The New York herald., 1875-11-18
rammany Must he Destroyed,

of the canvass the labors Of the
strife will be at an end. We have
had all manner of speculations as to
the causes .of the recent municipal
'tidal wave" Practical politicians have
congratulated themselves upon the fact that
the prizes involved in the canvass were not
Of a tempting character that they were
mainly judges after all; that the real
power for governing the city, the control Of
its patronage and the command of its treas
ury will still rest in the hands of Tam
many Hall. We have had one or two
meetings of the General Committee
which remind us of those meetings during
the French Revolutionary times when the
Jacobin Club were wont to condole Robes
pierre and to cheer him when he was dis
turbed by rumors that France was be-
ginning to revolt against the guillo-
tine. At the Tammany meetings ''reso-
lutions" of an enthusiastic nature have
been passed expressing extravagant con-
idence in Mr. Kelly. He has been
cheered to the echo in Tammany Hall. In
structions have gone out from Mr.. Kelly and
his Committee on Discipline to ''reorganize
the wards" to enforce obedience to the man
dates Of the leader and to so reconstruct"
Tammany Hall that the defeat Of the last cleo
tion will be turned into an overwhelming
victory. The proposition of the HERALD
that there should be a reorganization
Of the whole democratic party in New York,
upon the basis of a union of all demo-
cratic interests by the adoption of the
glorious principle Of popular sovereignty,
does not meet with approval This
could hardly have been expected. A man
who could drive the democratic party into
the position where Mr.. Kelly left it at the
close of the polls, and who could drive it
there with his eyes open, in spite Of the
warnings Of his friends and the taunts of his
enemies, is capable of leading it deeper and
deeper into the valley of destruction.
The meaning Of the election was not simply
that few laboring men resented the reduc-
ton of their wages. 1t did not represent
in any way dissatisfaction with the ticket
nor a belief that Tammany Hall was under
worse influence than when Tweed and his pre-
decessors were in power. On the contrary,
the reduction Of the laborers' wages was only
a minor element in the canvass 1t formed
no part of the arguments of the Times or the
Sun or the HERALD, which, as newspapers,
we're mainly conspicuous in the contest
So far as these journals were concerned
this issue was never made. 1t was
only referred to by an occasional dema-
gogue anxious to arouse the passions
Of his audience. AS to the people Of New
York opposing Mr.. Kelly personally there
was no such feeling. On the contrary,
we believe Mr.. Kelly is held now, and was
before the canvass, in as high esteem
as any man who has controlled Tam
many Hall for the last twenty years.
Nor was there any disposition to find fault
with his ticket. The general expression,
even among the most vehement opponents Of
Tammany Hall, was that in the per-
sonal fitness of the candidates for the
places forwhich they were nominated Mr.
Kelly's nominations were above reproach
Nor was any severe attack made upon the
Tammany ticket. In all these points the
canvass was conducted with moderation and
respect for the gentlemen in nomination and
with kindness to Mr.. Kelly himself The
one thought in the minds Of the people Of
New York when they defeated a leader
whom they did not despise and ticket
which they respected was that they would
not submit any longer to the domination Of
a one-man power
This resolution took shape especially
when Mr.. Kelly attempted to carry out
his one-man power by striking to
the ground an independent Judge who
had declined to obey his will. 1t may
be possible in time Of plenty, with the
command Of unusual patronage, for the
leaders Of Tammany Hall again to carry New
York. Upon that point we make no predic-
tions, knowing the tickle character of our
politics. But il seems to Us that the demo-
cratic party has made up its mind that Tam
many Hall il itself from its very nature, is
inconsistent with the true principles Of
democracy The wise leaders of that
organization Bee that it was Tammany
Hall which burdened Mr.. Greeley
into the dust when running against Grant
and gave the republicans an easy victory.
~ SdgdCiJuS a man 10 vi. llltH IuuSJ Bee
that his majority in New York was torn to
pieces by the influence Of Tammany Hall,
and that if he had not taken especial pains
to withdraw Mr. Herman and Mr.. Seymour
from the canvass and adopt q policy Of
neutrality be would probably have lost the
State. If Tammany Hall is permitted to
control New York, and through New York
the next National Democratic Convention,
the republicans may have an easy victory.
Tammany is only q democratic embodiment Of
the old Know Nothing idea. The Know Moth
ing party was a secret organization intended to
unite the enemies Of the Catholic Church
and Of foreign citizenship. Notwithstand-
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