Chapter D: Manning to George W. Smith

"215 STATE STREET, ALBANY, N. Y., _Aug. 30, 1885_.

"DEAR MR. SMITH,--I am just back from Watch Hill.
I want to see you, and will take the early train Wednesday
morning, stopping off at Yonkers at 10.30 A.M. I expect
to return to Washington next Thursday evening or Friday
morning, and as I do not think I can come over again for
some months, I will be glad of a chance for a long 'talk'
with you. Please advise me by telegraph if it will be agreeable
to see me about the hour named; or if some other hour
on Wednesday or Thursday will be more convenient.

"Faithfully yours,
"DANIEL MANNING.

"_Geo. W. Smith, Esq._

"How the papers do lie!"

GEORGE W. SMITH TO DANIEL MANNING

"_Telegram._

"The time you name will be agreeable.

"G. W. SMITH.

"Aug. 30/85. (Sat. 2.36 P.M.)."

S. J. TILDEN, JR., TO S. J. TILDEN

"NEW LEBANON, N. Y., _Sept. 2nd, 1885_.

"DEAR UNCLE SAMUEL,--Yours of yesterday received this morning. In reply, would say that I am sorry you had gained the impression that I was intending to seek a position on the State ticket this fall, for such a thing was far from any intention of mine. When this matter was first brought to my notice, by an article which appeared in the N. Y. _Graphic_, some time since, I immediately requested a friend of mine, who is connected with that paper, not to refer to the matter again, as I was not a candidate, and would not accept a place upon the State ticket. This same answer I have always given whether spoken to upon the subject, and had so thoroughly dismissed it from my mind that it did not occur to me to speak of it when I saw you two weeks ago. I have always made our business here of first importance and politics secondary, working at the latter when time would permit. I appreciate only too fully the position in which one is placed who has only a political life before him with all its uncertainties to desire such a one, having seen so many in this position.

"Had I thought of such a step I certainly should not for one moment have entertained it until I had spoken to you upon the subject, for I have appreciated and can easily understand the complications which would arise. Will come up to Greystone the first opportunity I have, and explain more fully than I can write. With many kind regards, I remain,

Yours very truly,
"S. J. TILDEN, JR."

NOTES ON THE CANAL

[_Written by Mr. Tilden on September 4-5, 1885, in Answer to Queries on the Subject by Mr. Dana._]

"_Q. 1._ Would not the expense of deepening the canal, so as to add two feet to the depth of water, be very great? I understand that now, for a great part of its course, the bottom of the canal is composed, for about a foot depth, of clay and hydraulic cement packed closely, so as to prevent leakage; and would not the expense of taking this up and replacing it, after the bottom was dug up, be more serious than any calculation has yet allowed?

"_A._ The idea of increasing the depth of the canal two feet is a gross exaggeration of what is possible or proper to do.

"To build up the banks two feet would necessitate building up the locks. To excavate the bottom two feet would be impracticable.

"At page 23 of my Message for 1873 it was stated: 'The waterway was practically never excavated in every part to its proper dimensions. Time, the action of the elements, and neglect of administration all tend to fill it by deposits.' There is no doubt that the sides of the waterway have been changed, and the slope filled in with silt, narrowing the bottom of the canal, so that it is only in the middle that the proper depth is approached, and inconvenience is felt in one boat passing another.

"My suggestion was to bring up the canal to an honest seven feet. All the structures of the canal were adapted to that. 'Bring it up to seven feet--honest seven feet--and on all the levels, wherever you can, bottom it out; throw the excavation upon the banks; increase that seven feet toward eight feet, as you can do so progressively and economically. You may also take out the bench-walls.'

"This suggestion looked to gaining on the long levels, when it was found practicable, some inches increasing seven feet '_toward_' eight feet. The suggestion was carefully limited, because in many places you cannot change the bottom without interfering with culverts, or carrying the excavation below the mitre sills of the locks."

_As to the Capacity of the Erie_

"The lockages at Frankfort, during the season of 1884, were 20,800.

"The lockages in 1873 were stated on page 22 of my Message of 1875 to have been 24,960.

"'The theoretical capacity of the canal will be three or four times the largest tonnage it has ever reached. There is no doubt it can conveniently and easily do double the business which has ever existed, even though the locks be not manned and worked with the highest efficiency.'

"If that was true when the lockages were 25,000, how much more so is it when the lockages have fallen to 20,800 as in 1884?

"_Q. 2._ How far does the fact that the lake transportation has almost entirely passed into the hands of railroad people, affect the probability of increasing the business of the canal, in case it should be deepened?

