Year: 1879

| cratic visitor at Greystone, which seemed
SO Characteristic that few who know Mr..
Tilden doubted its genuineness. Like most
second hand reports Of free conversation
it was probably inaccurate in details, but
the impress of Mr.. Tilden's mind as
to preclude the idea that it had been in
vented by some imaginative person and
put in Mr.. Tilden's mouth What was
alleged in connection with the publication
was that the conversation was had with a
well known democratic Congressman, who
repeated it in Washington to the sorre-
spondent of a newspaper As there has
never been any denial it is probably safe
to trust the strong internal marks OF genu-
ineness.


In the conversation alluded to Mr. Tilden
was represented to have said that demo-
cratic success in the next Presidential cleo
of the certain revival of business. He pre-
dicted career OF prosperity extending
through many years. and thought that the
party which happened to be in power in
its early stages would be likely to retain
control of the government for an indefinite
period. This line of observation illustrated
not only Mr.. Tilden's peculiar shrewd-
ness. but his limitations. 1t assumes that
the mass of his countrymen are men of his
own coldly intellectual type, who set no
great value on anything beyond success.
In the absence of any powerful stimulus
fitted to act on the popular Imagination it
will no doubt always hold true, as Mr.. Til
den assumes, that masses of men are swayed
by pecuniary interest, and that an ad-
ministration has good chances for retain
ing its hold on public confidence so
long as the industry and business Of
the country are prosperous. But from the
moment that anything occurs to set the
popular mind in ferment the sense
of pecuniary interest becomes weaker
than the green withes with which the
Philstines vainly endeavored to bind the
limbs of Samson. Who stopped to weigh
business consequences when the electric
news spread over the country that the
rebels had fred upon Sumter? What did
our Revolutionary fathers care about pounds
or pence when they emptied the car
goes of tea into Boston Harbor? In
quiescent state of public feeling pecuni-
ary interest is undoubtedly the supreme
motive which sways great communities ;
but this motive is rs frail as o cobweb from
the moment that strong passions are
play. It was the favorite maxim of the
first Napoleon that imagination rules the
world" and hence his constant efforts to
dazzle and astonish his countrymen and
to intoxicate them with the brilliancy
Of his achievements. The love Of prop
erty and even the love of life are weak
motives against any strong impulse of the
popular heart. Mr.. Tilden underestimates
the force of those popular enthusiasms
which his cold and calculating nature does
not share. But, in the absence OF great and
pervading passions, the politics of free
country are pretty sure to hinge on fiscal
| questions aud the condition of business.
Now, even assuming that for the next
| ten or twenty years we are to have no po-
litical questions which do not turn on busi-
ness considerations, Mr. Tilden's reasoning
has one serious flaw. He had no accurate
perception Of the date when the tide of re-
turning prosperity would begin to flow in.
He seemed to expect its beginning in
the first years of the next administration,
whereas, in point of fact, it began within
less than q month Of that remarkable
conversation. Instead of operating to keep
in power the party which carries the next
Presidential election its tendency is to con-
tinue in power the party under whose aus
pices the new era of prosperity comes in.
Had the revival of business been delayed
until 1881, Mr.. Tilden having been in the
meantime elected President, he would have
fallen heir to the financial policy of his
predecessor, as he did in State politics after
his election as Governor. But a revival
Of business which begins so satisfactorily
in 1879 will exert its chief political effect
in 1880, especially as it can be SO clearly
traced to the recent resumption of specie
payments, Of which the whole credit be-
longs to the republican party. The revival
has come too soon TO aid any other party
than the one which is the author of resump-
tion measures. and under whose ascendancy
these measures are bearing their full fruit.


The astonishing democratic victories of
1S74-the ''great tidal wave," as it was
called-took place the next year after the
desolating panic ; and had the distress con-
tinued without alleviation the democratic
party might have gained control of the gov
ernment and had it's chances of continu-
inc in mower throuOh the succeedino
period OF prosperity. Mr.. Tilden is like
an almanac maker who should miscalculate
for the year 1891 the astronomical phe-
nomcna of 1879. He was correct in think
ing that business prosperity would keep in
power tho political party under which
IL chanld tnkn rlace- Int he did not