The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
TIfDEN'S FIRST SPEECH.
MARVIN SACKETT. WHo HEARD IT.
TELLS ABOUT IT.

but IL DID Up n United states senator
Memories OF His Boyhood-Incidents of
the Presidential Election Of 1870.
LEBANON SPRINGS. N. Y, July 3O.-Thcre is n
distinct Tilden flavor about this valley. Ono
OF the first things pointed out TO strangers ia
the birthplace Of Samuel ]. Tilden. Across tho
village street is the handsome modern resi-
dence ofthe nephew and namesnke OF the Gov
ernor. A little further on are the old. rambling
stone buildings where, for years, tho Tilden
family has manufactured certain patent medi-
clnes. Across tho road is the big framework OF
the new laboratory. Finally. in the scrupu-
lousy well-kept cemetery. Is the tomb OF the
man who came so near the Presidency.
This tomb is an object Of rather dubious ad-
miration to some Of the country people about
hero. They would evidently have preferred
some kind OF shaft. or perhaps a statue on q
pedestal. They scarcely know what to think
OF the ponderous sarcophagus. cut, except for
the lid. from ono great block of granite. This
sarcophagus rests upon q granite platform.
reached by q short flight OF steps. The body Is
In q vault beneath this platform. The tomb Ia
on n slight rise occupying a whole quarter Of
the cemetery area. There are no flowers or
bushes; It ia surrounded only by smoothly cut
grass. Mr.. Tilden left n fund OF $4,000, the
interest Of which wns to be used for the care OF
the cemetery. This, with other similar be-
quests. maintains the burying ground In splen-
did condition. When THE Sun correspondent
visited the place an old man was raking tho
gravel walks.
Did you know Mr.. Tilden ?" asked tho
visitor.
The old man shook his head reluctantly. He
had seen the Governor" but he hadn't known
lin. When he was asked for stories OF the
statesman's early life in New Lebanon he said
that Mr.. Tilden was older than he was and they
haInsf ham NON ,nnnfpna Thn aDHrnanNpIank
went from one old inhabitant TO another. al
ways to be met with the same story. There
are plenty Of people living around here who
saw Mr.. Tilden on his occasional brief visits In
later life. but Of those who were boys with him
almost no one remains.
There is one man still living here, however,
whose eyes brighten at a chance to talk OF the
man he admired so much from boyhood up.
Mr.. Marvin Sackett is q splendid specimen OF
q man who has seen his oightieth birthday.
Over six feet tall, straight and powerful both In
mind and body, with a memory which recalls
the smallest details, he is a mine of interesting
"reminiscences. The young Samuel Tilden
called him across the street the other day.
Say, Mr.. Sackett," he exclaimed, you re-
member uncle when he was a young fellow,
don't your
"Yes. Of COURSE" slowly; then, firing up.
land I'm lookin' for another man that says no
remembers him. too. I've been hearing about
a DR.. Bennett, up at the Hall at the Springs.
who's been telling about Sans maiden speech.
1 heard that speech. Yes. sir! and I know all
about it."
1T was down at Lebanon Centre, wasn't it 2"
said young Mr.. Tilden.
mo. 'twasn't!' triumphantly. "'Twas in
the ballroom Of Joe Bigelow's hotel at Lebanon
Flats. I was there myself. Tallmadge. the
United States Senator. had come up here with
Ambrose B. Jordan TO make some speeches.
because he was powerful anxious to go back to
the Senate. and he wanted the votes OF the
three Assemblymen we had from this district.
You see. Tallmadge had been sidin' with the
time with his own party. This Jordan. he was
8 reETfSSt ana R@dffSs e ar 81 q m Msii. H He was was sa spi Eaa
Was Mr.: Tllaen Q good spsakerT ~
him. No. b as s sa@ did }EGlnaa np f09 Yes t sIr. En- e., d IfGSrnf I
S Tss SaG Nth In F shS n9TTifIsse en. sS S95Hef fs 81 the hHs ndi
andtalEed over, a few points that were pretty
he he E9t up On thse, beneh--he wasn't a Biz mar,
and he couldn't have been more than about 10
years old thenIand he commenced. ,.
cb, TslldmfSd aF INA had the been nar sayIbR sd t GS6I ne aad and
sam sian1'! wanted to '" Know. then. how it was that the
partyhad left him rightin unison with the Wings.
Whenever VIII Nen Sam - made toa9 q 9 point 9a o0 we all cIepPPssd PED
F FnaHE g SoEdfaSa said d't That ' L Sam n Wanted e@Hy 70 al
@ @S. oo We stayed sG%s ~ th sP ' iii F 3 S'clGef hn {h sG m %SRs
Lngl That's what we did. And Sam did 'em up.
day i when fSii"i he Vent nt' 'Foaad to to s @ei Eia fne sans a9fs
father. and rayed because. as he said he'd been
Elan to punish Sam, But Elan asked II his
boy had told anything that wasn't true; and
s Mfif he 5S GUESSED he eo wouldn't ftS do SHS any W p nai hinn
! hear that this DR.. Bennett says that Sam got
done up that night; but he didn't. 1 was there
THAT was his maiden speech. He'd been at
Yale College a year or,tsSo then hs1t but be had to
he was. quiet. too, His brother Henry was
h'T We wanted anti d to % EnoW qny SdsiiaS a f9 seRSe ooks 0 or
politics we always asked Sam. There were
1 Wess i RiS'f the st GPe t 6efsg ia TSs ' had onf ae .naS
sort OF took to science and chemistry and so he
%etass a into @o1 aes W msd Pat fnt tofh9G s sdua s%%,s e onee'
when Sam was only, a boy, there wore some big
men EY,n here here visiting his father e and and they asked
".oh.,, he said; I'm going to make a Presi-
when he came nome from Yale he went into
always be of in a corner With a hook. 'Twasn't
long before he went to New York and began to
bid he dress well or %Po0IEly!" asked the Wis,
came up to his brothers funeral the servant
Wouldn't let him in because she thought he
""PoohI don't believe q word Of it'll" ex-
claimed Mr.. Sackett., who was left as sole de-
fender. young Mr.. ,Tllden having gone OF: The
Governor always dressed well not gaudily, but
we'll. His clothes were Of the best material.
You see, at the store they handled goods and
They spent u good deal Of money. but they
were generous to other people, too,
wasn't a ladies' man. No. sirI / never saw
him show anything but the greatest courtesy 70
that. But he wasn't a ladies' man.
He, was very fond OF horses. and one time.
when he was In Pennsy,ySnia. he saw 4 man
right and It's head In the air, and Sam liked tho
horse so much that he, sent for 1t and bought It,
that horse. with It's tail curving up at one end
and its head held IN ut tho other and with Sam
in the middle-well, 1t looked pretty gay You
know the Kind Of horse Washington used TO