The Washington herald., 1916-09-12
AFTER-DINNER POLITICS.
A Disappointment for TIden.
BY DR.. Z. J. EDWARDS.


William r. Grace. who was twice
mayor Of New York and whose second
campaign, in 1884, undoubtedly made the
election Of Grover Cleveland for the
Presidency certain, was. in 1880, g dele
gate to the Democratic national conyen-
ton. Mr.. Grace was an expert poll
tcian. He consented to run as candidate
for mayor in 1884 against the regular
Tammany Hail candidate, the late Hugh
J. Grant, simply because he and his
friends believed that by so doing II would
be possible to prevent the consummstion
OF deal whereby Tammany Hall was
to deliver enough votes for Blaine in New
York to assure him the electoral vote
Of the State
Mr.. Grace was familiar with the in
tricacies Of New York City and some Of
the mysteries Of New York State poll
tics, but he said TO me that there was
one occurrence of which he had personal
knowledge which was perhaps the high
est type Of political strategy with which
he had ever had experience.
THE New York delegates had all been
told that Gov Tilden was very anoxious
to receive the offer Of the Democratic
nomination for President in 1Ss0,' he
said His reason for that was his be-
lief that the Democracy should by offer
ing the nomination express their con-
fdence IN him and their sense Of injus-
tice that he should have been deprived
OF the Presidency in 1876
''Tilden, however, had no idea Of ac-
cepting that nomination. His health was
very poor The peculiar form Of paralysis
which affected his left arm made him
almost incompetent physically although
his mind was very clear. What he espe-
cially desired was that the nomination
should be made so that a trusted friend
could Immediately after the nomination
read TO the delegates a farewell letter, so
TO speak, In which Tilden had given words
Of counsel to the Democracy and also in
which he made it clear that for personal
reasons he had absolutely retired from
political activities.
Il had good reasons after ! returned
TO New York from St Louis, where the
convention was held" said Mr.. Grace TO
know that Tilden was as badly disap-
pointed at the miscarriage Of this plan
as he was at the loss OF the Presidency
four years before. He never knew
whether there had been something like
treachery or whether a most unfortunate
mistake had been made. The result was
the same in either case, for he was not
nominated"
l asked Mr.. Grace how It happened that
a mistake OF this kind had occurred, il
It were a mistake. He said in reply:
The confidential letter Governor Til
den had written which was TO be read
at the convention after his nomination,
was shown before the bslloting began 70
various delegates and they passed the
word along that II would be useless 10
nominate Tilden because he would not
accept l have always felt that this was
done in the interest Of another candidate
for the nomination, but II il was II failed.
for Gen. Hancock was nominated. Til
den thought It would close his career sd-
mirably II he received a second nOmi-
nation for the Presidency, and then, the
Democracy having thus set itself right
he would go on record as having been
the first American to decline the Presi-
Dental nomins tion.."
Copyright Ig6l