"_Q. 3._ Can the canal be maintained in the face of the increasing railroad competition?

"_A._ Total tons of each class of articles which came to the Hudson River from Erie and Champlain Canal:

[From the Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Works
upon the trade and tonnage of the Canals for the year 1884, page
100.]

1874 1884

Products of the forest 1,192,681 1,097,450
Agriculture 1,470,872 1,054,041
Manufactures 49,426 56,899
Merchandise 12,905 45,538
Other articles 497,228 377,259
--------- ---------
Total 3,223,112 2,631,187

"Tonnage of the canal, and of the Central and Erie railroads:

[From the Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Works
upon trade and tonnage of the Canals for the year 1884, pages
94-95.]

1874 1884

New York Canals 5,804,588 5,009,488
New York Central R. R. 6,114,678 10,212,418
Erie Railway 6,364,276 [35]16,219,598
----------- -------------
18,283,542 31,441,504

[35] Of this amount, 5,147,660 tons is the tonnage for twelve months
of the N. Y. P. & O. R. R. Co., leased by the Erie.

"The railroads have competed successfully with the Erie Canal, and have carried off all the increase in the tonnage. Notwithstanding the State has ceased to charge tolls, and has imposed an annual tax of $700,000 upon the taxpayers to maintain the canals. The Erie Canal has failed to keep up its business. It holds on to a portion of the lumber, and of the grain.

"There seems to be no probability that the Erie Canal will regain any portion of the business it has lost.

"None of the grand schemes by which it is proposed to enlarge or improve it can, to any appreciable extent, cheapen the transportation. They will simply waste the money of the taxpayer, and revive the system of contracting, jobbery, and fraud.

"The advantage of lengthening the locks so as to pass two boats at once, when there is plenty of time to pass four times the boats which the tonnage requires, is doubtful, and is at least inconsiderable. It can only pretend to save five minutes in a lockage, if, in fact, it will save any time.

"Unless some effectual expedient be adopted to prevent the waste of water in locking through a single boat, it would consume three times as much water in the long lock as in the short lock. I understand that the superintendent thinks that ruinous mischief can be avoided, but I have had no means of testing how the thing would work in practice.

"In 1867, when I examined the subject, I found that on the Delaware and Raritan they used boats of about the same dimensions as the boats in use on the Erie, notwithstanding the locks were capable of passing two boats at a time.

"I send my Message of 1875; my speech in the Constitutional Convention in 1867, which contains a fuller discussion of the subject. I send, also, the last report of the Superintendent of Public Works on the canals.

"The statistical tables are so changed from the ancient forms that it is difficult to get the materials for a satisfactory comparison of the present with the former business.

"A certain portion of the business naturally belongs to the railroads. The principles which govern this division are set forth in the beginning of my speech in 1867. The business would naturally be divided, and the share of the railroads would be increased as the network of the railroads is perfected, and more and more points are touched.

"Besides, the railroads will compete for additional business at less than cost, charging the loss upon the paying portion of their traffic.

"On the whole, it must be observed:

"Within the last ten years the cost of transportation by railroad has been reduced one-half. All the improvements tending to cheapen transportation are made by the railroads.

"As to the clamor about diverting traffic to the Canadian lines, it is senseless. The great mass of grain brought from the West is for local consumption. Two millions and a half of people residing in the city of New York and its suburbs are not going to bring the grain for their own consumption by way of Montreal. A large share of the flour and grain carried by the New York Central is for local consumption in New England. Formerly it came to New York city, and was distributed from that point. It is now carried direct. For instance, flour and grain, for consumption at Springfield and Worcester, are carried from the point of shipment in the West direct to those places without change of cars. They cannot be diverted.

"The Erie Canal still has a certain utility. It should be nursed along, but without any expectation of regaining the place it once occupied in the transportation of the country. The taxpayers of this State will not always consent to pay a bonus of $700,000 per year in order to get tonnage for the Erie Canal."

HORATIO SEYMOUR TO TILDEN

"UTICA, _Sept. 25, 1857_ (_1885_).

"DEAR SIR,--I have received your letter of the 22d inst. I wrote the note to the Rochester paper, not because you would care for it, but because I felt it was due to myself to correct any such statement. I am aware that you are used to and indifferent to such attacks.

