CHAPTER XXXIII.

HON. SAMUEL J. TILDEN.

HOW TILDEN BEGAN TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE IN CONNECTION WITH WILLIAM H.

HAVEMEYER.—TILDEN’S GREAT FORTE IN POLITICS.—HE IMPROVES HIS

OPPORTUNITY WITH THE DISCERNMENT OF GENIUS.—HOW TILDEN BECAME ONE OF

THE COUNSEL OF THE “COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY.”—HIS POLITICAL ELEVATION

AND FAME DATING FROM THIS LUCKY EVENT.—THE SAGE OF GREYSTONE A TRULY

GREAT MAN.—ATTAINS MARVELOUS SUCCESS BY HIS OWN INDUSTRY AND BRAIN

POWER.—HE NOT ONLY DESERVED SUCCESS AND RESPECT, BUT COMMANDED

THEM.—HOW HIS LARGE GENEROSITY WAS MANIFESTED IN HIS LAST WILL AND

TESTAMENT.—THE ATTEMPT TO BREAK THAT PRECIOUS PUBLIC DOCUMENT.

Mr. Wm. H. Havemeyer had long been associated with Mr. Tilden in

railroad wrecking and the reorganization of broken concerns of this

character. Through this process both these gentlemen became wealthy.

When, therefore, Mr. Havemeyer extended the right hand of fellowship to

his confidential companion in money making affairs, and invited him to

officiate as one of the counsel of three for the Committee of Seventy,

Mr. Tilden was sharp enough to appreciate the opportunity, which he

seized with avidity.

He was quick to discern the tide in the affairs of men which, when taken

at the flood, leads on to fortune. He did not wait until the tide began

to ebb, but, like an able seaman, set his sail at the propitious moment

to catch the prosperous breeze as well as the tide. Thus, through a

lucky chance and other men’s exertions, Mr. Tilden was raised high on

the very crest of the tidal wave of reform, almost before he knew it.

In the first instance, this happy accident of being one of the trinity

of legal advisers to our committee, for which he was well paid, did not

lead immediately so much to fortune as to fame, but it formed an

important portion of the pedestal upon which the several millions which

he so munificently bequeathed to educational purposes were subsequently

raised. To fame he was then comparatively unknown. The Committee of

Seventy enabled him to obtain the start which was chiefly instrumental

in elevating him to a position of renown in national politics.

Tilden’s great forte in politics, as in financial affairs and railroad

matters, was to set a cash value on everything, and measure it

accordingly. If he opened his “barrel” the contents were not distributed

indiscriminately, but on the principle directed by the most expert

judgment of where the money would do the most good—according to Mr.

Tilden’s ideas of good. What they were I don’t attempt to explain, but,

like the popular novelist, charitably leave them to the inference of the

reader, or to that expert Moses who so ably deciphered occult telegrams

from Florida and Louisiana when there was such a close contest for the

office of National Executive.

Without departing from the main issue of my subject, however, I may say

that the position which Mr. Tilden was enabled to assume as counsellor

to our committee made it possible for him to rise from the, not to say

dignified, although money-making, attitude of railroad wrecker to that

of Governor of the Empire State of the Union, thus paving the way for

him to become almost a successful candidate for the highest position in

the gift of the Great Republic.

Such a sudden transition from comparative obscurity was enough to turn

any ordinary head.

Seeing the unexpected course that both our local and national history

have taken, it is impossible to say what might have been the course of

this man’s destiny, and the fate of this new Daniel come to judgment in

canal ring masters, had it not been that his friend Havemeyer discovered

him at an opportune moment, and rescued him from manifest oblivion in

the nick of time.

It must be said, on behalf of Mr. Tilden, however, that he improved the

occasion with the discernment of genius, and in the fullest degree, and

to the highest extent, thoroughly justified Havemeyer’s choice.

