Editing Samuel J. Tilden (section)

===Elections of 1880 and 1884===
After the controversy over the election of 1876, Tilden became the presumptive Democratic candidate in [[1880 United States presidential election|1880 presidential election]]. He declined to run for another term as governor in 1879, focusing instead on building support for the 1880 presidential nomination.<ref>Clancy (1958), p. 52</ref> The revelations of the Potter Committee, along with Tilden's persistent health issues, both damaged Tilden's national standing, but his superior political organization and personal fortune ensured that he remained a serious contender for the Democratic nomination.<ref>Clancy (1958), pp. 56–57</ref> Tilden's standing with the party slipped further following the Republican victory in the [[1879 New York gubernatorial election]], where a revitalized Tammany Hall organization split from the regular Democratic party in a patronage dispute with Tilden's faction.<ref>Clancy (1958), pp. 61–63</ref> In the months before the [[1880 Democratic National Convention]], rumors about Tilden's intentions circulated wildly, but Tilden refused to definitively state whether or not he would seek the Democratic nomination.<ref>Clancy (1958), pp. 74–75</ref>

As the New York delegation left for the national convention in Cincinnati, Tilden gave a letter to one of his chief supporters, [[Daniel Manning]], suggesting that his health might force him to decline the nomination.<ref>Clancy (1958), pp. 122–123</ref> Tilden hoped to be nominated, but only if he was the unanimous choice of the convention; if not, Manning was entrusted to make the contents of Tilden's letter available to the New York delegation.<ref name="Goldman">{{cite book |last=Goldman |first=Andrew |date=2015 |orig-year=1990 |title=The National Party Chairmen and Committees |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e0agDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT107 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Routledge |page=107 |isbn=978-1-3154-9067-0}}</ref> The New York delegation interpreted the letter as a notice of withdrawal, and the delegates began looking for a new candidate, eventually settling on Speaker of the House [[Samuel J. Randall]].<ref>Clancy (1958), pp. 124–126, 139</ref> Ultimately, the party nominated [[Winfield Scott Hancock]], who lost the election to [[James A Garfield]].<ref name="Goldman"/>{{rp|108–109}}

Though many Democrats favored Tilden for the party's nomination in [[1884 United States presidential election|the 1884 presidential election]], Tilden once again declined to run due to poor health.<ref name="Goldman"/>{{rp|110}} He endorsed New York Governor [[Grover Cleveland]], who won the Democratic nomination and went on to defeat [[James G. Blaine]] in the general election.<ref>Morris (2003), pp. 255–256</ref>