("POLITICAL COWARDICE")

"The following facts are instructive:

In 1876 Tilden majority was 32,818
In 1879 Robinson's vote was375,790
and Kelly's vote was77,566
Total Dem. Vote in 1879453,356
Cornell's Vote was418,567
Democratic Majority34,789
But the votes for Cornell being 418,567
and Robinson's Vote 375,790
gives Cornell his plurality of 42,777

"The following table shows the number of votes cast for Kelly in 1879 and the Democratic loss in 1880, as compared with 1876 in each of the counties named:

KellyLoss in 1880
Cayuga712557
Duchess6732,171
Kings5,7889,179
Monroe2,0881,749
New York43,04712,640
Niagara574861
Onondaga1,468658
Orange980762
Oswego1,327678
Queens1,586783
Rens'1,1441,313
Saratoga4521,317
Ulster1,6661,882
Westchester 1,755 1,985
63,26036,535

"The following table shows the same facts as to the counties therein named:

Kelly
Franklin16
Jefferson86
Otsego74
St. Lawrence35
Schoharie16
Tompkins35
Warren83
Wyoming 65
410In these 8 Counties the Democratic loss was only 684.

"These eight counties, having a population of about 350,000 and nearly 100,000 voters, gave to the Kelly bolt in 1879 only 410 votes, and in 1880, as compared with 1876, they lost only 684. If only this ratio of loss had obtained throughout the State, our candidates would have succeeded by more than 25,000 majority.

"But political cowards lacked the courage so to bear themselves as to command success. At the behest of the malcontents, who only one year before had fatally conspired against the Democratic party and its principles, they committed the cowardly act of calling the Saratoga convention for the avowed purpose of reinstating the traitors of 1879, and restoring them to influence and power. Being thus restored to position and power, the figures above presented are useful as tending to show how that power was used.

"This, however, is by no means the only act of political cowardice connected with the late canvass. In 1876 the people elected Mr. Tilden to the Presidency. There is not at this day an intelligent, fair-minded man in America who doubts it. He was cheated of his rights, and the people were defrauded of their choice of President by the most atrocious crimes known to civilization. The time arrived to select a candidate for 1880. Mr. Tilden still lived, and, though his physical powers were somewhat impaired, he was conceded to be one of the ablest statesmen living. He was reluctant to enter upon the canvass, and asked the people to relieve [him] of so great a burden. Those by whom the crimes referred to were committed, impelled by the desire for self-protection, had devoted themselves for years to unprecedented efforts to destroy him. The logic of the situation, and the exercise of a manly courage, pointed to one single line of duty. That duty was to refuse to accede to Mr. Tilden's request, and to move forward with united voice and action to right the great wrong that had been done by placing him in nomination and electing him to the office from which he had been excluded only by the high crimes of his adversaries. Instead of doing this, men forgot their courage, and took counsel only of their fears. They listened to the clamor of the criminals by whom this great man was maligned, and allowed themselves to be intimidated even by the malcontents who defeated the party only one year before. Mr. Tilden was abandoned, and another candidate was selected. That abandonment was a most conspicuous act of cowardice! And who shall say it has not borne just such fruit as might have been expected?

"The selection made was undoubtedly an excellent one. General Hancock is a true, pure, and able man, and eminently worthy of the high place for which he was named. His nomination was, however, the outcome of a great act of cowardice, and there is not a State in the Union in which multitudes of men did not experience a feeling of disgust at the manifest lack of courage to stand manfully and do what clearly ought to have been done.

"James F. Starbuck.

"This was completed Dec. 9th, 1880. Mr. Starbuck died Dec. 11, 1880."