New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-17
prRROYS NEW TEST.

PURROY'S NEW TEST.
You may safely trust the gifted Purroy in
any question involving the regularity of a
Democratic Convention, or the genuineness OF
any mans Democracy. There's no such ex-
pert as he in the county. The amount OF IN
ventive genius that man has applied to this
subject is something wonderful to contemplate.
He has endeared himself to Mr. John
Kelly beyond measure, by his unequailed
skill as detective Of counterfeit Dem
ocrats 1t would not be at all surprising at the
rate things are going on and party lines are
getting mixed, if next year Mr.. Kelly should
find PurrOy indispensable in testing the genu-
ineness of conventions, and be Obliged to take
him round and "chuck him into conventions
Just as they plunge a lactometer into milk cam
to detect adulteratiOn of the simOn-pure DemOc-
racy. Nothing bOthers this man. At time when
the most experienced politician can hardly tell
a voters politics by the ticket in his hand !;
when Mr. Tildea has so demOraizcd the par
~ with notions of reform that Democrats have
voted for BIgelow and DOrSheimer, and Re
publicans are found voting for Morrissey;
when everything is vague and uncertain, and
great many Democrats fail to compre-
into promscuOus crowd and jerk You out "A
Democrat of any description on sight at a
moments notice. 1t seems to be almost an
instinct with him.
Observe how quickly he settled the chaac-
ter of the Senatorial Convention at Nyack.
The dull quetness of that assembly, rising al
most to responsibility, had excited a doubt in
the minds of many az to whether it was really
a Democratic Convention. PuToy was there,
and equal to the emergency. Selecting his
man-Delegate Jones, of Nyack-he opened
the exercises by breaking that persons jaw.
In ten seconds the convention deycl-
oped beyond question. There was an out
burst of enthusiasm for a few moments,
at the conclusion Of which a recess was taken.
The delegates adjourned to the Police Court.
Purroy was bound over. The hall wa,
cleaned of the blood and hair and
ears, and fragments of countenances and
clothes-proofs of the genuineness Of the
conyeution-and then they rcassembed and
nominated Mr. Richard Lathers for Senator.
All doubt was removed with the debris of the
demonstration. And now he has brought
to the nomination of Mr.. Henry G. Stcb-
bins as Park Commissioner, another new
and original test of Democracy. Mr. Steb-
bins has been reputed to be a Democrat
He is understood to have been IN the habit OF
voting the Democratic ticket, and was nomi-
mated for Park Commissioners by Mayor Ely
who Is also believed to be n Democrat. But,
rs has been remarked, it is not easy to fool the
gifted PurrOy. He ut once detected Mr.. Steb
BINS as a Republican, under all DISCUSSES
How Simply by this fact that the Republi-
cans in the Board of Aldermen were in favor
of his confirmation. And SO Purroy forbade
the confirmation.
At the same time he gave us the only correct
and authorized Interpretation of the result Of
the election which made Mr.. Ely Mayor and Mr..
Purov and his associates Aldermen. "That
"election decided that the voters of this city
"wi>hed the City Government to be in the hands
"ol the Democrats" Nay, more They have re-
asserted this wish within few days by giving
81 majority for the Democratic ticket against
the combination made by the Republicans
and the 0utcasts and OlfscOurings of the Dem
ocratic party This, now, is a very clear
and satisfactory view of the real meaning Of
the election. The people who voted the DEM
ocratic ticket meant by their votes to
say that the Offices belong to Democrats.
That. and nothing else. 1t was unnecessary
to add, land that Purroy should decide who
ARE the Democrats who shall have the Offices
The explanation has the merit of exceeding
frankness Purroy has been rather noted for
the candor of his disposition ever since he broke
Joues's Jaw. We are indebted to him then
for an authoritative exposition of the Dem
ocratic creed in two particulars. First: Dem
ocratic success in an election means simply
and only that Democrats shall have the Oh
fees. Second No man is Democrat upon
whom any Republican can look with the least
degree of allowance.
This sinpifes matters amazingly, and clears
away world Of fog on the subject of Demo-
cratic principles and Democratic orthodoxy.
1t does not seem to doyetail precisely with
Mr.. Tilden's notion of the central idea" but
il is mach more consistent with the practice
of the party and more in accordance with its
traditions. Pumoy's is the practical view.
A SAUINGS BINK RESCUE
The trustees of the Long Island Savings