The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-05
STRIFE or the Factions-Tho Real Act
ors Behind the scenes.


set of office-holders to bring in another. An
ingenious English writer compared the Revo-
luton in France to the custom of the Arab.
who, when his burnous became infested with
Arabian insects, quietly placed it on the ground
SO that insects of some other species might
take possession and drive the intruders away.
Universal suffrage, so tar as New York city is
concerned, has fallen into this Arabian indif-
ference What we know surely is that no
matter which ''hall" is triumphant or which
party in the hall secures the nominations, we,
the people, are surely to he plucked. That is
the foreordained condition of citizenship IN
New York. Sooner or later we must pay the
bills Every year shows a steady increase in
our debt, sure advance in our rate of taxation.
Every year shows the class of politicians who
crept into power at the last election retiring
rich in spoils to give way to q more successful
class, while the defeated assume the roles of
retormers These are things over which
sensitive people may mourn. But why not,
like philosophers, accept the inevitable? We
have fallen under the domination of political
intrigue. We might as well bear our heavy
Dufuen as easily aS we may.
Amid the noise and clatter of municipal
controversies we find pre-eminently in the
foreground those descendants of the Irish
kings who are now masters of our homes and
our fortunes. Here are the Beat Eaters under
control of Boss O'Murphy, lineal descendant
of Htremon, son of Miletius, the great
monarch of Armagh in the good times when
saints hourished in Erin. The Beef Eaters
believe in the third term, Cesarism, back
pay, Indian rings, salary grabs and oil the
other accomplishments of this thrifty and
many-sided administration They live on
the Custom House drippings, on the
resources of the Post Office, and although
they have rather dark prospect ahead still,
from what we can learn, they are busy with
preparation. We have the Swallow Tails,
under the leadership of the great O'KelIy,
descendant of Brian Boroihme, that mighty
monarch of Limerick, who now rests with
God. We have the Short Hairs, under the
powerful muscular control of the o. Morrissey,
descendant of Upton Slasher whose dynasty
ruled in Donnybrook for so many generations
We have the O'Creamer, descendant of the
OGradys, valiant race of warriors of the
past, whose motto, "Shannett Doc" means,
according to ex-Assstant District Attorney
Nolan, the best living authority on Celtic
literature, ''Take oil you can get and answer
no questions" The fact that there is con-
templated union between the followers of the
OMorrissey and the partisans of the
OCreamer only shows that the fight is be-
coming more and more direct : that, in the
words of the O Dreamer himself, addressed to
a multitude of followers at Cooper Institute
the other evening, sit is war to the knife and
the knife to the hilt."
But behind all these contending armies,
with their princely royal leaders, the real
masters Of the controversy are Governor
Tilden and Comptroller Green. Between
these two public functionaries o mysterious
relationship exists If we can believe Green
Tilden owes to him his Office, while there is
no doubt that but for the Intervention of Til
den Green would now be an ex-ofice-holder,
without visible means of support. Tilden
and Green are the Faust and Mephistopheles
of the New York democracy In many
respects our rejuvenated Governor reminds
us of Faust. Faust was an old man, worn with
study, who had only seen the world through
the dusty windows of his library, and to
whom youth and opportunity and pleasure
we're given by the acceptance of contract,
the nature of which is not to be hastily men
toned in the hearing of Christian men. That
contract once signed, and the wrinkled scholar
h,,,e, ,,1aa l~rrs
youth. Upon him the sun again shone with
all the freshness of our boyhood days.
Women smiled upon him, the haggard
face unfolded into rosy and winning youth
The patient Tilden, who, for we will not
soy how many years, wrapped himself in the
solitude of MS library until he became the
care-worn, silent, venerable statesman, has
suddenly loomed into one of the youngest,
most active and most efficient of our public
men, unless we except Centennial Dix. No
one could fail to see the effects Of this change
who looks upon the manly form of our Gov
ernor as he Frances along in the early morn
ing, mounted upon fiery steed, through the
empowered avenues of our Central Park. 1t
was Mephistopheles who had the strange
power to bring youth again to the body of the
worn-out scholar. Green is the Mephis-
topheles who has given new life to Tilden's
oppressed frame. Behind all this clatter and
noise, this beating of the drums, this blowing
of the bugles, this ''summonIng Of the Clans"
this shouting and trumpet calling behind
this comedy of agitation which is meant for
the people, the real rulers of New York are
our Faust who lives in Albany and our
Mephistopheles who reigns in New York.
Faust was invincible in fence, in parry and
thrust. Behind him was the hand of Mephis-
tophelcs, who palsied the arm of the opponent
Behind Tiiden we have Green. Wherever
there is mischief Green commands Wherever
there are controversies the genius of Green
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