New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-13
THE SARATOGA GATHERING.

The Democratic Convention reassembles to-
day, TO "make or break the Democratic strug-
Gle for power. 1t meets with the shouts oi
victory from Republicans of Maine ringing III
its ears Names answer to the nomination OF
Adams is Republican majority at very nearly
the high-wateT mark; the flood is not quite as
high as the highest ever known, but it is
enough to prove that the cry of "Illden and
" Reform" and the systematic abasement OF
old-faslIioned Democrats by the promotion OF
men who have no sympathy with the real ten
denotes Of the Democratic party, have COM
pletely failed. This announcement comes to
convention which has been, at the best, by 10
means inclined to acknowledge the wisdom of
Gov. Tild ms policy. 1t comes to men who.
when Nh Dorshemer was brought forward as
the Governors favorite, responded, GIVE us
"a Democrat" With such proof of the fail
ure of Gov. Tilden's methods to reach the IN
dependent OF Republican voters, it Will not he
strange if the convention which so deiinntly
nominated Mr.. Seymour manifests by second
nomination its aversion for the aims, and Its
lack of confidence IN the policy Of its Pres
dental candidate.
The superficial observer may conclude that
such course viii be foolish and suicidal. 1t
il quite likely to result in defeat. But sensible
Democrats know by this time that they are
reduced to q choice of two paths. OF which
either is likely to end in disaster. Hsthc
party adheres to the "refOrm" policy, and
tries by new false preteDses as to its spirit
and tendency TO catch independent votes, 1t
Will find, as Mr.. Kelly asserted, and as Yer
mont and Maine have proved, that there are
very few of them left to he caught. The pre-
tense is too thin. The real nature OF the DEM
ocratic party, its actual spirit and aims, are
so well known chat nearly the whole OF the
Republican and independent vote will be cast
against il in any event. Pretend what it may,
promise what it may, it is still substantially
the same Democratic party, and "Tilden and
"Reform' does not prove a more effective mask
than mcclellan and Vigorous Prosecution of
the War by all the arts of diplomacy. Not
gaining Republican or independent votes, this
policy is likely to lose many Democratic
votes. In 1872, when the BOuIbons dis
covered that the nomination of Mr. Greeley
would result, if he should be elected, in
an administration faithful to the Union, to
the public honor, and to true Republican
principles, they refused to vote TO the
number of 100000 in a single State. Just IN
proportion as they can be made to believe that
the success of Mr.. Tilden really means reform,
non -partisanship in the public officers, hard
money, and fidelity to the public obligations,
these same Bourbons will drop Mr. Tilden and
leave him to gnOmnious defeat.
If defeat is emncntly probable Oh this side,
il is probable also on the other. Had the
Democrats at st. Louis treated Tilden, and
Reform with contempt, nominated Mr.. Hen
bricks, and made bold appeal to the COM
munistic spirit which hard times engcnder,
they would have been nearly certain of sue
cess in Indiana and might have repeated In
Ohio the tremendous effort Of 1875, but would
have been beaten in New-YOrk. They under
took TO carry the West with Hendricks and
Bonrbonism, and the East with Tilden and Re-
form, and it is now too late for them
to make the fierce fight which they
might have made at the West. Hendricks
and BourbODism are not prominent enough to
fire the regulators, and Ohio and Indiana arc
probably lost, but change of front would
only involve new danger at the East Here
the only chance of success has been in pre-
senting Gov. Tilden az reformer. If his
party should low refuse to nominate any man
who had sustained him in his war upon the
Canal Ring, if it should persistently ostracize
every man who had been identified with the
Reform policy, the result might be gain of
Bourbon votes, but it would surely be loss
of whatever independent and liberal votes that
policy has secured.
To this choice of risks the Democrats Of
New York are forced. Either way, the pros
poets are gloomy The best that they can do
is to judge which policy offers them the better
of two very doubtful chances. They will be
very likely to blame Gov. Tilden for this dis
heartening dilemma, but ii is not his fault.
Had his advice been followed the West would
have been sacrificed at the start, and the battle
made on the naked issue of reform. In that