The New York herald., 1872-10-08

A year ago the people of New York rose
against the old leaders Of Tammany and de-
feated nearly every one Of their nominees for
municipal. judicial and Legislative Offices. The
corrupt practices Of the Ring had become SO
that, joined with the bold robberies
on the city treasury. they enlisted
all good citizens against the organization, and
the usually large democratic majority was
buried beneath o reform majority OF twenty
thousand. This revolution was sufficient to
give the State to the republicans; yet it was
the work of democrats who refused to lend
themselves any longer to the scandalous pur-
poses Of their leaders The verdict was en-
phatic. It declared that the New York de-
mocracy must be thoroughly purified and re-
generated before it could again enjoy the con-
fidence and support of the citizens ; that the
old manipulators and wire-puAers must be
driven from any active share In the man
agement Of tho organization; that new
men, on whose political and personal honesty
the masses could rely, must succeed to
the position Of party leaders; that the
old close corporation practices and the old
selfish. trading, bargaining and combining
must cease that henoeforth the party can
didates must be men Of established integrity,
and not political hacks, selected on account of
their subservienoy to the behests of an over
bearing cabal. For years the Tammany nomi-
nations had been made in pursuance of In
tngues and bargains, and the success Of the
leaders was secured by their ability in making
combinations and by tho unscrupulousness
with which they prosecuted their designs.
The rank and file were In the habit Of voting
the regular ticket like machines. and while
there might be occasionally some complain
ing over the nominations, In the end the
democrats went to the polls impressed with
the duty of supporting the candidates at all
hazards. It was this blind loyalty Of the
democratic masses that rendered the old Ring
SO bold in their corruptions and 80 overbear-
Ing In their policy.
The experience of last year has en-
irely changed all this. The feeling
among the people is now rather
against than in favor Of the support
of the Tammany nominees. The only chance
Of recovering the strength forfeited by the
misconduct of the old democratic leaders lies
in the entire freedom of the new organization
from the practices of bygone years. 1t is
necessary now for Tammany to prove the
thoroughness of its publication, not only by
making acceptable nominations, but by doing
SO in manner calculated to afford evidence of
the sincerity with which those candidates are
offered to the people for their support. There
can be no halfway reform so far as the regular
democracy Is concerned, for the taint of the
old corruption is still upon its garments, and
the prejudice against the very name it bears
must be removed before success can be
secured. No party can be wholly free from
stain; there are good and bad men in oil
political organizations. But the evil element
has been 80 long predominant in
Tammany, the power Of the old Ring
is known to be still so great within
the organization, the efforts of the
old Ring to regain ascendancy either
in person or through reliable representatives
are known to be so unceasing that the people
must have very conclusive evidence that the
good element really prevails before they will
venture to reverse the verdict of last Novem-
Der. 1t is known that the names of Messrs.
Schell, Tilden, Kelly, O'Conor Belmont and
others equally as trustworthy have been SUBJ
stituted places of high honor in the Wigwam
for those as familiar to all q year or two
ago as they are infamous to-day. But
io
chems must prove that they are
not mere fgureheads, without the power to
control the bad men who still sit around the
council fires. They must be chiefs in reality
and not in seeming, and must give tangible
proof to the people of New York of their
are the acknowledged representatives. If,
while acting as the leaders of the new Tam
many organization, they allow the secret
adherents Of the old Ring, or set of
scheming trading political hacks. at
least as corrupt and unscrupulous as
those who we're recently driven from power, to
override them and control the nominations
and policy of the party, they will be doubly
false to the trust they have undertaken; for
they will be lending the influence of their own
as a cloak to the corrupt de-
signs Of their dishonest associates.
In pressing upon regenerated Tammany the
nomination Of William Butler Duncan for Mayor
we desired to apply test to the organization
There had been great deal of plotting and
in regard to the Mayoralty,
and we suggested to Messrs. Tilden, Schell,
Kelly and their associates o candidate whose
position was such as to command the respect
and confidence Of our best citizens. We are
certain that Mr.. Duncan would not accept the
Tammany nomination, or any other, unless
the reformers Of the city would unite upon
him as candidate worthy of support. He is
too earnest and sincere friend of