The soundness of that proverbial philosophy which holds that lightning

never strikes twice in the same place seems to have been fully

appreciated by Mr. Havemeyer, although this was a little ahead of the

time that John Tyndall and other scientists of the modern school of

discovery had demonstrated some of the recent wonders of electricity.

Tilden struck while the iron was hot, and though he failed to reach the

highest pinnacle of his soaring ambition, he demonstrated the wonderful

possibilities which lie in the path of obscure men who are blest with

friends who look out for their welfare, and who have the precaution to

turn the wheel of fortune in the right direction.

Whether it was the result of fate, genius, or wise direction, or a

combination of all these attributes, I don’t pretend to decide, but I

have noted the simple facts from my own observation and experience,

associated with the rise and financial progress of the Hon. Samuel J.

Tilden, leaving others deeper in scientific and philosophic matters to

supply the details and hidden mysteries of the causes of his marvellous

prosperity.

The Committee of Seventy, when entering upon its labors, passed a

resolution authorizing the appointment of a subcommittee by the chair to

select and retain three lawyers to represent it in the matters of

litigation that might arise in connection with the investigation. Mr.

Havemeyer, being a member of the sub-committee, through his influence

Samuel J. Tilden was one of the three appointed.

To give the reader an idea of the power and prestige of the Committee of

Seventy at that time it is only necessary to state that it was

instrumental in making Mr. Abraham Lawrence one of the Judges of the

Supreme Court, and Mr. W. H. Peckham, the third counsel, could have

obtained almost any judgeship he had desired, with perfect facility.

These cases are on official record, and are living examples to show that

I am not exaggerating. Judge Lawrence still adorns the bench, with an

excellent record behind him, and Mr. Peckham has been a prominent figure

in many of the most important suits that have become historic in the

State and City of New York.

Mr. Tilden saw the power which this committee, used as an instrument of

recommendation, wielded, and he set his astute mind to avail himself of

the reformatory advantages which it afforded. The committee was a reform

body, and he saw his opportunity, as one of its counsel, to become a

reformer also. He builded almost better than he knew, if I may be

permitted to quote Scripture in this case, and he did not build on a

sandy foundation either. He planted himself on the solid rock of reform

principles, independent of politics or previous condition. It must be

said, to his credit, that he used the material at his disposal with

great tact and good judgment, and made an excellent reformer.

Whatever may have been said about him by political opponents, the late

Sage of Greystone must be judged in this sinful world by the positions

to which he honorably attained. He became a prominent and most estimable

citizen of our great Republic, and had it not been for his age, and

certain physical infirmities, the existence of which was a matter of

dispute, he would have made a very good President, judging from his

record as a Governor.

I have not intended to say anything especially disparaging or

ill-natured about Mr. Tilden through any hostile feeling towards him, of

which I never had any. My intention has been simply to show how easily a

man can rise if he has the ability required to take passage on the tide

of prosperity exactly at its flow, the magic point of embarkation which

William Shakespeare has suggested.

So what I have stated about Mr. Tilden is in the main rather to his

credit than otherwise.

For a man who attained such an elevated position of success by his own

industry and brain power I have the highest respect and the deepest

sympathy, knowing myself a good deal about the toil attendant upon

climbing above the heads of the great majority of the “masses” with a

strong contingent of the envious “classes” always using their best

efforts to pull a man down who attempts to aspire above a certain level.

In fact, Mr. Tilden not only deserved success and respect, but he

commanded them. Such a man should always be accorded most graciously his

well-earned deserts.

I can, therefore, conscientiously subscribe myself one of the great

admirers of his successful career on the whole, bearing always in mind

that human nature is not perfect, and that there are few, if any, who

have not had some murky clouds cast over their fair fame.

Although on strict moral principles we should never do evil that good

may come, yet the manner in which Tilden disposed of the greater portion

of his fortune will, even in the eyes of straight-laced moralists, go

far to cover a multitude of sins in the acquisition of his wealth. There

are probably few, if any, churches in the land that would have refused a

portion of the bequest, no matter how familiar their members or their

clergy might have been with Mr. Tilden’s railroad methods.

