The New York herald., 1874-10-24
The shadow. Of tn. Canvass.

we are IN the last days OF the canvass The
lines have been drawn. The forces are il
battle array. The campaign has been mapped
out. All the issues are presented. The State
will decide whether the Governor will be Dix
or Tilden. The city will be called upon to
accept its destiny from one of the three bosses,
Murphy, Morrissey or Creamer. The poll
ticians have spoken, and the people will
be permitted to speak. 1t is really not
much the people have to say in our
elections but we have enough of the re-
publican sentiment left for them to
say something. 1t will no doubt be fair
election. That is an advantage; for the time
was, and not very long since, when even the
machinery Of the ballot was only another
feature Of the machinery of the canvass 1t
will, we think, be decisive election. There
are more points to be determined than we
have had in any canvass since that which'
resulted in the election OF Mr.. Lincoln.
The national government is at stake
for if the democrats win Congress in
face of the opposition of the administration
with its Incredible patronage it will be hard
to elect republican President So that the
ultimate prize of the Presidency may be lost
or won at the polls in November. The State
government with its vast influence in deter
mining the political complexion of the coun-
try, must be decided. More than all, New
York, metropolis of the nation, emporium of
the Atlantic coast and city among cities
must now say which of the bosses she will
accept Here is matter of more than thirty
millions year-larger than the revenues of
many pretentous European Power. Who
will spend it, and what needy politicians will
become enriched with the spoils OF an already
plundered treasury Shall we have Creamer,
with his Germans Murphy, with his republi-
can coteries, Morrissey, with his bosom
friends? New York, not at all insensible to
these considerations, now asks which of the
masters will become the arbiter of her fate.
This is an important question. Only the
other day and Tammany seemed to be master
of the situation. She could make and un-
make our political rulers. But many shadows
have arisen in the canvass. The people of
New York do not seem to be very anxious to
affection that should exist among friends and
the wisdom of that Scriptural maxim that
declares him to be worse than an infidel
who fails to provide for his own. But
there may be something too much even of
this and when it comes to remanding q
great city like New York to the undisturbed
control Of Mr.. Morrissey and Mr.. Kelly there
is natural protest We learn that Mr..
Wickham is the tool of one ring and Mr..
Wales the tool of another. If Mr. Ottendorfer
is really an independent candidate then it
will not be the fault of Mr.. Dreamer; for the
argument is made against this ambitious and
resolute leader that his success will be
the entrance Of new tenants into Tammany
Hall. The misfortune of all these reform
movements has been that reform meant SIM
ply the kicking in the door Of Tammany Hall,
| one party going out and the other going in,
and ii we are to credit Mr.. Morrissey, who
comes to US this morning with an elaborate
and definite statement Of his intentions and
views, the success of Mr. Ottendorfer will
only be success like that Of the
Young Democracy two or three years ago.
AS the campaign now looks the next Mayor
will be Mr.. Wickham, the next Register Gen.
eral Jones. General Jones is the shadow in
the canvass. He is the bar to the rising
hopes of Tammany. 1t will be hard to defeat
| the friend of Horace Greeley and the pro-
tector of the widow Of Miles o Reilly in o city
with so many Irishmen as we have in New
| York.
| Many shadows cloud the republican State
canvass. The party is rapidly sinking into
disintegration. Some days since we had oc-
casion to admonish Mr.. Cornell of the folly of
becoming confirmed pouter, and we looked
for q canvass of alacrity from himself and his
friends But no one has heard OF Mr.. Cornell
nate him-actually Alonzo B. Cornell
in the place of the old Roman Gen.
tennial Dix. Mr.. Cornell's silence we have
attributed to the natural obstinacy and
reserve of his character. But it really seems
to be part of well defined policy; for the
silence of Cornell has been followed by the
silence of Conkling. Roscoe Conkling is
distinguished and able man, with rare gifts
of reason and oratory, and q temperament
that seeks controversy. Yet in the most I'M
portant canvass that has been held in New
York since the election Of Lincoln he
has preserved complete silence. Not even
the defeats of the republican party In Ohio
and Indiana have seemed to arouse
him. He might make speech, for instance,
upon the financial aspect Of the Western
elections, showing that the triumph Of the
democrats in Ohio and Indiana meant the
success of the pernicious dogmas of infntion
and repudiation, and so call upon every bust
ness man and every holder of bond to rally
and stiAe reputation. No orator ever had
better chance, and no orator now in our
| public life could make more effective