martyr's
crown. "There has been a widespread plan to carry the convention
against you. It was started last winter, and it shaped laws and
appointments. The State officers are against you.... You will find the
same combination at Syracuse that controlled at Rochester in 1871....
Our people want men in office who will not steal, but who will not
interfere with those who do."[1437] Coupled with this opposition was
the suggestion that Sanford E. Church, being in no wise identified
with the Ring prosecutions, would make a more available candidate.

[Footnote 1436: New York _Herald_, September 7, 1874. See also Buffalo
_Courier_, September 14.]

[Footnote 1437: Bigelow, _Life of Tilden_, Vol. 1, pp. 221-222.]

Earlier in the year Church, in an interview with Tilden, had declined
to become a candidate, but afterward, as in 1872, he grew anxious for
the honour, and finally gave Joseph Warren of the Buffalo _Courier_ a
written consent to accept if nominated with the concurrence of other
candidates.[1438] Armed with this statement and with letters of
withdrawal from others associated with the gubernatorial nomination,
Warren sought Tilden with confidence. By prearrangement their meeting
occurred on September 8 at the Delavan House in Albany. Several were
present--Jarvis Lord, a senator from Rochester and an extensive canal
contractor, DeWolf of Oswego, and other canal men. In the room
adjoining Reuben E. Fenton waited.

[Footnote 1438: For copy of this statement see New York _World_,
September 10, 1874.]

Tilden was not surprised at the latter's presence. He knew that in the
event of his withdrawal, Fenton intended that the Liberals should
nominate Church at their convention which assembled in Albany two days
later.[1439] But Tilden, long familiar with the Ring's methods, refused
to withdraw. On no theory could they make it appear to be his duty,
and the longer they talked the more determined he became. Then John
Kelly, in a published interview, gave Church's aspiration its death
blow. "DeWolf of Oswego, Warren of Erie, and Senator Lord of Monroe,"
he said, "belong to what is called the Canal ring.... It has been
their policy to control a majority of the canal board to enable them
to control the canal contracts.... They have always been very friendly
to Judge Church and of great assistance to him personally.... There
was friendship existing between the old Tammany ring and this Canal
ring."[1440] John Bigelow, the friend o