is certain. Why he consented to the method of arbitration
is one of the mysteries of his career. Taking all the possibilities into
account, the fact that the issue passed without civil war is an occasion
of devout thankfulness to Almighty God. But the method of determining
the question is one which the good sense of the American people will
never repeat.

Mr. Tilden must have had considerable humor in his composition. Some
years ago a Methodist preacher came to the city of New York to raise
money for a certain church in Pennsylvania which had been grievously
embarrassed. He stayed at the house of one of the ministers in Brooklyn.
One evening he said to his host: "I am going to call on Samuel J. Tilden
and see if I can't get something out of him for our church. He has a
'barrel,' and I understand it is pretty full." The next morning he went,
and on returning said to his host: "Well, I called on Mr. Tilden, and I
said: 'Mr. Tilden, I am from----, such a place, in Pennsylvania. My
name is----. I am pastor of a church there. We have met with great
misfortunes, and are likely to lose our church. There are more than
sixty members of my church that voted for you for President, and they
are ready to vote for you again, and they wanted me to call on you and
tell you of their misfortune, and ask you to give them a little help.'"

"Well, what did Mr. Tilden say?" "He looked up and said he was busy, but
told me to come the next morning at nine o'clock." He went, and on his
return reported, when the question: "What did Mr. Tilden say"? was
asked. "He said to me, 'Your name is----? You are from----, in
Pennsylvania? You said that you had more than sixty members who voted
for me for President, and who are ready to do it again"? "Yes." "And
they wanted you to tell me of their misfortune"? "Yes." Then pulling out
of his pocket-book he counted what money he had, which amounted to $15,
and handed me $14, and said: "You tell them that Samuel J. Tilden gave
you ALL THE MONEY HE HAD EXCEPT ONE DOLLAR, WHICH HE KEPT FOR HIMSELF."
In all probability he was satirizing an appeal under those
circumstances.

For his service in breaking up the Tweed ring, and for his career as
Governor of the State of New York, apart from purely party aspects, he
is entitled to the thanks of the people. His own party will say to the
end of time that he was elected president of the United States, and
defrauded out of the office. But neither they nor anyone else c