The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-28
Democratic Candidatos for the Cow
ernOrship.

| Democatic State Convention must founder
in the dark SO long as Governor Tilden
shrouds his intentions in mystery. For
ways that are dark and tricks that are not
vain this astute politician is peculiar, and
for aught the public knows he may have
sleeve full of concealed trumps. If he has
deliberately made up his mind to push
favorite that favorite will be nominated.
The democratic party cannot afford an open
quarrel with its candidate for the Presi-
dency, and if he undertakes to dictate
the nominee for Governor there will be but
q feeble resistance He is too shrewd and
arttul to provoke an unseemly contest, and
has skill and foresight enough to control
political convention while seeming to stand
aloof. His habitual method is to begin early,
to work secretly, to save himself trouble in
convention by quietly controlling the choice
OF delegates, and to surprise and contound
his opponents at the final scene of action by
showing them that he has majority on
which they can make no impression. In
this quiet way and by thus taking time by
| the forelock he has gained the mastery of
every democratic State convention for the
last two or three years. He is acting unlike
himself if he has not issued secret rescripts
to his confidential friends in the Assembly
districts to send delegates to Saratoga who
can be relied on as Tilden men first, last
and all the time. If, as is probable, he has
thus stolen o march on the party, its express
sions of preference for particular candidates
will amount to little; for the nomination
will not be determined by the democratic
sentiment of the State, but by the will Of
one dexterous politician. He may safely
make show of leaving the Convention to
its free action if he has fixed things in ad-
vance by virtually debating the choice of
majority of its members. He is too wary to
have committed himself unequivocally to
Convention he can nominate any favorise
whom he may prefer on a final survey Of the
| situation. The candidates most frequently
mentioned in the recent gossip of demo-
cratic circles are Church, Dorsheimer, Hewitt
and Potter.
Judge Church has strong body of sup
porters, who think that his consent is the
only thing necessary to make him the candi-
date of the Convention. We suspect that
they are under o delusion, for even if Gov
ernor Tilden should make no open opposi-
ton to the nomination Of Church he would
covertly defeat it. Mr.. Tilden wants o can
! didate whose friends have given him Wig
orous support in his war on the Canal Ring,
but the most prominent friends of Judge
| Church have given him the cold shoulder.
Mr. Dorsheimer is reported to have said that
he would withdraw in favor of Church, which
is a safe OFFER if he really made it, for he is
| too we'll acquainted with the sentiments of
Governor Tilden toward Church to re-
gard him as an actual competitor.
We do not believe that Judge Church
could be persuaded to take the nomination.
Even with him as a candidate the result of
the election would be doubtful. He would
gain nothing substantial by an election, and
would lose everything by defeat His term
as Chief Justice of the Court Of Appeals does
not expire until 1884, and he cannot be a
| candidate for Governor without resigning
the office The State constitution declares
that all votes given for judge for any other
than judicial Office are void, and if Judge
Church should accept a nomination for Gov
ernor he would be compelled to give up two
birds in the hand for the chance of catching
one in the bush. He would incur the GER
tain loss of the Chief Justiceship for seven
years for the doubtful chance of being elected
Governor for three. Even if he could be in
duced to take this risk MIR. Tilden would not
permit his nomination.
We do not suppose that the Governor is
irretrievably committed to Dorsheimer.
whom he must look upon as a weak candi-
date to be pitted against Morgan. Yet it
may be that Mr.. Tilden has such an over
weening sense of his own strength that he
thinks he could buoy up any gubernatorial
| candidate.
Abram S. Hewitt is new name in connec-
ton with the Governorship, bu he has, per-
haps, some chances to come in as the dark
horse" The most difficult question the
Democratic Convention will have to deal
with is the local quarrel of factions in this
city, and the nomination of Mr. Hewitt
might facilitate settlement He is promi-
nent Tammany man, who has not made him
self offensive to the anti-Tammany wing of
the party. He would naturally be ac-
| ceptable to Mr.. Tilden as his most
vigorous defender in Congress. The anti
Tammany faction might indorse him on the
ground of his perfect independence OF John
Kelly, whom he fought at st. Louis in the
interest of Mr.. Tilden with conspicuous
boldness, ability and success. If other
means of harmonizing the city factions
should fail MIR. Hewitt may be nominated
for Governor as a solvent between the city
factions; otherwise he has little chance, as
he is not popular nor much known in the
/ ,rol icfr on