In this imperfect sketch of the turning point of prosperity in Mr.

Tilden’s career, I have desired to show how little it requires to change

the entire current of a man’s apparent destiny. A man who attains such

eminent success has his Creator to thank for endowing him in the first

instance with the capacity to take advantage of the chances thrown in

his way, and his own smartness for turning them to the best account.

I have taken Mr. Tilden up and devoted to his extraordinary career a few

pages, from personal reminiscences, in this book, owing to the fact that

he was identified with a number of railroads in the way which I have

indicated above. His position in this respect naturally classifies him

with some of our most prominent Wall Street speculators, investors and

operators, and he thus naturally falls within the scope of the main

subject of this book.

Mr. Tilden, in his will, ordered that if the will should be contested by

any of the beneficiaries each and all of the contesting parties should

be disinherited.

In spite of this prohibition, George H. and Samuel J. Tilden, sons of

Henry A. Tilden, and nephews of the testator, contested the validity of

the instrument, not on the ground of incapacity or undue influence, but

upon construction.

Henry L. Clinton and Aaron Vanderpoel were the lawyers for the

contestants.

It is curious that the will of a man so deeply learned in the law as Mr.

Tilden was, should be questioned as to whether it was a legal document

or not. But such was the ground of the contest. The point was this: The

residuary clause empowers the trustees to apply to the Legislature for

an act to incorporate a body to be called the Tilden Trust. This body,

when incorporated, was to become the legatee. This method of procedure,

according to the opinion of learned counsel in the law, bequeathed to

the trustee under the will the power to name the public legatee of the

testator. It seems that a testator has no power to do this, according to

the recent decisions of the Courts of last resort in this country,

which, it would seem, Mr. Tilden had not read. Nobody but the testator

himself has power to name the legatee. It appears he had the decision of

the English Court in his mind, which allows of this method of

bequeathing property. Following is the residuary clause in full, bearing

upon this point: “I request my said executors and trustees to obtain, as

speedily as possible, from the Legislature an act of incorporation of an

institution to be known as the Tilden Trust, with capacity to establish

and maintain a free library and reading-room in the city of New York,

and to promote such scientific and educational objects as my said

executors and trustees may more particularly designate. Such corporation

shall have not less than five trustees, with power to fill vacancies in

their number, and in case said institution shall be incorporated in a

form and manner satisfactory to my said executors and trustees during

the lifetime of the survivor of the two lives in being, upon which the

trust of my general estate herein created is limited, to wit, the lives

of Ruby S. Tilden and Susie Whittlesey, I hereby authorize my said

executors and trustees to organize the said corporation, designate the

first trustees thereof, and to convey to or apply to the use of the same

the rest, residue and remainder of all my real and personal estate not

specifically disposed of by this instrument, or so much thereof as they

may deem expedient, but subject, nevertheless, to the special trusts

herein directed to be constituted for particular persons, and to the

obligations to make and keep good the said special trusts, provided that

the said corporation shall be authorized by law to assume such

obligation. But in case such institution shall not be so incorporated

during the lifetime of the survivors of the said Ruby S. Tilden and

Susie Whittlesey, or if for any cause or reason my said executors shall

deem it expedient to convey said rest, residue and remainder, or any

part thereof, or to apply the same, or any part thereof, to the said

institution, I authorize my said executors and trustees to apply the

rest, residue and remainder of my properly, real and personal, after

making good the said special trusts herein directed to be constituted,

or such portion thereof as they may not deem it expedient to apply to

its use to such charitable, educational and scientific purposes, as in

the judgment of my said executors and trustees will render the said

rest, residue and remainder of my property most widely and substantially

beneficial to the interests of mankind.”

[Illustration:

_C Van Derbilt_

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