The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-19

ture MT. Tilden organized the fight against Tweed and won: he then offered himself as candidate for the Governor ship of New York and won. It was a daring, heroic, desperate act but 1t won
 He made a rare fight. He exhibited very rare qualities as a political leader His appeals to the people were bold, de- liant, confident. But he left no detail unconsidered He organized the ate of New York in manner never known be- fore. He completed a perfect organiza- tion of every election precinct, and had rad ns bs bana so perfect that he ing Democrats of every hamlet or neighborhood. No man ever com bined in greater degree the different qualities needed for such a fight. He utilized every man and set him to work precisely at the right time and at the ex- act work he was best fitted for.
 When he became Governor he inaugu- rated measures of reform that required sicnal skill He appealed to the North against the corrupt and brutal recon struction governments of the South and created public opinion In the Northern States tHat rehahilitated the Democratic Party in those States. He united under his leadership every element of reform: he had shown his courage and capacity in destroying Tweed and his ring. in driving the powerful canal ring into pri- vate life. He had attracted the grateful confidence of the Southern States by his bold and splendid defense of their rights and his gallant and scathing attack upon their oppressors. He stood for honesty and economy in public expenditures; for taxation only for public purposes: for the restoration of the Southern States to equality in Congress; for the suburdi- aation of the military to the civil au- thority and for reform in the currency and in every branch of the public serv- ice His nomination at St. Louis was the natural. logical, inevitable result of what had occurred.
 No one now disputes his election The extra constitutional tribunal called the Election Commission decided that Con- gress could not go behind the returns: and thereby Congress was compelled to recognize lie and was impotent to as- certain and declare the truth.
 Every citizen knew the seal or the three States of Louisiana. South Caro-. lima and Florida were sanctifying a lie. but it was solemnly@ decided that a lie thus sanctified became a legal truth and Congress and the people were bound by the lie. It was a monstrous doctrine then; it's recent application does not rem der it less monstrous. He stands as the only President elected by the people and deprived of his office by legally attest ed lie.
 This exclusion from the office of Presi- dent did not obscure his fame; his digni- fled bearing and his peaceful submis- sion to the unprecedented outrag, added to his claims to immortality. His name does not and will not appear in the lists of Presidents-in the dull sequence of names his will be absent-but it's very absence secures it's perpetual conspicuity.
 It so happened that We had opportunity to vote for the nomination of Tilden in 1876 and did all We could to secure his renomination In 1880; but the Democrq cy made tho tremendous blunder of declin- ing to ren0minate him then. This unfor- tunate action was caused by a disas- trous combination between Tammany the friends of Mir. Hendricks, and those Democrats who were inclined to green- backs and protection; together with a few sentimental statesmen who thought there was chance for enthusiasm In nom mating superb soldier like Hancock.
 We were q Tiiden Democrat then--in the sense that we shared his views; we