The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-13
Internal Discussions OF the Democratic
Party-Governor Tilden's Prospects.

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Governor Tilden is the only democratic
candidate who is perceptibly gaining in
strength. His most conspicuous rival is
making no progress, the minor rivals are as
yet hardly in the field but the advance Of
the New York candidate is steady and his
friends are not merely confident. but
sanguine. Yet their exultation is premature.
They must await further developments before
it is safe to feel quite so triumphant. If they
should, after all. be disappointed, it will not
''the vigor of the war has not come up to the
sounding phrases of the manifesto" Gov
ernor Tilden's supporters ought not to forget
the fate Of some former New York candi-
dates who went to the national conventions
of their party buoyant with hope ''and came
the Convention with so strong support as
Mr.. Van Buren, had in 1874, when he was
beaten by Polk ; nor with SO many auguries
in his favor as Mr.. Seward had in 1860,
when the cup was dashed from his lips by
Lincoln. Mr.. Van Buren, had clear major
ity of the delegates in 1914, but was defeated
by the two-thirds rule. Mr. Seward had
also a majority at Chicago in 1860 on the day
the delegates assembled, and had ballot
been taken on that day he would have re-
ceived the nomination. It's postponement
to the second day gave time for combina-
tons against him, and the receding tide OF
that fatal night left him aground and de-
stroyed his chances for the Presidency for
ever. These unexpected reverses to strong
and sanguine New York candidates are q
theme for instructive, or at least pensive,
meditation. 1t is not safe for politicians to
"halloo before they are out of the woods"
There is another historical lesson which
Governor Tilden and his friends might lay
to heart, not without profit. We refer to
the wreck of the democratic party in the
famous Charleston Convention of18G0 Doug
las went to Charleston with greater strength
than Mr.. Tilden is likely to carry to st. Louis.
On one or two ballots he had decided
majority of the Convention; but the newt
able two-thirds rule stood in the way, and
his friends pushed him with such stubborn
zeal as to split and ruin the party, which has
foundered in bog from that day to this in
vain struggles to plant it's feet once more on
solid ground. To the New York delegation,
acting as a unit in favor Of Douglas, that
disastrous result was chiefly due. Had the
stiff and obstinate New York delegation con-
sented to withdraw him the party could
have been saved and the civil war avoided
The party was sacrificed in 1860 to the ire
pressible ambition of one strong man and
the persistence of the New York democrats
in supporting him. Many of the New York
delegates saw the folly Of such course and
would have yielded; but the instruction to
vote as a unit enabled the majority to over
rule them and to cast votes against Douglas
rs if they were votes for him. The New York
delegation to st. Louis is instructed to vote
in the same way, and devotion to IN in
dividual may again destroy the hopes of the
party if the warnings Of history are set at
naught.
There are such dangerous causes of di-
vision in the democratic party that it cam
not afford to admit new element of dis
cord founded on obstinate personal preten-
sions. The great schism Of last year, which
was attended with so much bitterness and
such fierce recriminations between the
Western and the Eastern democrats, and has
kept the party at deadlock in Congress
during the last six months on the most
important question of.the time, is diff
ficulty of sufficient magnitude without the
added embarrassment of an utterly selfish
personal contest. The nomination must,
of course, be given to q hard money demo-
crat if the party is to succeed but among
the hard money statesmen some can be ac-
cepted by the West with less sacrifice of
feeling than others. Harmony would not
be promoted by an attempt to force upon
the West the most distasteful hard money
man Of them all. There are many West
ern democrats who have the same sort of re-
pugnance to Mr. Tilden that Southern demo-
Gratis felt toward Mr.. Douglas. If he is
pushed ut st. Louis in the same stiff un-
yielding spirit as Douglas was at Charleston
it is not impossible nor very improbable that
the consequence would again be revolt
which would rend the democratic party in
twain. In 1860 there were other democrats
holding Mr.. Douglas views on slavery who
might have been nominated without bolt,
as there are now other democrats that hold
Governor Tilden's views on the currency
who would be accepted without much
grumbling by the West. But it may not
prove an easy task to drive the hard-money
wedge butt end foremost. 1t is to be hoped
that Mr. Tilden cares too much for the sue
cess of his party to divide it at ST. Louis as
Douglas divided it at Charleston.
1t is not likely that the two-thirds rule
will be rescinded. If the attempt is made
the vote on that question will disclose an
unexpected opposition to Mr.. Tildeni at the
outset of the proceedings On that ques-
4i1.x, oil nthnrs tho Nosx Y3arlr dnla1xa-