New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-29
TluMAYY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTI

BY what right asks The World, "should
"Tammany, had it fifty Andrew Garveys in
''ts pocket, assume to control the Democratic
"party of New-York State and of the nation n
BY no right, that we know of, except the simple
fact that Tammany has controlled the Demo-
cratic party for many years. The Democracy
of New-YOrll State, the hay-lOft and cheese
press patriots, as they are contemptuously
styled by metropolitan rum-shOp statesmen,
are merely the servants of the City Ring, used
to register its will in the Legislature, and vote
for it at general elections. The Governor il
it's tool, and until within q few weeks has
been It's candidate for the Presidency. The
charter under which it is now robblng the
Treasury was given it by the Democracy OF
the State, and in return it has supplied the
party with whatever money and illegal votes
were needed to carry the State elections.
Tammany put DR.. Carnochan into the Health
Office, and cOmpels the Governor to keep HIM
there after his extOrtons have been exposed
Tammany placed the infamous Eric bill upon
the statute books, and forced Gov. Holman
to sign it under protest Tammany would
have dictated the next Democratic nOmina-
ton for the Presidency if it had not been
checked by the disclosures Of the last few
weeks And how have those disclosures been
received by the party at large 7 Where have
we heard one word of indignation or OF
protest except from the side of the Repub-
leans The Democracy have assumed the
responsibility for Tammany by assuming its
defense. 1t is too late now to throw the
responsibility off,
But Tammany not only controls the Demo
cratic party; it controls, or has till lately con-
troled, The World too. 1t is no secret that
between The World and Messrs. Tweed, Hall,
Connolly, Sweeny, and Garvey there is no
personal cordiality Some of these men have
been denounced in The World by name as
" shameless corruptiOnists of the Ring" When
the new charter was under discussion in the
Legislature, The World not only opposed it
with great force but opened upon the Tweed,
Hall, and Connolly Ring a tremendous voley
of denunciaton, sarcasm, and ridicule. When
the Erie bill was passed, The World pro-
nounced it utterly indefensble" and warned
Gov. Hoffman that he ought to cOyet nothing
so much as an opportunity to retrieve his error
in signing it by signing another bill to repeal
it. Yet when Tammany had conquered, and
established itself in power under the new
charter, The World fell at its feet. Tweed and
Hall were no longer "corruptionists of the
Ring but leaders of the Democratic party.
The charges of fraud were ISLANDERS, and
frank, earnest support of the swindling gang
was the test of political orthodoxy. Nay, The
World went 80 far as to defend the Erie bill,
in fiat contradiction of its own record; to de-
fend the Code amendments, which were so
bad that a Democratic Governor could not
sign them and even to defend the action of
Tammany in relation to the Orange riot which
raised such a storm of Indignation that Gov.
Hoffman tried to reverse it. Here, then, you
have the principal Democratic organ in the
principal city of America, meekly accepting
from Mr.. Tweed, during a year and half, a
diet of gall and NORWOOD, and asking by
what right Tammany assumes to control the
Democratic party in the State!
There are indications now that the better
men of the Democracy are cOncerting an effort
to cut loose from discreditable connections,
and that the Ring may be thrown overheard.
The movement among the German Democrats,
of which we gave an account yesterday, is
serious, and it seems to have the sympathy
and will perhaps secure the support of the
Manhattan Club faction in this city. But the
ties which bind the party to the Ring
are too strong to be easily broken,
and even the sacrifice of Hail. Tweed
and Connolly would not purify New
York Democracy or give us an honest govern
ment. We congratulate The World upon its
discovering (for the third or fourth time we
believe) that the nation can be saved without
Boss Tweed but we cannot permit it to ignore
its past partnership with that person, or to
pretend that it is not accountable for the
wrongs he has done by its assistance. If the
Democratic party has not kept Mr.. Tweed in
power, we should like to know who has.