Chapter C: N. Jordan to Tilden

"TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES,
"WASHINGTON, _April 1st, 1886_.

"HON. SAMUEL J. TILDEN,--Many thanks for your kind answer. My own opinion is that Mr. Manning is sorely hurt, if he ever wholly recovers. He is a shy man, who does not like to be made a spectacle of, and is fond of the water, so that my idea was and is that a boat would suit him best, as the place where he would be most secluded. How he is to be replaced I can't see; there isn't a member of the cabinet who has made the impression he has, either on Congress or the people with whom he has been brought in contact. 'The only Democrat' in the cabinet is the name he goes by, and it called forth, when his sickness became known, both from Democrats and Republicans, a general expression of regret. He is said to be better to-day. I hope so, but am afraid.

"Yours very respectfully,
"C. N. JORDAN."

GEORGE W. SMITH TO GENERAL BARLOW

"GREYSTONE, _April 2nd, 1886_.

"DEAR GENERAL BARLOW,--The petition sent by you has at last arrived. Mr. Tilden requests me to say that it is a very long paper, and would require much investigation before he could adopt it. The delicate state of his health forbids his undertaking to examine the questions which it raises.

"Even if he should come to the same conclusion which the authors of the paper have reached, Mr. Tilden is in no condition to carry on the controversy which it would involve, and he would be unwilling to initiate, or to become responsible for, a movement to which he could not give the personal attention and effort which could alone conduct it to a useful result.

"Mr. Tilden knows better than anybody else the burden which the proceedings of 1871-2 entailed, and the prolonged efforts and sacrifices through which success was achieved.

"Without them the mere use of a name, or, indeed, of any number of names, would be utterly futile. Mr. Tilden, therefore, does not think it necessary or useful to examine the preliminary questions.

"Very truly yours,
"GEO. W. SMITH."

F. B. GOWEN TO TILDEN

"CREISHEIM, MOUNT AIRY, PHILADELPHIA, _April 22, 1886_.

"DEAR MR. TILDEN,--It is so long since I have had the pleasure of seeing you that I fear you may have forgotten me, unless the newspapers have kept you advised of the struggle I am now making to rescue my old company, the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, from the receivership and syndicate that now environ it.

"In this attempt I should, above all things, be delighted to have your aid and counsel, and if you would give me a half-hour of your time whenever and wherever most convenient to yourself, it would give me very great pleasure to bring to your attention, and ask your aid in favor of, the scheme I have now prepared for the relief of the company.

"Believe me, my dear sir,

"Very sincerely yours,
"FRANKLIN B. GOWEN.

"_Hon. Samuel J. Tilden._"

TILDEN TO GOVERNOR HILL

"GREYSTONE, YONKERS, N. Y., _April 23, 1886_.

"DEAR GOVERNOR HILL,--In submitting suggestions to you, I should have great delicacy if I did not offer them as mere suggestions which you, who have the public responsibility, must pass upon according to your own judgment, and not according to mine.

"In addition to the objections to the Consent bill, which I mentioned in my letter of night before last, there is another difficulty. That act does not provide any mode by which railroads not now connecting with the Broadway Railroad at Fourteenth Street can make such connections. This would give great advantage to the Seventh Avenue Railroad in competing at auction for the Broadway franchise. If in consequence that company should succeed in getting the franchise at a low price, such a result would be likely to create a reaction against the reform movement.

"I adhere to the opinion that the Repeal bill and the Winding-up bill should be acted upon promptly; that the Consent bill should be retained for fuller consideration and, eventually, be rejected.

"About the remaining bill of the four reported by the Senate Investigating Committee, I cannot find, by the newspapers, that it has passed.

"It seems to me better than the original Cantor bill, which is now a law, but it still has serious defects.

"1. It leaves the present law standing whereby the general term, appointing commissioners, and rectifying their action, will dispense with the consent of the abutting property-holders.

"2. It allows the Aldermen to pass over the veto of the Mayor a resolution granting a railroad franchise, provided the consent of one-half of the abutting property-owners be obtained.

"The first defect is the most serious. Perhaps the second may be risked, though I do not think it quite safe to dispense with any restrictions upon these grants.

"I do not know whether it is intended to pass this bill, or whether it can be amended.

"In discussing these bills, I am not advised how far, if at all, any of them have been changed by amendment.

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

TILDEN TO F. B. GOWEN

"GREYSTONE, _April 29, 1886_.

"DEAR MR. GOWEN,--I have received your letter of April 22d. I have not found an earlier opportunity of answering it.

"I have a pleasing memory of you when you were in the profession. Since that time, I have known you only through the public journals.

"My esteem for you would make it a pleasure to shake you by the hand.

"But I cannot see how I can be of any use to you in the matter of which you speak. The delicacy of my health, and the necessity of my avoiding fatigue as far as possible, render it inexpedient for me to undertake anything more than the unavoidable attention to my personal affairs compels me to do.

"I therefore cannot engage in the work of considering any scheme for the reorganization of the great interests involved in the Reading Railroad, or make the investigations which would be necessary to give any real value to my opinion on the subject.

"Assuring you of my high regard,

"I am, very truly yours,
"S. J. TILDEN.

"_Franklin B. Gowen, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa._"

E. B. YOUMANS TO TILDEN

"TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CLERK,
"WASHINGTON, D. C., _May 4th, 1886_.

"HON. SAMUEL J. TILDEN, Greystone, Yonkers, N. Y.

"DEAR GOVERNOR,--Agreeable to my promise, I write you regarding the present condition of the Secretary. He is recovering quite rapidly. He takes an interest in the affairs of the department; makes inquiries regarding the same; has interviews with various departmental officers. He seems to have retained his full mental vigor. He is not able as yet to walk freely, but it is expected that within a short time he will regain sufficient strength to enable him to go out upon the street without the aid of an attendant. It is proposed that as soon as he is able to walk that he visit some of the springs--White Sulphur Springs, if you please--and take a course of treatment, bathing, &c., after which, it is thought, that he will be able to take his vacation.

"In an interview I had with him, I stated what you had said regarding the yachting cruise, and what you would be pleased to do, &c., &c. He seemed very much delighted with the idea; said he was very fond of yachting, and thought he would enjoy it very much indeed. He said he had thought of taking a little cruise inspecting the light-houses along the Potomac, &c. I did not state to him what you said to me regarding the unhealthy condition of the Potomac, regarding which I agree with you. I think it would be much better for him if he could take the Hudson River and Sound, going as far east as New Bedford and Martha's Vineyard.

"With great respect, I remain,

"Very respectfully yours,
"E. B. YOUMANS."

TILDEN TO MAYOR GRACE

"GREYSTONE, YONKERS, N. Y., _May 7th, 1886_.

"DEAR MAYOR GRACE,--I have from the beginning taken great interest in the welfare of the Central Park. I had much to do in enlarging it from the northern limit, which originally was a straight line across the hill and the ravine.

"This is my excuse for writing to you now. It is my judgment, and the judgment of many of the original friends of the Park, that the filling in of a portion of the ravine is a great wrong. It is probably the beginning of a series of measures which will be the desecration and ruin of the natural beauties of the great pleasure-ground of the people. It matters not whether these results come from incompetency or from jobbery. A change in the administration of the Park seems to be absolutely necessary.

"Gentlemen well acquainted with the subject, and with the individual, recommend the appointment of Mr. C. H. Woodman in the vacancy which you are about to fill.

"I am satisfied of his competency and integrity; and join my entreaty with those of the public, that you will rescue that imperilled work by his selection. After the mischief is done to the Park, and the people realize it, there will be a storm of indignation. All this can be averted by you now.

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