"I am seventy-five years old, and suffer from nervous attacks. I had _a sunstroke_ in 1876, from which I never recovered. It has progressed until it has weakened my body and my memory in many respects. I have not been away from Utica during the past two years, except to visit my sister at Coquemen. I have a man in constant attendance. I leave my farm to drive over to Utica about once in a week. If I get into your section of the State I shall be happy to call upon you. I do not keep track of current events. I went to the convention about our canals. I was nominally its chairman; but I presided only a few minutes, as I was too deaf to hear. My attendance harmed me. I have not been as well since. As I can take no exercise, I grow in weight, which makes me look better and feel worse. I hope I may live to see you again, but it is doubtful.

"Truly yours, &c.,
"HORATIO SEYMOUR."

HORATIO SEYMOUR TO S. J. TILDEN

"UTICA, _October 7, 1885_.

"MY DEAR SIR,--A few days since I received with my mail a letter from you. I glanced at it, and laid it aside with a view of reading it with attention. Since then I have been unable to find it amongst my papers. I find my memory is so much impaired that I am apt to forget what I do when I put aside with care. I cannot, therefore, write you a responsive reply. I am mortified by such mistakes, which multiply as memory fails.

"During the past eight years my memory and health have been impaired by a sunstroke.

"I am obliged to live in a quiet way at my farm; all excitements are hurtful. I have not been away from home, save to make a short journey to see one of my sisters in Madison County. I know but little about current events. I think over the past or speculate about the future.

"Now and then a reporter calls. As my views upon public [sic] are vague and vaguely expressed, they give such interpretation as they wish, so that I am frequently surprised by my opinions as they are given in the press.

"I wish I could visit New York again, but I fear I am too weak to do so. With my wishes for your health and welfare,

"I am, truly yours,
"HORATIO SEYMOUR.

"_Hon. S. J. Tilden._"

GEORGE BANCROFT TO TILDEN

"NEWPORT, ON THE WING FOR WASHINGTON, D. C.,
"_18 Oct., '85_.

"MY DEAR MR. TILDEN,--I thank you very much for the volumes of your writings, which you have been thoughtful enough of me to send me. I am one of those who have always held and constantly avowed the opinion that you were duly elected President of the United States; it would be instructive if some one well versed in our public law would look through the laws enacted in the period for which you were chosen, and mark such of them as would have encountered your veto. That should be done while you live to confirm the result of the inquiry.

"I remain, dear Mr. Tilden,

"Yours very truly,
"GEO. BANCROFT."

S. J. TILDEN TO BANCROFT

"GREYSTONE, YONKERS, N. Y., _Oct. 21, '85_.

"DEAR MR. BANCROFT,--I have received, through Mr. Bigelow, your note acknowledging a copy of my _Writings and Speeches_ edited by him.

"I observe that in your note to him, you mention that the copy sent you does not contain my autograph.

"If the idea that you would desire it had occurred to me, I should have been particular to add every homage of esteem and regard for you in my power.

"Very truly yours,
"S. J. TILDEN."

TILDEN TO PRESIDENT CLEVELAND

"GREYSTONE, YONKERS, NEW YORK, _Oct. 21, '85_.

"To His Excellency, GROVER CLEVELAND.

"MY DEAR SIR,--Mr. D. A. McKnight, the law clerk in the Patent Office, is the author of a book of great ability entitled _The Electoral System of the United States_.

"Without adopting all of his views, his independence, integrity, and conscientiousness are shown by the fact that his masterly analysis of the doings of the electoral commission, in which he exposes the inconsistencies of their decisions, and condemns them as illegal and unconstitutional, was published in a volume printed in 1878, with a preface dated March 10, 1877. At that time Mr. McKnight was holding his present office under the administration of Mr. Hayes.

"I understand that his resignation has recently been requested, in order to give the appointment to some other person.

"Mr. McKnight is confessedly an excellent officer, serving the government with fidelity and skill; and is personally free from every objection.

"Under these circumstances, I take the liberty of appealing to you for an intimation in favor of the retention of Mr. McKnight, or his promotion to a higher grade in the service.

"The Democratic party of the United States have beheld, with indignation, the chief agents in the frauds, perjuries, and forgeries by which a pretext of documentary evidence was furnished on which to base a false count, rewarded by their appointment in numerous cases to most important civil trusts.

"It would scarcely be anticipated that a Democratic administration should have so little sympathy with, or respect for the popular feeling on this subject as to discard a meritorious officer having the peculiar claim to its recognition which the facts I have narrated show Mr. McKnight to possess.

"I have no personal interest in the matter, but consider it my duty to represent the cause of public justice, to the end that the crime against the people consummated in 1876, and again meditated in 1884, shall never be repeated.

"I trust that you will excuse me for calling your attention to what might otherwise escape your observation.

"Very truly yours."