The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-13
THE PRESS ON RECORDER HACKE7T.
What the City Journals Say About
Kelly's Convention.
HOW NOMINATIONS ARE MADE.

i
Probably political convention ever mas been guilty
Of more deliberate disregard Of public opinion than
was the one which assembled in Tam many Hall yester
day to nominate candidates tor judicial Offices IN the
city and county Of New York. Popular sentiment in
favor OF the election Of John Hackett for Recorder
had been manifested with singular emphasis and
nimity. The press, with scarcely exception and
citizens of both parties demonstrated against his
enforced retirement from the Bench and seemed that
the members Of the dangerous classes to whom he has
proved great terror would be LETT in small minor
ty in opposition to his reelection We do not Intend
to review the charges preferred against him by Mr.
John Kelly in his long speech before the Convention
1t is enough to say that Mr. Hackett has been an EN-
cent judge stern and fearless administrator
Of the criminal law This fact has been
patent to all men, and upon IL has been founded the
general desire for his retention in Office Mr. Kelly
says that of the Recorders decisions have been
overrued by the Court of Appeals. Mr.. Kelly offered
evidence in support OF his assertion and just now
we have none at hand to contradict it, but would be
strange if among many judgments so promptly
rendered there had been none technically erroneous
1t remains to be said, however that the vast majority
of adudcated by the Recorder have not reached
Albany. They have gone up the river but they have
stopped at Sing Sing. There is a prevailing opinion
that If any other disposition had been of them
life and property would have been more unsafe in
this city than they really With defective
police discipline and with looseness ana in.
efficiency in other departments the people
have still trusted to the swift severe and
exemplary sentences of the Recorder to hold in check
the murderers and robbers and other enemies of So
ciety who hang upon its outskirts plumber kill
The people desired a continuance of this wholesome
policy in the Court of Sessions and hence the popular
demand tor the Recorders denomination.
The demand deliberately disregardcd bv the
Tammany Judiciary Conventon-let us rather say by
Mr.. John Kelly. 1t is impossible TO resist the conclr
sion that the rejection OF Hackett was the work of
one man. Not only is ii known to observers of the
working of the local democratic machinery that Mr.
Kelly controls every part of 1t; only has II been
proved that the Recorder marked tor punishment
for political INSTRUMENTATION when. year ago he re-
fused to distribute the patronage his court obedenty
to the direction of Kelly and his men-but Kelly
yesterday put himself boldly in tho front
of the movement against the Recorder
in the Convention which had been created TO defeat
him. Rarely If ever before have those party dicators
to whose line Kelly belongs frankly assumed an un.
disguised dictatorship Usually they have the grace te
retire from the public eye and direct the business of the
political stage from behind the scenes. Kelly how
ever confident of his own strength, assured the
poweressness of any opposition to his schemes comes
out into the glare OF the ootlghts and pulls the wires
OF his partisan puppets in full view of the people Thus
we see the strong WILL the stubborn personality of one
man successfully defying public opinion. Thus arc
candidates nominated and officers chosen for important
places in this city, in whose selection the citizens of
New York, or even the members OF the democratic
party have nothing TO say than have the citizens
or the democrats Of Ohio