The New York herald., 1875-12-02
'ans spsakership and tho Democratic
Party.

centre to its circumference The only State
in which its leaders have shown discretion is
in Massachusetts, There they sent to the
front a Governor like Castor, who by his
prudence, his patience, his conservatism, his
respect for the rights of the people, his free
dom from partisanship, has made an ad-
ministration which will do the party in the
State and out Of it great deal of good But
in New York we are trammelled with Tam
many Hall. This influence, as we lFye ex-
planned to our readers on many occa-
sions, is that Of a secret, Know Nothlng'
dark lantern organization. It meets IN a
lodge room. Its members, under the pretence
of being "a charitable society, control the
machinery Of the democratic party IN New
York This control began under Aaron
Burr more than seventy years ago, enabling
that DANGEROUS and bad man to mount
! within one step Of the Presidency. With an
occasional lapse of virtue when punished by
a popular outbreak the dynasty which began
with Burr has continued down to the pres
ent day. 1t found its full fruition in William
I M. Tweed, who was enabled, by the control
Of this secret, dark lantern, Know Nothing
| lodge. to rob the treasury of New York OF
millions of dollars, to bring discredit upon
our city's fame, to threaten the owners of
real estate with practical coniscation by the
increase in taxes and to inflict stigma
upon republican government which has DIS
honored it throughout the world. The
power which began with Burr, and which
ripened into Tweed, is not dead The mis-
take of John Kelly and his friends is
their effort to continue Tammany Hall
upon the old basis They asked US to ac-
cept this vicious, pernicious and thoroughly
unrepublican system because it happens
now to be in the hands of men who have an
honorable personal reputation The people
see what these men will not concede that
the power which took possession Of Tam
many Hall under Tweed may take possess
sion Of it again tomorrow Tweeds crea-
lures are Kelly's followers. Kelly has the
same lieutenants around him. the same men
who cheered Tweed and Sweeny in their
raid upon the treasury. i IS not within the
power even of the leader of Tammany Hall
to make the leopard change his spots nor
the Ethiopian his skin; consequently Tam
many Hall to-day is the heaviest burden the
democratic party could carry. The demo-
cratic party in the country is like Tammany
Hall ia New York. 1t belongs to an extinct
formation. Much of what was valuable IN
the past was swept away by the rebellion.
The unfortunate record of large part of its
leaders during the war makes it as imposs-
bic for them ever TO become the rulers of this
country as It was for the Bourbons to become
the rulers OF France. Ii these leaders were
wise they would accept this as an unfortu-
nate but ON inevitable consequence Of the
prodigious events Of the past fifteen years.
They would retire and push to the front men
who had the confidence Of the people with
out distinction of party. They would seek
for recruits among the ablest and worthiest
Of the independent republicans, and they
would nationalize their party by adapting
its principles to the changes Of modern poll
tics and by giving authority to men who
would bring to the party strength, and not be
a burden to it,
The democrats in the House cannot afford
to elect Speaker who is an old-fashioned
Bourbon, like the Senators who have recently
been chosen from Missouri, Pennsylvania
and Connecticut. They cannot afford to
march to the front men who are known to
the country only for their persistent opposi-
ton to the war; They should initiate the
wisdom Of their Southern friends who come
into Congress in such large numbers. They
have, With scarcely an exception, retired to
the rear the men who led them into the re-
bellion, and sent to the front new and fresh
representatives For this reason the effort
to elecf,dr Kerr is 50 thoroughly an intrigue
and q 50 much a part OF the Tammany
programme that its success will be felt
throughout the Union rs giving new
+ life to the Tammany influence and
new lease Of power to the Bourbons. 1t is
time for the democrats to take their leaders,
not from the wounded, crippled, enervated
cham pions Of twenty years ago, but from the
young men, from those who supported the
war when it was necessity and who have
been endeavoring to give Us real peace since
the war came to an end. Avigorous progress
siye national party is needed at this time to
defeat General Granta party without can't,
without an evil record, without an i'll name.
Ia New York the independent democrats, in
striking Tammany Hall at the last election,
gave the party an opportunity to reorganize
its ranks and put an end to this pernicious
influence. Now let the Independent demo-
Gratis in Congress DO the same thing by Civ
ing as a Speaker that belongs to the present
and not to the past.
In was the observation Of great man Of
antiquity, and is true for All time, that good
actions sometimes become, in virtue Of their
circumstances, as evil and Objectionable and
as much to be Stunned as bad actions And
this was the thought that governed tho rela-
tions Of the people Of this city to Tammany in