sake Of performing that
task would have to be carefully estimated.
1t is useless to speak of Tildens oratory as
having anything TO do with his popularity. Mr..
BigeIow declares that his only merit as speaker
lay in the fact that he sure to say some
thing that nobody else had thought Of and to
view his subject in an unexpected light His voice
could never have been good-it failed him wholly
at the close Of mis- life-his manner was dull and
prosaic, with air which must have seemed
like that Of chronic embarrassment. He was old
in youth, ana he cannot be said to have taken the
turn praised by Tully and grown younger as he