The New York herald., 1874-09-08
Tho Governorship and tho Presidency.

seem disposed to risk all their chances OF
success ON the municipal contest in New
York. Mr.. Kelly, the leader of Tammany
Hall, in an interview published yesterday con-
firmed this impression and frankly avowed
his preference for Mr.. Tilden as the demo-
cratic candidate for Governor. 1t Is gen.
orally understood that any canvass Tor the
Governorship in New York will have two
fold value; ; that, in other words, any demo-
cratic success here would simply open the
way to Presidential nomination. New York
is so vast State, especially in the electoral
college, that whoever is nominated for the
Governorship by the democracy will, If he
makes q creditable canvass, be virtually tho
presumptive candidate tor the Presidency.
MIR. Kelly, the editor of the World and the
general drift of our municipal democratic
leaders, seem to feel that the man for this
Office is Mr.. Tilden. But is Mr. Tlden the
wisest nomination either for himself or his
party? It would be impossible to construct
stanch, swift-sailing ship from the most
abundant store of suitable iron and timber in
the world without naval architect capable of
putting the materials together; and there is
as little possibility of framing the unshaped
and disjointed elements of the democratic op-
position into a coherent, successful political
party without the ascendant influence Of some
able statesman. Or, without figure, the
democracy cannot carry the Presidential cleo
ton unless it can 6nd good candidate. But
no party so numerous was ever SO poor in
public men high in the confidence Of all its
rank and file. Senator Thurman, the ablest
democrat in public life, has been talked OF as
a candidate, but the old financial heresies, re-
vived in Ohio against his wishes aud in spite
of his disapproval, show that he would not
be supported by his own State. No candi-
date is likely to get the nomination who
is not strongly backed at home, unless it be
some new man suddenly caught up in the
Convention after many fruitless ballotings.
Hendricks is in even worse plight than
Thurman. He was not, like Thurman, an
outsider, vainly attempting to save the DEM
ocratic Convention of his own State from a
blunder He was regular delegate and its
presiding officer. The Indiana democracy in
dorsed the Pendleton heresy with his implied
sanction, and he has taken no pains to clear
himself of the implication. If he is in har-
mony with the democrats Of his own State
they will press him upon the National Conven-
ton In this respect he has an advantage
over Thurman, but it will avail him as little
as the unanimous support of the Ohio dele
CATION did Pendleton in 1853. The principle
he represents will kill their candidate. The
revival of the reputation heresy by the
Western democrats, of which Indiana set the
example, looks like miserable Presidential
intrigue for the benefit of Hendricks whose
nomination the friends Of Pendleton pre-
vented in 1868 by forcing the acceptance of
Seymour The end Of such man1uvre will
be as inglorious as its motive is despicable.
Thurman and Hendricks, both able, expe-
rienced men, being alike destroyed, though
in different ways by the revival of Pendleton-
ism in their own States, there is hardly any
democrat left of sufficient weight and stand
ing to make respectable figure as a candi-
date for the Presidency. Seymour is not to
be thought of again after his disastrous de-
feat; Hoffman, who was four years ago in train
ing for that honor, is utterly out of the ques-
ton; the hopes of Pendleton were blasted
beyond recovery by the repudiation which
will kill Hendricks; Church has forfeited
whatever chances he had by refusing to run
for Governor there is no New England
democrat prominent enough for the position
and candidate from the Southern States
would be as good as beaten from the moment
his nomination was announced. This poverty
Uf candidates for the Presidency is only
equalled by the democratic poverty of cand-
dates for the Govern orship. The World, in
that cheerful alacrity of mood which has made
it the wonder and admiration of philosophic
minds during these years OF political misfor-
tune and depression, assures us that the dem
ocrats ''are embarrassed by their wealth in
candidates rather than afflicted by their pov-
erty." But the enumeration of this wealth
does not 60 much beyond Mr.. Tilden. Other
names are mentioned, but we will not do them
the injustice of discussing them as really can
didates for Governor.
We object to Mr.. Tilden, as we have said,
not because we do not feel that he would be
wise Governor, but because there are higher
interests OF the democracy than any which
would be served by his nomination, and even
by his election. There could not be more
suggestive illustration of this lack OF
democratic statesmen enjoying a national
reputation than the fact that Mr.. Samuel j.
Tilden spires to be the democratic candidate,
or, as Mr.. Duncan expressed it, he ''wants
to become Governor that he may
afterward become President" If Mr.
Tilden does not reach the Presidency
until after he has been elected Governor of
New York he is pretty safe from harassing
public responsibilities. We are convinced
that this unusual ambition would never
have possessed Mr.. Tilden but in the