New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-04
pARKER "REMINISCENCES.

In his Madison Square Garden speech on Mon
day evening Judge Parker, without onerlng
shred of proof or possessing a particle OF eVl-
dence TO sustain the assertion, slanderousiy de-
clared that the financial management of the Re
publican campaign "a shameless exhi-
bition" He then proceeded 10 lndulge IN
"reminiscences as follows:
II has been my fortune to take active part
I'm three Presidential campaigns. The first OF
these resulted in the election, in 1876, of sam
ueI J. Tilden The younger generation Whlch
has come upon the scene since that time, can
scarcely understand the forces which this great
man had TO meet and combat. he hinlsel Ieit
how UNEQUAL was the contest which he waged.
BE knew that he was devoted TO the interests
of his countrymen, and that they sympathized
with the aims which he so wei represented pul
he was disposed TO admit that he always 1elt
how strong the odds were against him. and now
almost hopeless il was for him 10 conpat inc
combined forces of greed and Official power.
It is true that the younger generation has no
personaI recollection of the political events of
1876. but Judge Parker probably has not for
gotten them. though he was himself young
man at the time. If, however, they have faded
from his memory. his speech might seem to
Indicate The Tribune is peculiarly qualified to
recall them 10 his mind, having translated ana
put ineffaceably on record the cipher dispatches
which proved at what pains and cost group
OF conspirators tried TO buy the Presidency for
Samuel j. Tilden after he had lost it at the polls
For the benefit Of the younger generation, If
not of Judge Parker, it may be advisable 10 put
IN the briefest possible form the truth eonclu-
siveIy demonstrated by those famous dispatches
namely that confidential agents Of Mr.. Tilden
went TO Florida and South Carolina with the
deliberate purpose Of debauching the canvassng
boards Of those States. and failed only because
the boards were not for sale; that something of
the same sort was then desperately attempted in
Louisiana. and that money was deposited for
the purchase Of a Republican elector in Oregon
but the remittance was too late These are the
facts IN a nutshell Of the unavailtng crime OF
1915
Judge Parker says that Mr.. TiIden was af-
fiicted in that campaign with melancholy con-
Viction that ii was almost hopeless for him Ito
combat the combined forces of greed and Of
''hcial power" 1t must be acknowledged that
he made an eager and eXTavagant effort. The
total expenditures Of the Republican National
Committee il that campaign, as shown by the
papers Of the late Senator Zachariah Chandler
its chairman, did not exceed $4,000, including
not only the campaign expenses, but the ex-
penses afterward incurred in combating this
effort 10 purchase the Electoral Board, and
the expenses of preparing for the Electoral Com
mission. Mr.. Tilden's personal outlay, outside
of the disbursements of his national committee,
is known TO have been enormous, and there is
good reason 10 believe that, even before the con-
spiracy TO buy the election was Matched he had
spent three 10 four times as much as the Repub-
icans spent IN all Judge Parker implies that
great corporations and moneyed interests lavish
~ aided the Hayes campaign, but that is abso-
lutely untrue. Not single contribution to the
Republican campaign fund larger than
$1,000. Mr.. Tiiden left snug estate of between
100000 and 100000, but the opinion Of good
judges is that ii would have amounted TO
SloOOOo0 more il he had not run for the Presi-
dency regardless Of expense.
a few weeks ago it would have been natural