Year: 1879




his own candidate for Governor and we re-
nous silence. The Tilden papers seem to
have been moved by it only to more vehe-
ment demand for Governor Robinson, but
they are as silent about Mr.. Tilden's candi-
dature as his opponents.


This is all wrong The SIMS suggestion
is an admirable one. 1t has the great merit
of striking squarely at the centre OF the
whole democratic difficulty. 1t is useless
to deny or attempt to conceal it-there is
strong difference of opinion among the
democrats of New York about Mr.. Tilden.
If he were to withdraw formally from
public life tomorrow, as the HERALD
in the interest of democratic har-
mony has several times suggested
to him, there would be no longer any
serious dissensions in his party. Governor
Robinson would lose all his real impor-
tance, both to his supporters and to his
opponents, ii he stood disembarrassed of
his relations to Mr.. Tilden's Presidential
plans. His denomination is sought, and is
contested, entirely because it is Mr.. .Tilden's
way of pushing, not Governor Robinsons,
but Mr.. Tildens political fortunes. No one
can fairly blame the anti-Tilden democrats
if they resent being dragged into the Tilden
! Presidential movement under the transpar-
ent pretence of renominating Governor
Robinson. An anti-TIlden democrat might
| Justly say:--sI will vote for Mr.. Tilden if
he will come before the Convention as can
didate for Governor and if the Convention
nominates him, but I will not support his
man Friday. / am not bound to vote for
his cousins and his sisters and his aunts,
when it would be hard enough for me to
vote even for him."


The Suns expedient to substitute Mr..
Tilden's name for that of Governor Robin
son goes to the root of the whole matter.
1t is an honest, straightforward way out of
the dilemma. We do not mean to say that
the Convention ought to nominate Mr..
Tilden. What we mean is that the Tilden
people ought to bring his name instead Of
Mr.. Robinson's before the Convention as
their candidate. Everybody understands
that Mr.. Tilden's political fortunes are at
| stake in the nomination and in the election.
Governor Robinson is in this matter only
political fiction. He is not Claimant"
he is only attorney or proxy for the Claim
ant Let the Tilden people set Governor
Robinson aside; let US have done with
shams and pretences, and let MI. Tilden
appear before the Convention as candidate
for the Governorship.


| Is it urged that he could not be nomi-
mated? Well, if he cannot get the Con-
ventlon to accept him he ought not
to attempt to force Governor Robinson
on it. If Mr.. Tilden is afraid to 60 before
the Convention in his own proper person
| he ought to see that his battle is lost
already. 1t is not case in which flank
movement is in order, for the simple reason
| that everybody understands that it is
flank movement and is prepared for it.
| If he should succeed in examining his
proxy down the Conventions throat
he would only intensity dissensions
and resentments which would be fatal
to his party this year and to himself
next year. and deservedly SO. He be-
lieves that he ought to receive the demo-
| cratic Presidential nomination next year
and he sees that to obtain it he must
at least control his party in his own
State Very well let him put the matter
to the only true test-that urged by the
Sun-let him present himself as the candi-
date for Governor If the Convention ac-
cepts him that will be evidence to the
country that, whatever Mr.. Kelly and
others think of him, he is really the chosen
head of the party in the State.


Moreover, the nomination Of Mr.. Tilden,
if he were nominated, would give q fresh,
and, we will even say higher character to
the contest this fall. 1t would compel the
nomination of either Senator Conkling or
| Secretary Evarts on the other side. 1t would
make the struggle real, and set before the
people the true aims, which it is
now attempted to conceal on the
one side behind Governor Robinson
and on the other behind Mr.. Cornell, or
Mr.. Hiscock, or Judge Robertson. 1t was
some time ago pointed out by one of our
most astute politicians that the man who
should be chosen Governor of New York
this year would stand very high, if not at
the top, in the line of succession to the
Presidency. But the Presidential fever
makes men timid, and on each side there
is On attempt to put forward some humble
and safe lieutenant, because the general
in-chief, or the would-be commander does
not dare risk his own precious person.


This is all wrong and injurious to the
State. We do not know whether it would
be an advantage. but it would certainly be
a qualification to the people of New York to
have one OF their fellow citizens in the
White House. II Mr.. Tilden could appear
before the Democratic National Convention,
or if Mr.. Conkling or Mr.. Evarts could
stand before the Republican Convention,
saying ~, I, l. nominated by my party
| for Governor, chosen by il to be its