The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-07-09

lical leadership through sheer intellec-
tual ability unassociated with person
al magnetism. Samuel Jones Tilden
was not cold abstraction, but he was
without warm friendliness. His fell
| lows had little personal interest for
! him.
! He had an analytical, mathematical
mind and these qualities go with an
austere temperament, even if they do
mot necessarily connote it. OF the two
political parties, the democrats on the
whole have been more inclined to hero
worship, to the clan system of alleg-
! lance to men more than to principles.
! So that Tilden's rise was remarkable.
AC is Tilden, who was born in 1914,
/ wrote a political paper which Van
Buren,, then the power in Democratic
olitics in New York, ordered printed
as an official party appeal. 1t had an
/ important pert in the next democratic
victory in the state. At twenty-three
Tilden was writing on national ques-
tons in a way that created profound
impression. He was admitted to the
bar IN 1S47, but his clients were few,
so he edited a new political paper.
After Folks election to the Presidency
! Tilden resumed the practice of law and
was elected to the state assembly,
where he took prominent part.
I Several law cases OF an unusual ma
ture gave Tilden an opportunity to dis
play his unusual mental qualities.
Thus he attracted national attention
and created an interest in himself
such as his learned theses on the
anking system could not elicit His
methods we're skillful, ingenious and
novel. His success in handling a sui;
! against a canal company gave him
big corporation business, railroads be-
ing his specially.
His most notable legal work, which
was in part detective work as well,
was mis- exposure of the Tammany ring
under Tweed. New York city had been
robbed of millions. The Tweed aud
iting board used 20 steal from 60 to So
per cent of appropriations made for
city uses. During eight months of 1870
$12,0000O was thus stolen. On one
occasion S5,0O0,00O was taken in a
single day. Tilden was chairman OF
the state democratic central commit
tee, and in his fight on the Tweed
ring he opposed leading men of his
party.
When the struggle with Tweed ended
In 10 nj IA Of MI ~
Imprisonment of Tweed, Tilden enter
ed the assembly and helped enact laws
to prevent the repetition of such a
reign of loot. He became governor in
1874. He gained a nationwide repu-
tation for reform and built up a great
political organization. He was mas
ter of his party in the greatest state
in the union, so he easily secured the
presidential nomination of his party
in 1876.
Rutherford B.Hayes was his oppon-
ent. The republican party had long
been losing ground. The democrats ma,
urally expected to carry the South and
they expected to gain enough elector-
al votes in the north to win. When
the election came in South Carolina
Florida and Louisiana were claimed
by the Republicans. The white popula.
ton Of South Carolina was only $685.,
600. 1t was asserted that the color
ed population in the other states was
large enough to justify the returns in
favor of Hayes.
A contest ensued in the two states.
Excitement and acrimony prevailed
there was fear of an uprising and civil
war. President Grant ordered Sher,
man to have the army ready, The can,
d vassing boards decided in favor OF
Hayes, giving him 1856 electoral votes
= TO 1874 for Tilden. The time approach
ed for congress to count the electoral
votes in joint session. Under the law
mo electoral vote objected to shall be
counted, except by the concurrent
: vote of the two houses" The senate
was republican, the house democratic
Either branch could prevent the count
ing of an electoral vote.
They compromised and created an
electoral commission whose decision
should be final. There were five mem
bers of the senate, five of the house
and five Supreme court judges. There
We're seven from each party and
Judge David Davidson, who was rang
ed as an independent, was to be the
fifteenth After a very long hearing
before this commission, by a vote Of
eight to seven, the members dividing
on strict party lines the decision was
given to Hayes.
The expression of resentment by
the democrats was quieted in a meas
ure by the production of dispatches in
cipher showing that some or Tilden's
friends had endeavored TO bride re
turning boards and individual electors
in states where contests occurred. Til
den appeared before the investigating
committee and took oath that he knew
nothing of anV of the telagramS anf