The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-09-06
The Wire-P r.snag Of the Political Mia ..a-
gers in the State and City.
FENTONS LITTLE GAME
The Combination Against Dix'S denomination
and How It Was Checked.
THE PROBABLE CANDIDATES
The Outlook in the City-The Manipulations
of the Knowing Ones and the
Workings Of the Faithful.

The near approach OF the time fixed for the
holding OF the respective party State Conventions
is having very enlvening effect upon the rank
and hle OF both parties, and the indications from
all parts Of the State already point to an exceed.
tngy lively canvass to come. However, things
political DO not, as general rule, take definite
shape IN this city until after the Conventions have
completed their work, and this year is no excep-
tion to the general rule. The chief topic of in
terest last week was the probable action OF the
liberals, who hold their ConveL ton on Wednesday
next at Albany but, somehow or other, the
democratic and republican politicians do not seem
during the past day or two to have given the sub
Ject that serious attention which the great leader
OF the third party in this city mad at first reason
to believe would be its due the very day Of as
sembling. 1t cannot be denied, however, that the
meeting OF the delegates, or rather the result of
their deliberations Is anxiousIy looked forward to-
for, gainsay 1t as they will, the wire pullers on
both sides among the REGULARS" feel that the
liberals can make no little trouble under Ger tain
contingency for either the one party or the other
In view OF their being first in the field But it
is not alone what they may do in the matter Of
trottng out candidates of their own to be indorsed
by either the democrats or the republicans that
really creates q feeling Of distrust among the
this is the contingency Is known, or at least lie
strongly suspected, OF playing double game with
the Convention as his cover. 1t is well known
that some time ago ne and certain hackers of the
administration had several Interviews, which were
kept profoundly secret for time; but an indis-
Greet follower of the oily Reuben one day let the
cat out OF the bag, and ever since the Custom
House men have been on their guard against
future revelations. Whether or rot Conkling has
made his peace with Fenton, or Utce versa, it is
certain that the bargainngs that were INDUCED in
some SIX weeks ago were carried on without any
active participation the part of Conklng or his
immediate friends. The main thing with the ad-
minlstraton was to so fix things in the Assembly
districts as to secure certain majority in
THE NEXT LEGISLATURE
and thus to control the election Of United States
Senator. Somehow Fenton got it into his wise
head-and he has the idea yet-that he can do 3
great deal toward making this majority very small,
and, worse yet so arranging matters, If the worst
comes to the worst, In some Of the country DIS.
tricts as to allow the democrats to get the lions
share OF the districts 1t is Tor this reason that ne
10 now working might and main to secure himself
against defeat In his project, and it Is for the
reason that 1t has been seriously contemplated
BY the administration people lately whether it
would not be the wiser policy to allow Reuben to
than to run the risk OF democrat or, at least, a
man elected by democratic and liberal votes,
being selected as against the regular administra-
ton candidate. Fenton unmlstakaDly in this
state OF affairs, according to the general talk
among the country politicians, holds
THE KEY OF THE POSITION
and he and his friends, they say, can do or undo
the regular party, SO far as the Assembly districts
are concerned with but little eXertion. To show
that the managers OF the party are aware OF
this, 1t Is only necessary to state that matters
up to short time ago had gone SO far in the way
Of bargaining that Fenton, it Is stated the best
Of authority. was pledged the administration vote
IN the Legislature Tor United States Senator If he
would use MS best efforts to elect the regular As
sembly candidates In those rural districts where
0 divergence OF the liberal vote might cause their
defeat But the willy Senator was not to be caught
In trap partly OF MS own making, and demanded
D guarantee that faith would not be broken with
him when the time for the 1ulflment OF prom
ises came about, and that guarantee he
specified as the control OF the Custom
House, State Senator from one Of the country
districts asserts that this demand was positively
made and was seriously considered, and that 1t
would have been granted but for the evident inter-
terence Of no less person than C0nkling himself.
And thus matters stood up co a day or two ago;
administration wire pulers has as yet been de-
hnitely concluded, so far can be ascertaIned it
can be safely predicte now that one based upon
the Custom House control viii not be concluded,
for the Convention of the liberals Is too close at
hand. II is said by some Of the rural politicians
that II Fenton has determined to
WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION
he will not take any hand in the prellminaries OF
the Albany Convention, thus throwing cold water
on the movement. and indirectly giving his
friends to understand what he means to do during
the canvass ON the other hand II the bargaining
has hal no result as yet, and no pledges have been
Tenton not only engineering from behind the
scenes, 1t may be, the movements OF the C0nven-
20 BUT o9 aMe to on S
ticket as candidate for Governor. Now, IN view
Of all these wheels within wheels, and especially II
they have been refused all hope OF participation
IN the spells Of the future 1t Is quite probable that
the liberals will act too boldly at Albany, and do
quite patriotic paper not strong at the polls.
II would seem, too, that the lack OF interest that
has the Ss cong
vention is due not 80 much because Fenton
is less distrpsted as that the conviction has
settled upon the leading wire puliers especially In
this city, that Governor DIX cannot be defeated In
she Utica s.ate Convention. so long as there was
the business Of the men who desired to defeat him
In convention TO toy with FentOn, so as to gain his
influence in the SELECTION Of delegates who could
nominee Of the Custom House faction. And yet
again, his influence may be useful even when Dix
sets in the field by helping Conklfng and others TO
cut MIN down; for It is a question beyond dispute
that the movement against the denomination OF
the Governor was started, not by the temperance
men, who will be found almost q nonentity on the
day Of election, but by men In this city and few
others IN the western part OF the state who call
years ago had the republican State Sena-
tors who voted against Grant read ont Of
the party as traitors to holy cause. These WIRE
pulers all belonged to the Custom House party,
and IT Ii safe to say that II the administration men
IN this city desire to-so nicely have they arranged
matters-they can send full delegation from New
YORK city to vote solid at Utica against the re-
nomination; indeed, II Is not rlsKing 100 much to
say tnat they persist In employing the same tao
tics they did IN 1872 to make things doubly in
the syracuse Convention they have it IN their
power te XIII nun OF in the Convention. But the
RANK and ne OF the voters, In the country districts
especially. got wind OF the plannings Of the Gus
tom House party sooner than was desirable and
the result mas been such
4 GAQuNn sYzEII ~