The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-08
Fits Kellys and the Fftz
RorterO,

The great question now in the councils Of
Commissioner of Public Works. The selec-
ton Of Fitz Porter for this Office is said to
give offence to the Fitz Kelys. The Tam
many tribe is divided into two factions, as in
deed most tribes come to be sooner or later.
The Fitz Porter faction claim to have the
bluest blood the Fitz Kellys the most Drawn.
In elections and conventions and other neces-
sary proceedings Drawn is generally of more
value tSan blood. The Fitz Porter spends
his days on Fifth avenue, his evenings in the
perfumed halls OF the Manhattan Club he
drinks champagne and sups y it'll Delmonico;
he wears fine raiment and gloves of exquisite
fit and finish I; he reads the World with an in
Greek learning, and delights in the wonder
full resources of its language; his theological
views are remarkable for their ingenuity, if
not always for their orthodoxy; he votes on
sunny election days and never attends con-
ventions. The Fitz Kelly spends his days
mainly on the Fourth Avenue Improvement and
his evenings in more modest mansions than
the Manhattan Club; he finds champagne in
sipid, and has never questioned the mysteries
of Delmonico menu the World is an un-
known quantity in his literature, and he dis
dains the effeminate kid and the genius of the
Partisan tailor; he has positive views on
religion and politics he votes in rain and
storm he is so conscientious a citizen that,
rather than have his franchise in peril, he
will vote early and often.
The head of the Fitz Porter clan, the new
Commissioner of Public Works, is good
officer and an honest man, and will do his work
well-undoubtedly His war record, like
most war records, belongs to ancient history.
We have had so many officials with sangui-
nary war record who have made dismal expert
ments in civil life that we may have the best
hopes of an official whose war record is not
sanguinary. So far as the public service is
concerned, We are satisfied with the Fitz
Porter. The Fitz Kellys do not like it.
The head of the clan, and some OF his lieuten-
ants, claim to be much gratifed. But their
enthusiasm lacks fervency and we miss the
old Tammany ring, the sentiment Of noisy
support which Tweed and Sweeny, and
other leaders now in observation, were wont
to inspire under the Empire. We are re-
minded Of the satisfaction which Napo-
Icons marshals were wont to express after the
restoration of the Bourbons, when they drew
their swords and vowed to die under the
white flag and in defence Of the descendants
of St. Louis. Somehow, when Napoleon
landed OF Elba the marshals soon found their
way to his camp. So we fear that the Fitz
Kellys, who are now cheering the FItz Porter
restoration. would hasten to the Battery or
to the Thirty-fourth street ferry, if they
heard that Napoleon Tweed had returned
from his Elba, or that Napoleon Sweeny
was coming back from his Partisan exile.
The Fitz Kellys are not without the qualities
of manly allegiance, and cannot forget the
Empire, as they YEARLY delve in the Fourth
Avenue Improvement and think of the days
when they were statesmen and lawgivers and
basked in the bediamonded presence of the
Boss, as he sat in the glories of the Blossom
and Auericus clubs. But the old days are
gone, and nothing shows it more clearly than
the presence Of Fitz Porter in the seat Of
and who cannot tell whether Mullingar is in
the north or the south of Ireland. The old
days are gone. and the imperial fabric Of
Tammapy-raised by Tweed 10 such gigantic
proportions-has fallen into cureless ruin
The old days are gone-the Emperor is on the
Island, some marshas are in Sing Sing, Others
wander over the Continent, mourning over
foreign immortality. The old days are gone
Fitz Porter Tilden proposes general con6sca-
ton of the imperial revenues, and Fitz Porter
Wickbam Is sharpening his executioner's axe,
which became rather dulled in its attempt to
hack off the head of Delaield Smith. The
old days are gone, and we can imagine how
ruefully the FItz Kellys walk around the
ruins of the old Tammany and look in vain
for the sparkling shirt bosom and imperial
eye of the Boss. For them memories alone
remain. Naturally enough they view with
lowering brow and hoarsely whispered oath
the triumph Of the Fitz Porter and the trans
fer OF go much precious patronage to men
who were aliens in the old days, and who
have no sympathy with the men who once
ruled us with Americas splendor
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