The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Tilden, Samuel Jones

TILDEN, Samuel Jones, an American lawyer, born in New Lebanon, Columbia co., N. Y., Feb. 9, 1814. He entered Yale college in 1833, but completed his course at the university of New York, and was admitted to the bar. He was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1846, and also of assembly, and did much to shape the canal policy of the state. In 1855 he was defeated as democratic candidate for the office of attorney general of the state. In 1866 he was chosen chairman of the state democratic committee, and in 1867 was a member of the constitutional convention. In 1869-'70 he was active in the organization of the bar association. In 1870-'71 he was prominent in detecting important frauds in the government of New York city, and in 1872 was a member of assembly. In November, 1874, he was elected governor of New York by 50,317 majority. He has been counsel in many important cases, prominent among which are the Flagg contested election for the comptrollership of New York city in 1855; the Burdell heirs against Mrs. Cunningham in 1857; the Cumberland coal case in 1858; and the Delaware and Hudson canal company against the Pennsylvania coal company in 1863.