New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-17
TILE RLrLLDOZERN RENNION

The all-absOrbing questions i'll Democratic
circles at present seem to he whether the
Democracy shall convene in February, and II
40 where. meeting of the Democratic
National Executive Committee is to be held ut
the residence Of the Chairman, Mr. Hewitt, mt
Washington tomorrow. The general public,
if we correctly apprehend its view of the sub
iect, does not care the toss OF copper
whether the Democracy cOnvenes, or where
or when, SO long az it keeps the peace
and does not lay hands on what does mt
belong to it. There has been more or less
interest felt in the question how the millions
of Government patronage would finally be
distributed, but it was in a measure chased
away by the feeling of curiosity which Com
modore Vanderbilt's death awakened rs TO
how he had divided up his millions; and fol-
lowing that, the social event which began In
front of tho Union Club, eliminated in Mary
land and tapered off at Sandy Hook, has pretty
much driven out of the public mind, or
at least greatly weakened the interest
felt in The political event which the
Democratic committees are trying 80 hard
to make stir about. Still the committees and
such, and all the earnest mon who think the
if their names are not shortly put upon pay
roll somewhere, are very much exercised about
it. and the consequence is there is warm dis
cussiOn in committee circles. Most of the men
who believe the Government should be re-
formed from the inside, and who want TO get
inside for that purpose, and that only, say de-
cidedly that the party should convene. They
would have it convene at Washington on the
18th of February, on account of what they
call the "moral effect" the demonstration
would have upon Congress in counting
the votes. That is the same kind of moral
"ef'cct" by which several Southern States
were carried, and unhappily there's prejudice
against it ut the North. 1t is understood that
Mr. Tildcn and his right-hand adviser, Mr.
Hewitt are not in favor of cOnvening at all,
and that other distinguished persons say If
they must convene, let it be at some other
point than Washington. And these arc all
persons who know what it means to have a
Democratic convention. National or otherwise
They have seen conventions before. They UNI
derstand the "mOral effect of them, and they
think it would he better to bulldOze" some
remote parish rather than undertake it on Con-
gress at Washington. And upon the whole
they are wise. Washington is not good place
for bulldozing" just now.
Among the many amusing speeches at the
last serios of bul!dozing" demonstrations
throughout the country on or about the Sth of
January was notably that of the Hon. Mr..
Watterson Of Kentucky at the Bulldozers'
Reunion in Washington, and it is said that he
first disclosed in that speech the design of the
18th Of February convention now under dis
cussiOn. His statement, il we rightly
remember, was that on the day named
100000 Democrats 0Inarme,D would he
in Washington asserting the right OF per-
sonal petition. Mr. Watterson is we'll
known Kentucky humorist, and like the other
Kentucky humorist, Mr. Proctor Knott, is
most amusing when most earnest This was
one of his solemn statements, and the cOnsc-
quence was that it set the frivolous portion Of
the press laughing. II was said, first, that o
hundred thousand men couldn't get personal
hearing; and second. that no hundred thousand