New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-16
HERMAN NOMINATED.


.CrrRs-A PROLONGED DISCUSSION OVER THE
BALLOT QUEsuoN-A VIVA vocE VOTE TAKEN
sKyRNTY-sEvEN VOTES FOR HERMAN AND NINE
FOR MURPHY
lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrSEl
ALBANY Jan. 15.-Kornan nominated almost unan-
imously The Murphy bubble burst to-day as IL
was predicted from the first in these dispatches 'a'
1t would. Ut was protracted and elaborate eApio-
sion and the details of the description were a
ranged with the same desire to make notn,"s 00
something that has characterized the Whoio NJ
mont Ii took four mortal hours 10 uiSC"r.i 80
Francis Herman had n votes ana merry y. "up"'
o. The Murphy movement was s'E"H'' ~
prise on microscopic capital ana IL la.u Aoh SUI"
40 small 40 scarcely to be worth mentioning
will in It's results to-day's caucus was common
,oe enoneh in its progress it full of surprises
Not only was the singular spectacle presented oil
convention discussing the question OF its own pos
sible corruption, but this caucus must 60 down TO
history as the FIRST that ever had an investigating
committee though by no means the first that needed
one. Four o'clock, the hour of meeting, found
the dngy old Capitol filed with motley crowd, OF
which Murphy retaineTs, specially imported from
Brooklyn. formed a conspicuous though quiet ele-
ment. They reserved their energies for the gale
ries The crowd ON the floor back Of the seats and IN
the galleries came near dsprovng the doctrine Of
impenetrability, and was Just as dense when dark
ness had set in as at the first With all their conf
dence the Herman men felt n nervousness winch
showed itself in the manner OF Mr. Hammond, as
he offered the resolution ordering r'rG roce No'e
Senator Jacobs instantly submitted an amendment
proydine for secret ballot and began an elaborate
argument in favor of secret ballot which be de-
Tended as being IN harmony with the principles OF
republican government and the traditions as well
- the presidents of the Democratic party. He in
.ftpfof of
many He'll and insisted that a secret
ballot afforded the only protection member had
against the presentment Of those Of his political Gre
atoIs whom his vote might offend. His speech was
able but injudcOus for IT, kindled protests on all
sides, especially from the Standardization, and
made him a general target for attack. Senator John
son spoke on the other side. When Speaker Nc
CURE rose to follow there general strainng
Of ears he had been freely quoted on both sides OF
the test question. His speech, up 20 certain point,
was careful argument against open ballot, rs
wrong in principle and gave its chances doubtful
look; but he finally declared his willingness
% waive the principle this occasion, because OF
the rumors which had been circulated concerning
the use of money in this election. Hedenounced them
as unfOundcd aud malicious, bat insisted that the
members should put them at rest by going upon the
record. If the speech had been planned to carry the
open ballot and elect Herman it could not have been
more adrot Here it was that the skeleton in the
Democratic closet first taken ont, and when 1t
had once been displayed to the public view it be-
came much more efficient bugbear for the Murphy
side than for the other Mr.. Hammond immedi-
atey protested that there no such lmputatOn
east in his resolution. John Fox followed with a
protest against the current deuunciatiOn of Tam
many Hall and with defense of "hOnest
John Kelly" Loui SC. Waehner. the young
Chairman Of the Judiciary Committee then re-
turned the charge of Senator Jacobs by reminding
him that there persons here who controlled
the local politics Of Brooklyn. Tho two men were
facing each other in the aisle, and looking like any
thing but lovers. Jacobs rejoined: " If they are it
il the first time that brains have made their way to
this floor" Mr. Waehner returned the compliment
by reminding him that he Jacobs had
been an AsSenblynaD several years before. The
speech ridden caucus caught at this wthIdelight,
and there was n roar Of mernment that gave the
gathering good-humored look it had lacked before.
Senator Raw opposed IN open ballot and Senators
Lord, Bradley, and Parmenter advocated it, the
latter of whom TcfITed to his desire to bring before
the caucus the name Of Borato Seymour. a
mention that evoked a faint rumble Of ap-
plause. He put into single sentence the creed
OF Kernan's supporters That the ballot was made
for the individual the open vote for the represent
ative.' This compact and incislve utterance
drew tho enthusiasm of the spectators and
members alike. All this time the speakers who
favored Herman had. by successive illusions TO their
candidate. warmed their audience to the cheering
point and the Murphy wing soon found the at
mosphere as we'll as the votes against them.
Senator Jacobs in fighting trim, however, and
set out a second long speech, with the evident in
tentiOn of taking As many scalDs possible.
He denounced Speaker Mcclure for having
abandoned his principles under political pressure
accused Senator johnson of being in league
with the same great political despotlsm
he had helped him to fight at Syracuse;
gave Senator Lord thrust for having abandoned
both precedent- and principles, and described his
friend John Fox As lying in the gutter of New-YOrk
politics. But this mere prelude of pleasantly
10 the serious request he then offered. He said that
charges of untruthfulness had been made
against the Kings County delegation by
Senator and an Assemblyman, and
he demanded committee of investigation.
At this unexpected request the galleries hardly
knew whether to laugh howl. But the Com
mittee was granted. aud the five investigators
tried with due solemnity. 1t did not appear that
they had any power to send for persons papers,
any desire to send if they had the power. But they
remained in ante-rOOm at least 10 minutes and
the most besottcd Republican will admit that that
was ample time in which 10 unearth the greatest
Democratic rascality ever practced within the
boundaries of the Empire State Senator Bradley
reported the expiration of this time, with tie air
of a man whose constitution had been undermined
by labOnous investigation, that the Committee had
found nothing, but omitted to mention that that
exactly what they had gone TO look for. BY
this economical device the Murphy party were pro-
vided with brand new characters, and everything
IL IL.